Her gaze lifted and met his. There it was again. That pull. Stronger now. Harder to ignore.
His thumb brushed lightly over her skin. Unnecessary. Her breath caught. His eyes dropped to her mouth, lingering.
Abruptly, he released her hand and stood, as if he’d touched something he wasn’t supposed to. “I’ll get a Band-Aid.”
Julia watched him go, frustration digging in deeper this time.
***
Alec delivered groceries and a laptop that evening. The next day, she worked, forcing herself into spreadsheets and schedules, grateful for anything that filled a few hours and made her feel useful again.
Outside, Leland sanded the chair. The steady scrape of it wore on her nerves differently.
He had a purpose. She had busywork—tasks meant to keep her from unraveling.
By the fifth day, she called Cari and complained that a mind was a terrible thing to waste.
“You sound like you’re in prison.”
“I might as well be,” Julia muttered. “I’m climbing the walls.”
Cari laughed. “You always hated being still.”
“I don’t hate that. I hate being useless and antisocial.”
“Won’t Leland talk to you?”
“Yes, but he stays busy. I think he works overtime to avoid it.”
A pause.
“I’m having a dinner party on Sunday. It’s Dev’s birthday. Not a full night. You should get Leland to bring you.”
Julia went still.
“It will do you good to be around people.”
Noise. Structure. Familiarity. She glanced at Leland who was finishing up, dabbing on a coat of varnish.
“No way he’ll agree,” Julia said.
“Probably not. But it doesn’t hurt to ask. Right?”
“Right,” she agreed. But she didn’t.
***
That night, storms rolled in again. Lots of rain and wind. Not long after dark, the lights flickered once, twice, before going out completely. The A/C cut out at the same time.
Leland was already moving. Flashlight at the ready, candles lit, every door and window checked. His calm efficiency made her feel better.
“Stay close,” he said. “The generator takes five to kick in, but it won’t power everything.”
“What? Like no cable?”
“Alarms, no cameras. Refrigerator, but limited lights, and no AC.”
She blinked. It was already getting stuffy. “In Florida?”
