“I know.”
“We’re strong.”
“We are.” I smiled.
“Your father died,” she said. “He was drunk. Got behind the wheel. Went into a tree.”
So I said, “Okay,” even as my chest tightened.
“I’m here,” she said. “I’m always going to be here.”
We both chose to ignore the lie because no one could promise that.
“Where?” I asked.
“Nevada.”
“Didn’t get very far, did he.”
“No,” she said. “I don’t suppose he did.”
“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching out to brush my thumb over her cheek.
She nodded. Then shrugged. Her face stuttered a bit and she looked away.
I waited until she could go on.
“I loved him,” she said finally. “For a long time.”
“Me too.” I still did. She might not have, but I still did.
“He was kind. For a while. A good man.”
“Yeah.”
“He loved you.”
“Yeah.”
“Just us now.”
And I said, “No, it’s not.”
She looked back at me. “What do you mean?” A tear fell on her cheek.
“There’s more,” I said, and I was shaking.
She was worried. “Ox, what’s wrong?”
“We’re not alone. We have the Bennetts. Gordo. They’re….”
“Ox?”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I couldn’t let her think we were alone. Not anymore. Not when we didn’t have to be. “I’m going to show you something. You have to trust me. I will never let anything hurt you. I will always protect you. I will keep you safe.”
She was crying now. “Ox—”
“Do you trust me?” I asked.