“I shouldn’t have taken for granted that the help would be permanent. I know what I have to do. I just have to find the balls to do it.”
“My aunts and uncles helped us after we lost Dad. It’s what families do.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped when the waitress came to take our order. I studied him while he spoke, sneaking me a tiny smile as he ordered for both of us.
“That’s why I probably look like hell,” Lee said. “Sleep isn’t coming easy, as you can imagine. So, enough about my problems. Let’s talk about yours. Why are you back home?”
“My problems are fine,” I said. “I broke up with Zach, moved out, and came here. That’s really the whole story.”
“No, it’s not,” he said with a slow shake of his head. “I can tell.”
“Can tell what?” I said, covering my face on instinct.
Lee reached across the table to peel my hand away from my face.
“I can tell there is more to it if you stopped working and moved in to your mother’s senior apartment. Why did you cover your face like that?”
I fiddled with the napkin, darting my gaze everywhere but Lee.
“I thought you noticed the bruises. They’ve faded, but I guess I’m still self-conscious?—”
“Bruises? What happened?” Lee’s lips twisted, his eyes roaming my face. “Did you fall?”
“Remember when you and Gary were shoveling our driveway, and he slipped?” I asked, desperate to change the subject.
“And he somehow clocked himself with the handle of the shovel and gave himself a black eye?” Lee snickered and shook his head.
“It looked so scary, but once we figured out he wasn’t seriously hurt, we couldn’t stop laughing. He got so pissed at us.”
“And we were sworn to secrecy. I hope he’s not that clumsy around ammo.”
“No, he’s good.” I chuckled. “I’m the klutz of the two of us now.”
“So you fell and got a black eye too? I won’t tell anyone.” Lee’s lips tipped up in a smirk.
“It’s really not a big deal. Honestly.” I craned my neck to the table next to us. “If we have time for dessert, want to split the tiramisu? It looks amazing but huge.”
I didn’t want to lie to Lee, but I also didn’t want to tell him the truth—for the same reason I hadn’t planned on telling my brother the whole story. I’d gotten into a mess and hadn’t had a clue until it had hit me in the face, literally. They’d be furious on my behalf, but it had been my fault.
“Stella,” Lee said, his voice low. “How did you get a black eye?”
“I told you. It was no big deal.”
“Then why aren’t you telling me?”
I finally turned my head to Lee’s angry gaze, his blue eyes searing into mine hard enough to kick up my pulse. Not the old kind of kick, more like a deep well of dread that was closing in on me.
“When Zach left?—”
“He hit you? For how long?” Lee asked, loudly enough for the patrons at the next table to whip their heads to us.
“Lee, it’s a long story and?—”
“He did,” Lee said through gritted teeth. “Fuck, Stella. Does your brother know? No, of course he doesn’t.” Lee balled up the napkin and tossed it aside. “Tell me what happened.”
“Calm down,” I said, holding up my hands. “He only hit me once. But…hard. The bruises took a while to heal, and I swear I can still see them, but no one else does.”
Lee nodded, his jaw working while he moved closer to the table.
