Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
S leep hit me like a bat cracking against a hundred-mile-an-hour fastball. When I say I was down for the count, I mean there was no waking me.
Rhodes, ever the gentleman, brought me grilled cheese and tomato soup in bed. I devoured the meal, then spent the rest of the night alone—my request. He had offered to stay and keep me company, but I politely declined. As much as I was opening up to sharing, my need for alone time ran deep. I was a loner at heart, recharging best in solitude.
I loved my friends, but my true peace often came in the quiet company of myself.
Rhodes understood and left me to indulge in an unhealthy amount of reality TV without so much as a raised eyebrow. Before heading to bed, he popped his head in to check on me, catching me mid-battle with a fistful of Oreos. No judgment, just a simple smile and a soft goodnight.
However, this morning, the house was eerily quiet.
I woke up to find Rhodes nowhere in sight. It was strange. He had the day off, and I half-expected to see him in his usual spot in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in hand.
Stretching my arms above my head, I rolled my neck and shuffled toward the front door. I grabbed my flannel jacket, deciding to check outside.
The November air was crisp, biting against my skin as I stepped out. My slippers scraped against the concrete as I waddled toward the driveway, where the boys had left my car after towing it home yesterday.
In the meantime, I’d left a voicemail at Gus’s shop, detailing the problem and asking him to call me back. I was anxious to get Betsy in for a tune-up sooner rather than later.
As I approached the car, something caught my attention—the hood was still up.
Did they leave it open all night?
I took a few more steps, and that’s when my heart stopped.
Rhodes was bent over in the driver’s seat, tinkering with something.
My vision blurred, and my feet rooted themselves to the ground.
Panic surged through me, sharp and overwhelming.
“What... what are you doing?” I blurted, my voice shaky, not directed at anyone in particular.
Rhodes stood up, wiping his hands on a towel before flinging it over his shoulder. He chuckled. “Good morning to you, too.”
I repeated myself, this time more firmly. “What are you doing?”
He hesitated, sensing my unease. “I thought I’d take a look under the hood, see if it was something I could fix.”
Rhodes stood in front of me, wearing his flannel jacket, backward hat, and jeans tucked into boots. There was a smudge of dirt on his cheek, as if he’d rubbed his face in frustration.
“Why?” I asked, tilting my head, my voice sharp.
“I was researching last night and thought?—”
“No one touches this car but Gus,” I interrupted, my voice rising. “I wanted to bring it to his shop. I asked you to tow it there, but you insisted on bringing it here.”
“Theo, it’s okay,” Rhodes said, stepping toward me cautiously.
“It isn’t okay!” I snapped. “What if you didn’t fix it? What if you made it worse? I need this car, Rhodes!”
His expression softened and I still couldn’t meet his eyes anymore. My gaze darted to the car, and the panic settled deeper into my bones.
“You know how much this car means to me. Yet you went against my wishes.”
This car wasn’t just metal and bolts. It was my dad’s legacy, our project, something meant to be ours until the end. Trusting one other person to work on it had been hard enough.
Rhodes placed his hands gently on my arms. The moment his touch reached me, my eyes closed, and I drew in a shaky breath.
“First,” he said softly, “I need you to take a deep breath and count to five.”
I obeyed, inhaling deeply, holding the breath, and exhaling slowly on his count.
“Second,” he continued, his voice calm and steady, “Gus isn’t going to be back in time for your appointment. He’s out until next week. I wanted to see if I could fix it so you wouldn’t have to wait.”
When he put it like that...
“I think I know what the problem is,” Rhodes added, “but it’s not safe to drive right now. I’ll take you wherever you need to go, and I’ll make sure she’s running by the end of the week.”
His tone was gentle yet firm, leaving no room for doubt.
The tension in my shoulders eased, and I could finally see past my panic.
“Okay,” I whispered, the word a mantra to ground myself. “Okay.”
“We’ll go to your appointment today. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it, and then we can swing by the store to pick up a few things for the nursery. How does that sound?”
Rhodes’s hands lingered on my arms, steady and reassuring, waiting to make sure I was okay before letting go.
“That sounds good,” I replied, nodding more than necessary, my throat tight as I swallowed hard.
