Chapter 7 #2
“I was helping Atlas put up a shelf in his bathroom,” Will explained. “It might not be completely straight, but there are enough anchors on the wall that it’s not going to fall down.”
I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh at the thought of Atlas Carter trying to do a household repair. “Did you tell him he should talk to Finnian?”
“I didn’t want to get thrown into a lake.”
“Atlas would never do that,” I said as I tried to dust the dirt off my jeans.
“When it comes to Finnian and his odd jealousy over you? Yeah, he would.”
I froze, and Will’s eyes widened as if he realized what he’d just said was out loud.
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind. I was thinking of something else. Anyway, Atlas saw you out here and said I should come help you garden because you don’t know what you’re doing. His words. Not mine.”
I glared over at the house, wondering if he was staring now. Damn man. “Oh, really. He sent you to do his little old dirty work?”
“He was on a call with his agent, and then the police from back in Portland. I think he just wanted me out.”
Will stuck his hands in his pockets, even as metal coated my tongue at the thought of talking to the police.
“I could use the help. Though, don’t you have a shift soon?”
“A little bit later. I don’t mind helping out. Gives me something to do, you know?”
“Okay. That works for me. And then maybe we can ply Atlas with questions later. I’m nosy.”
“If you just asked him, he would tell you.” Will shrugged as if he wasn’t saying the exact phrases that broke my heart, but of course, he wouldn’t know that.
“I think Atlas keeps more secrets than we know.”
“Maybe.” Will pointed towards the weed I tried to kill. “Hey, I read about that one in science class. It helps with keeping the soil moist for the plants around it.”
I immediately handed over the shovel. “Oh, I think we just found your new favorite thing.”
“I like gardening. You get to keep things alive. And sometimes they come back the next year. My mom always had a garden when I was younger.” Will’s gaze dropped, and I wanted to reach out and hug him, but we weren’t ready for that.
He was an adult now, figuring out his way in life just like we all were, but some part of him was that little boy who missed his parents, and now, I knew just an inkling of what he felt.
“My mom was better at gardening than I will ever be. And no matter how hard she tried, I never really soaked up that knowledge.”
“It’s okay. You’re brilliant at other things.”
“Please, say more,” I said with a laugh, and we each kneeled down at the garden bed. “Really, though, once you’re tired of doing this, you can stop. I promise I’m not here for your labor.”
“I think that’s what Atlas wants me for anyway. You know, child labor.”
“Well, that’s good to know about the NHL star,” I teased.
Will smiled, looking younger and far lighter than he had been.
I was going to help him. I promised myself right then and there once again. We were going to figure out exactly what he wanted to do and make that happen. I couldn’t control much in my life, but I could control my promises.
We worked for another half hour or so, and every once in a while, I would look over my shoulder, waiting to see if Atlas would come walking towards us. But he never did, and I hid the disappointment.
“This already looks so much better. You know, I was going to hire somebody to do this for me because I’m a lost cause. What do you say?”
“I don’t need your charity,” Will bit out.
I leaned back and stared at him. “It’s not charity.
It’s a job. I legit spoke with Teagan about it earlier.
I was thinking about just hiring some neighborhood kids, who would probably know more about plants than I would, rather than a whole company.
Everybody needs some summer money. But since you know more than those kids ever would, I thought maybe you could use the extra things to do. ”
“Sorry,” Will said with a shrug. “I hate the way people give me those pitying looks. You know?”
“Have you seen the town around me recently? Or in the past ten years. This town loves its pitying looks. And there’s so much overlapping history that comes with it, but sometimes it feels suffocating.”
He sat quiet for a moment before he nodded.“Tell me about it. But okay, I’ll help you keep your gardens nice. I wouldn’t want you to kill everything.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said with a laugh.
We both stood up then, and Will took the tools from my hands. “I’ll go put these in the shed.”
“Thank you. I’ll get us some lemonade. What do you say?”
He smiled at me, looking even younger and more carefree than before. “That sounds amazing. I ran out of my water like an hour ago.”
“You should have said something.”
“I was fine.”
“If you’re thirsty and working on my lawn, you get something to drink. That’s going to be a rule.”
“Whatever you say, Ms. E.”
I rolled my eyes as he moved to the garage, and I once again wiped the dirt from my jeans. I was going to have to shower again, because no matter what I did, gardening was always messy.
Footsteps sounded behind me, and I turned, expecting to see Will or, hopefully, Atlas, but then my head shot back as someone gripped my neck with their large, meaty hand.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing with that kid?” a deep voice, slightly slurred, asked.
I staggered back, gripping my fingernails into the man’s arms, trying to get away. He squeezed, and I coughed, my breath coming short.