23. Natasha
NATASHA
There was something about loud music and power tools that really helped with the whole being-dumped-and-fired-all-in-one-go thing.
The combination drowned Trent’s accusations from my thoughts as my focus narrowed to the jigsaw cutting through wood.
The workshop was my happy place. Besides, who needed feelings when you held that kind of power in your hands?
Sold him out, my ass!
God! I worked hard for every single thing I had, even when that meant juggling three part-time jobs. As if I’d accept money from his mother of all people to stab him in the back! As if I’d ever do that to anyone, much less someone I—well, someone I cared for as much as I’d cared for him.
My hand tightened around the jigsaw, the vibrations shooting up my arm as my teeth clenched.
I couldn’t believe him! I couldn’t believe this was my life.
I stopped the jigsaw, staring down at the work-in-progress bookcase that was destined for Nana Dee.
Or, at least, it had been. I had no idea if Trent even still wanted me to complete this furniture order, despite how much Dee might want it.
Frankly, there was a big part of me that wanted to abandon the project altogether.
But I didn’t want to be accused of taking more money or materials or handouts from this family, so it was probably best I finished the order.
I could arrange for an outside company to transport it to Dee’s, and then I’d never have to have anything to do with the Saunders family again.
My heart beat uncomfortably in my chest, echoing the thump of the bass.
The thought of letting them go—Trent and Dee and this future I’d started to envision for myself—sucked more than I wanted to admit.
I’d set myself up to get hurt, and there was no one to blame except myself.
But I’d been through this kind of heartbreak before and had managed to pick myself up.
I could do it again. I didn’t need Trent. I was fine on my own.
Right?
Something cut through the sound of the bass, and I realized my phone was ringing. My first thought was that it might be Trent, and my heart lurched with a sliver of hope before I could remind myself that he’d told me he never wanted to see me again.
I turned the volume down on the music and crossed through my workshop to grab my phone, frowning at the caller ID.
“Hi, Jimmy?” I said, confusion bleeding through me. Why the hell would Trent’s little brother be calling me? Unless he wanted to curse me out like Trent had. I winced, half expecting him to launch into a tirade. I really wasn’t in the mood to be berated by another Saunders today.
“Natasha?” a trembling voice replied. “Hey, uh…hi. Do you think you can come get me?”
Okay, what? That sounded like a horrible idea. And get him from where? What was going on? “I don’t know if that’s—”
“P-please,” he stammered, sounding incredibly upset.
I started getting worried. Why was Jimmy crying in the middle of a weekday afternoon? “Are you okay?” I asked.
“Please come get me,” he straight-up begged.
I rubbed at my forehead. “Jimmy, what’s going on?”
“I was trying to get into the city,” he said, talking a mile a minute, “and I hitched a ride as far as…Fuck, where am I? I don’t even know…Shit! Shit, shit, shit!” He took a ragged breath. “Natasha—”
“Okay,” I said, deciding this wasn’t the time to get answers. He wasn’t making any sense and obviously getting more upset by the second. I still wasn’t sure what had him so worked up, but it was clear that trying to get information from him right now was only making things worse. “Just breathe.”
“I’m sorry for bothering you, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Hey, none of that. You’re not a bother.
Definitely not.” I still had no idea what was going on, but I wasn’t going to let him tear himself up over it, whatever it was.
Now was the time for support. And I didn’t know how else to support him other than to go and get him.
“Can you send me a pin with your location?”
“Yeah,” he sobbed. “A pin. I…I can do that.”
A moment later, a text came through with his location.
“Perfect. That’s great, Jimmy. I’m on my way.
Just stay put.” He agreed not to move, and I hung up, whipping around the workshop to find my house keys and my purse.
I was well aware of how ironic this was—Trent breaks my heart, and now I was rushing off to rescue his little brother.
But even though I might be furious with Trent for the things he’d said, Jimmy was a sweet kid who needed help, and I’d made him a promise that I’d be there for him.
I wasn’t going to be someone he couldn’t trust.
I locked up the workshop and darted across the street to the neighbors’, knocking repeatedly until a woman answered.
“Hi, Myra!” I said, more out of breath than I’d realized.
“Natasha! You look frantic. Are you okay?”
I was friendly-ish with Myra and her husband, Rick. They’d commissioned a new kitchen table from me last year and had been thrilled with what I’d delivered. Hopefully, that would give me enough leeway to get away with what I was about to ask.
