“And he for me.”
He hugs me again and makes his way toward the house as I square off with the barn. I’ll get back to fighting in the morning, for now, I have my own shit to work out.
Lance
“Hey, dickhead?”
“In my office.”
“It’s Dad’s office.”
“Whatever. I’m in here.”
Trevor turns the corner with an apple in his hand and takes a bite.
“That’s my apple.”
He presents me with the bitten fruit, and I wave him away.
“All yours. What do you want?”
“Nothing.”
“Then get out. I have work to do.”
“Let me save you some time, we’re broke,” he says matter of fact, “you’re welcome.”
“Yeah, well, bills still have to be paid. You might want to sit down and learn how to cut a check.”
He takes another bite of my apple. “I’m good with manual labor, for now, especially if paying bills makes me look as constipated as it does you.”
“Get out,” I grumble.
“Okay, but I came in here for a reason.”
“You came in here to fuck with me.”
“Whatever.”
Music sounds from the barn, and I look up from Dad’s books. “Rip out there?”
“Nope, and since when does Rip listen to Evanescence?”
I turn to look out at the barn, trying to ignore the pickup in my chest. I’ve been a fucking wreck all day, and it’s only made me realize what she’s capable of doing to me.
“Mom found her suitcase in the laundry room. She didn’t leave, she just went to see her family. It was an emergency.”
“What happened?”
“Not my place to tell.”
All I want to do is release the breath I’ve been holding. A part of me relieved, a larger part of me angry. When Trevor noticed her bed unmade this morning and her car missing, I hated that I wasn’t surprised.
I expected to miss her again the minute she set foot on this ranch, which is why I wasn’t quick to welcome her. But the truth is, I’m not testing her.
“She doesn’t belong here.”
“Bullshit.”