He gently turned me toward the house, his hand guiding me from the small of my back.
“We’ve got time to eat before we leave. What can I make?”
I took a deep breath, counted to five, and exhaled—just as Rhodes had coached me earlier. It helped, though I was still wound tighter than a spring.
“I can’t eat until after my appointment,” I said, my stomach growling in protest. I had to fast beforehand, but his mention of food made the hunger kick in full force.
“Well, then you’ve got all day to decide what you want.”
Rhodes pulled me closer, tucking me under his arm as we climbed the porch steps.
I felt a pang of guilt for how I’d reacted. Seeing Rhodes working on the car had sent me spiraling into fight-or-flight mode, and I chose to fight. The loss of control, the panic—it was unlike me, but it had overwhelmed me in the moment.
It wasn’t until I was buckled into the passenger seat of Rhodes’ truck that I realized we were heading to my baby’s appointment together. Strangely, the thought didn’t unsettle me as much as I’d expected.
My leg bounced uncontrollably as we sat in the waiting room. The same faded wallpaper and faint antiseptic smell filled the space, triggering memories. This was the first time I’d come to an appointment with someone, and it left me feeling a bit off-kilter.
I’d choked down the sugary drink they made you take nearly an hour ago, and I was ready to be done with this. I was proud of myself for getting my blood drawn earlier all alone, but my nerves ramped up the longer we waited, more of an opportunity for people to see us here.
I’d made Rhodes stay behind when I checked in. The last thing I needed was the receptionist getting the wrong idea and turning future visits into awkward encounters.
“I feel like I’m having déjà vu,” Rhodes whispered in my ear. “Pretty sure this place looked exactly the same when I was a kid.”
“The wallpaper hasn’t changed?” I asked, arching a brow.
“Nope. Neither has that weird clown picture over there.” He nodded toward a particularly unsettling photo on the wall.
A laugh escaped me, easing the tension in my chest.
An older woman seated in front of us turned, her gaze piercing. When I finally met her eyes, she smiled warmly and closed her magazine.
“Aren’t you two just adorable?” she gushed. “I wish my daughter had someone to go with her. I’ve had to be there every step of the way.”
Ouch.
“Thank you,” Rhodes replied smoothly, placing a hand on my thigh. “We’re just so excited to welcome our little girl into the world.”
Play along, Theo. It’s all pretend.
“Oh, yes!” I chimed in, probably too enthusiastically. “We can’t wait.” My hand rested instinctively on my belly, and a pang of longing surged through me.
“When are you due?” the woman asked.
“January 18th,” I said with a soft smile.
“I hope you two make beautiful memories together. I’ll keep your baby girl in my prayers.”
Outward affection from strangers made me uncomfortable, so I nodded politely and redirected my attention to the TV in the corner. Judge Judy blared, and I feigned intense interest.
Rhodes chuckled beside me, his hand remaining on my thigh long after the interaction ended.
“Theo Matthews,” a nurse called from the doorway. I stood, and Rhodes’s hand slipped away.
“I’ll be right here,” he assured me with a soft smile, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners. His fingers brushed mine briefly, sending a jolt through me.
“Would you... want to come?” I asked quietly, leaning closer to keep the older woman from overhearing.
Rhodes studied my expression, his brow furrowing slightly. After a moment, he nodded and stood, falling into step beside me.
Why I’d asked him to come back was beyond me. Maybe I just didn’t want to be alone for once.
I reached for his hand, and after a brief hesitation, he intertwined his fingers with mine. Together, we walked down the hallway to the exam room.
Once inside, I perched on the examination table, my feet dangling nervously over the edge.
The nurse returned to take more blood. My stomach churned at the thought. They’d already done this once, and the idea of repeating it multiple times made my skin crawl.
“Here we go, Ms. Matthews,” the nurse said kindly. She looked young, fresh out of school, with a sweetness in her tone that eased some of my dread.
I extended my arm but turned my head away, focusing on Rhodes. He held out his hand, and I reached for it gratefully.
His thumb traced soothing circles over my knuckles, grounding me as I braced for the needle.
That small, tender gesture released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I wasn’t facing this alone.