“I have a big favor to ask. Do you think I could borrow your car? It’s a bit of an emergency.”
“Well, sure,” Myra said, jumping into action. “Of course. Let me grab the keys.” She hurried into the house and returned with a key ring strung over her finger. “Rick just filled up on gas, so it should be good to get you wherever you need to go.”
“Thank you!” I said, already backing down the steps. “I’ll return it with a full tank! Promise.”
Myra waved me off. “Don’t worry about it.”
I unlocked the car, hopped in, and plugged Jimmy’s location into my phone, heading out of the city.
I found him on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere halfway between Princeton and New York. He didn’t even have a jacket on. Jimmy, what the hell were you thinking?
I pulled over on the shoulder where he was sitting and popped the passenger door open for him. Jimmy scrambled to his feet and climbed into the car, holding his hands out to the vents, soaking in the heat.
“Holy shit,” I said, noting the shiner on his cheek. I took him by the chin to inspect the damage. “What happened?”
He winced at my touch, and I released him. “I needed a lift to the city, to get to the hospital for Nana Dee.”
“Wait…what? Dee’s in the hospital? When did this happen?”
“Not long ago,” Jimmy said. “She collapsed. You didn’t know?”
I shook my head, getting back on track. “That doesn’t explain why you look like you’ve just stepped out of a boxing ring.”
Jimmy’s face screwed up, on the verge of tears. I patted his arm. “It was so last second, and I couldn’t arrange any sort of ride with a friend, and I figured waiting around for someone to come out here to get me then drive me all the way back to the city would take too long.”
“So?”
“So…I tried to hitch a ride to New York.”
“God, Jimmy! You couldn’t just get an Uber?”
“My score’s really low,” he mumbled. “After I partied a little too hard and got sick in an Uber a couple of times. But I figured hitching a ride is not that different, you know? And the guy seemed nice enough, at first. But after he drove me partway, he beat me up and stole my wallet before kicking me out of the car.”
“What!” I massaged my eyes. This was so ridiculous I almost didn’t believe it. Except Jimmy was sitting next to me, a nasty bruise darkening on his cheek. “Did you at least tell your brother? And does he know you’re okay?”
“I was too embarrassed to call Trent after it happened. He’s already got enough on his mind, looking after Nana Dee. He shouldn’t have to put up with my BS. Like who the hell gets jumped nowadays? I’m such an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot,” I assured him. “You were the victim of a crime. We have to file a police report.” God, too much was happening right now.
“No, we have to get to the hospital,” Jimmy insisted. “I don’t care about that douchebag or talking to the police right now. Screw him. I’ll be fine.” He gave me a small, pained smile. “I’ve got you looking out for me, right?”
“You’ve got me,” I agreed, starting the car and making a U-turn, heading back to New York. “God, I can’t believe Dee collapsed. Do you know how bad it is?”
Jimmy frowned. “I can’t believe Trent didn’t tell you.”
“We’re not exactly speaking right now,” I admitted. This was the last thing I wanted to drop on the kid considering what was going on, but I couldn’t lie to him.
“What do you mean ‘not speaking’?”
“We sort of broke up earlier today.”
Jimmy let out a strangled sound, gaping at me. “You’re joking! You two were so perfect together. What the hell did he do?”
That got a pathetic little laugh out of me. “I think it’s more what I did,” I said. Trent had said some awful things to me, but this was his kid brother, and I couldn’t make him out to be the bad guy. Not completely. I had a role to play here too.
“Tell me what happened?” he asked. “At least it’ll distract me from the throbbing in my cheek.”
I glanced over at him, pressing on the gas a little. “We’re getting that checked out when we get to the hospital. Something might be broken.”
“Sure. Whatever. Now, back to the story.” Jimmy looked at me pointedly.
I sighed, mustering up the energy to relive this morning.
I started with the moment Trent burst into my office.
When describing it all, I tried to gloss over some of the more hurtful things, but I wasn’t sure it made any sense in the end.
It didn’t completely make sense to me—it all just felt nightmarish.
Jimmy nodded along, looking less confused than I’d expected, almost like he was putting the pieces together. “Mm-hmm,” he said flatly. “So, you’ve been in touch with my mom?”
“I—yeah,” I admitted. “The world’s biggest mistake, apparently. But not because I was selling her secrets. I’d never do anything like that. I swear.”