“Nash,” she whispered, “Next month is going to be bad, isn’t it?”
My chest constricted. “Yeah.”
The worst fucking hell.
Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked a couple of times and got herself under control. She faltered for a moment before saying, “I’m sorry.”
I pulled her to me and hugged her again. We clung to ea
ch other for a couple of minutes, neither saying a word, but there was no need for words. Besides, after ten years there were no more words to be said. Words wouldn’t bring him back.
Carla moved out of my hold. “You should come into the kitchen. I’ve got some news to tell everyone.” She changed the subject and managed to lighten the mood a little.
“Fuck, I hope you’re not going to tell us you’re getting married or some shit.”
She smacked me on the chest, and poked her tongue at me. “No, smartass, I’m not getting married.”
I laughed, and managed to shove some of the shit in my mind to the dark corners again; hidden just enough to be able to function.
She dragged me into the kitchen where the rest of our family was, and they greeted me with the usual Walker hospitality of ‘hey, asshole’ and ‘bout time you got here, dickhead’. I grumbled some shit back at them but my heart was warmed by the love I found in this room. It was a welcome distraction from everything else in my life at the moment.
“So,” Carla announced, “I’ve broken up with Jesse. For good this time.”
Relief laid a huge smile on my face; this was the best news I’d had in days. “Thank Christ for that.”
“Yeah, well, you were right about him, but don’t let that go to your head.”
“Shit, never say ‘you were right’ to Nash,” Erika chimed in.
“That’s the fucking truth,” Jamison agreed, “He’ll never let you forget it now.”
I raised my hands. “Nope, I promise not to remind you of just how often I’m right,” I winked at Carla, “but let the record show, it happens often.”
My mother rolled her eyes. “My cocky son. You haven’t changed much over the years.”
“And yet, you still love me just as much,” I joked with her.
“Most days. On the other days, I remind myself that there’s a nice guy in there somewhere.”
Erika chose this moment to bring up her issues with me. “I’m having one of those days with Nash today; reminding myself he’s not all bad.”
“You still going on about your neighbour?” I asked.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at me. “Yes, I’m still going on about that. Why did you confront him when I told you not to?”
“You said you’d call the cops; they’d do nothing for you, so I did.”
“Well, he came and had a go at me about it last night.”
“I’ll come and see him again.”
“God, no! Just stay out of it, okay? I think we’ve come to an understanding.”
I grinned. “Hate to break it to you, sis, but it looks like I was right again.” I held up my fists. “People listen to these.”
She rolled her eyes. I laughed and turned to Carla. “So kiddo, what do you want for your birthday?”
She groaned. “Nash, I’m a grown woman, I’m not your kiddo anymore.”