Page 60 of Lethal Weakness

“No.” He closes the grill and folds his arms over his chest, closing himself off to me in the way he does so often.

“Can I at least apologize for how I reacted earlier? I know you were trying to help. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me, Linden. I was out of line.”

I scoff. “It’s only because of you that I even know what they did to Avery. They were testing her for cancer. Can you believe that?”

He sits in a chair on his porch, bracing his elbows on his knees, not acting surprised by my information at all.

“You can’t trust them, Linden.”

“I know. They lied about having a daughter, too. They let me name my daughter after her unknowingly. It’s sick.”

His head quirks slightly as if that bit of information does surprise him, but he doesn’t ask any follow-up questions.

“They’ve been hiding that secret from me for nearly four years… It’s a slap in the face.”

He nods stiffly. “You cannot trust anything they say, or anything they do. They’re not good people.”

I know that… Why does he know that?

But I guess putting a needle in a little girl without consent is enough to stain someone’s image.

I duck under the fence where the chain link is missing, and take hesitant steps towards him.

“Thank you for caring so much about Avery. I appreciate that you’re looking out for her.”

He tips his head up to look at me. “I’m looking out for you, too.”

Butterflies swirl in my gut as he gazes at me tenderly. He’s missing his hat, and it’s so much easier to read him this way.

“Did you have a spare bed? Or are you sleeping on my air mattress tonight?” I ask him softly, taking another step in his direction until our knees nearly touch and he has to sit up straighter in his chair to really look at me.

He doesn’t say anything, and it’s all he has to say for me to know the answer.

“Are you nice like this to all girls… Or just me?” I let my knee brush against his.

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “Just being neighborly.”

“Hmm,” I hum, reaching for the buckle beneath my shoulder that releases the straps of my overalls. The first strap falls, and his eyes track it.

The second strap drops and his hands grip the armrests of his chair.

The jean shorts slip easily down my legs once my straps are undone, and I’m left standing in my little yellow crop top and lace boy shorts.

His jaw ticks, and he sucks a ragged breath in through his nose as he studies my half-naked body.

But he doesn’t say a word.

I expect nothing more from him as I brace my hands on either side of his chair, and he leans back fully, giving me room to crawl astride his lap.

He doesn’t move a muscle, not to put his hands on me, or even breathe.

“Don’t worry…” I whisper against his ear, letting my lips brush his skin. “I’m just being neighborly.” I pull my shirt over my head, and a strangled noise escapes his throat when my bare breasts bounce free in front of his face.

When my hands reach for the button of his jeans, his eyes finally snap to mine.

“Don’t say a word, unless it’s no,” I plead into his eyes.