20. Ed
20
ED
M y hands slip, and I grasp the edges of the flatscreen tighter and give a grunt, the only sign I can give Marcus that he’s moving too fast.
He eases up on his end, and I step backwards out of the door as the top of the flatscreen passes under the doorframe.
“And we’re through,” Marcus says quietly as if he’s speaking into a headset. The guy has a way of turning everything into a mission.
Hudson climbs into the back of the truck and takes one end of the flatscreen as we pass it up to him. The blanket I’ve thrown over it to protect the scene catches on the side of the sofa, and I climb into the truck to help secure it. The flatscreen should fetch a good price at the auction, and I don’t want it getting scratched.
Are you taking a job with Joel?” Hudson asks. “I mean a proper job, not just lugging shit around.”
We’ve gutted the buildings and cleared the land of debris, and Joel is moving ahead with the rebuild. He needs construction work now, and he’s hinted at something more permanent when the center opens. But I don’t know how one damaged soldier can help another.
I shrug my shoulders.
“You can do security,” Marcus quips. “Follow people around and not say a word. Scary as fuck.”
Hudson and Marcus set the flatscreen against the wall of the truck, and I secure it with a bungee cord.
“You’re not planning on leaving are you?” Hudson eyes me suspiciously. “Is that why you’re selling all this?”
I’m selling all Jake’s things, because the money I’ll get for it can be put to better use than his furniture. The Navy traditionally auctioned a deceased man’s belongings to raise money for his family. The Monroes have already told me they want nothing from the auction, so all proceeds will go to the veteran center Joel’s opening.
But Hudson’s right. When I started all this, I was planning to leave. It’s what I’ve always done. Apart from the two times when I came home with Jake, I always spent my military leave traveling. It’s what I plan to do now. I’ll head along one of the hiking trails. Somewhere I can be alone. At least that was the plan a few weeks ago.
I shrug again, and Hudson’s eye narrow. “Because I’ve heard you might have a good reason to stay.” His gaze flicks across the road to the Monroe house.
I narrow my eyes, wondering how the hell he found out about me and Avery.
“You know she’s best friends with my sister, right? Paige won’t tell me who knocked her up, but she has no problem telling me about everyone else’s sex life.”
Paige doesn’t strike me as the gossipy type. I grunt at his words, wondering who else knows about me and Avery.
It’s as if Hudson can read my mind.
“Don’t worry, she’s not a gossip. She asked me if you were an asshole or a good guy. I thought she meant you were the father of her kid. It was only when I threw my jacket on to come kick the shit out of you that she told me you’re sleeping with Avery.”
I let out a big breath. The entire town doesn’t know, but if Avery’s talking about us to her best friend, then things have gone further than I intended.
Hudson eyes me warily. “I told her I don’t know you well enough. But Jake thought highly of you, so you must be a good guy.”
His expression narrows. “I don’t know what you’re up to with Avery, dude, but Paige muttered threats about hiding bodies if you break her heart.” He shrugs. “Don’t underestimate my sister. She’s scary as shit.”
Hudson slaps me on the shoulder as he steps out of the truck. “I’ve known Avery since we were kids. She’s a sweet girl, and she’s been through hell with her brother. Don’t be an asshole.”
He jumps down off the bed of the truck, and I follow.
I warned Avery I couldn’t get into anything. I told her from the start it was casual. But what we’ve been doing doesn’t feel casual.
My gaze slides across the road to the Monroe house. The lights are on in the dining room, and the curtains are open a crack. I glimpse blond hair in a ponytail. Avery leans over her father’s shoulder, looking at something on the table. He says something, and she smiles and laughs.
Shona enters the room carrying two steaming mugs. She sets them down and peers over the admiral’s shoulder, smiling at whatever they’re looking at.
They’re illuminated in a warm glow. The warm glow of family. A family who was torn apart because of my actions.
An icy breeze whistles down the street and makes me shiver.
“I’ll take this lot over to the hall for unloading.” Marcus slaps me on the back. “Hudson will ride with me, and you can follow.”
He slides into the bed of the truck, and they back out of the street. I watch them go, and when I turn back to the Monroes, the curtain are drawn.