So far, there had only been a minimal improvement, but Vernon was teaching me how to study better. Now that I was practically living in Huck’s pocket, it was a constant reminder that I had to take control of my own future because nothing was ever going to be handed to me. I was going to have to work hard for whatever I wanted to be. Huck never let anything slow him down, and he never fell back on excuses even though his life had been as hard, if not harder, than mine. I’d always looked up to him, but even more so now. Even though he’d come home from the bar a few nights ago with busted knuckles, a gnarly scratch across his cheek, and wouldn’t give me a straight answer as to why he was so disheveled, he was still the person I trusted and respected the most in my very flawed world.
Vernon wouldn’t give me an explanation when I asked him if he knew who Huck got into a fight with either, which made me even more curious about what he got up to when I wasn’t around. I thought maybe it was a simple bar fight, and he just didn’t want me to worry, but surprisingly, it was Harlen who dropped the biggest hint that Huck was still protecting me with everything he had.
I was bitching about the fact that I still hadn’t heard from Mercer. She didn’t seem like she was in any hurry to mend the fallen fences between the two of us. She even sent me a text telling me not to come to the shop for the foreseeable future. I was frustrated by the cold shoulder, and I complained that she better not still be seeing Jack when Harlen muttered that there was absolutely no way he was still in the picture. I demanded to know what he meant, but it only took a hard look from him for me to remember Huck’s damaged hands and refusal to fill me in on his injuries. Even though he promised to keep me in the loop with all the decisions he was making for my benefit, he was still doing his best to keep blowback as far away from me as possible.
And the truth was, Mercer needed Jack out of her life entirely for her to move on and heal. I was silently relieved I didn’t have to worry about when he might pop back up and make trouble. My history of terrible luck when it came to the men in my life, aside from Huck, held true. Who else but me would have a one-night stand turn into the type of revenge plot saved for only the best thrillers and suspense novels?
I did remind Huck that we were supposed to share things nowadays and gently asked how he would feel if I came home all banged up and refused to tell him about it. The look on his face when he pictured me coming home as bruised as he was spoke volumes. I was pretty sure I got my point across because he’d been even more attentive than usual. He mentioned that sometimes brute force was the only way to fight against the wealthy. Money might talk, but bare fists and unfiltered rage did an even better job of getting some messages across. Guys like Sawyer and Jack didn’t know what to do when they faced a real fight, which is why they always fought dirty and went after those they thought were weaker than them.
I thought the call that nearly caused me to drop everything would be Huck asking if I wanted to meet up after class. I was surprised to see Mr. Peters’s information on the screen instead. It wasn’t unusual for the landlord to check-in, especially after my mad dash from his home after my breakdown. He really had taken on the role of a surrogate grandfather figure for me, much like he had for the boys I lived with. While it wasn’t weird for the older man to reach out, it was a bit strange he was calling during the week when he knew I was in and out of class. He usually tried to touch base on the weekends when there was a better chance one of us at the house would be free.
I swiped at the screen to answer the call and awkwardly shuffled my notebook into my backpack with one hand. “Hi, Mr. Peters. How are you doing?”
I slung my backpack back over my shoulder and, with a scowl, sidestepped a guy on a longboard when he almost ran me over.
“Actually, I’m not feeling very well today, Ollie. I’m a bit under the weather. I hate to be a bother, but do you think you could come by the house with some over-the-counter cold medicine? I called my girls, but they’re both tied up at work. I tried to call Huck as well, but he didn’t pick up.” He did sound raspy and like he had a bit of a cold.
I looked at the time on my phone. Huck would be in class for at least another forty-five minutes, so he probably turned his phone off. I was free for the rest of the afternoon. I had planned on meeting up with Vernon to go over a study schedule he set up for me, but that wasn’t urgent. Not when the old man really did sound kind of rough and winded. I was concerned about him.
“Sure. Tell me what you want me to grab, and I’ll bring it by right away. Are you sure you don’t need me to take you to the doctor? You sound terrible.” But he was stubborn, and I bet he was the kind who waited until he was on death’s doorstep before seeking medical attention.
He wheezed out a generic name of a common cold medicine and assured me he would be fine. I told him I would be as quick as possible, and he mumbled, “Be safe.”
It was a very odd exchange.
I frowned as I shot a message to Vernon and let him know I would have to reschedule our study session. Mr. Peters often told me to take care of myself and jokingly ordered me to keep Huck and the other boys in line. But this was the first time he told me to be safe on the short trip to his place.
I pondered the subtext as I wandered the aisles of the closest drugstore to campus. I’d lived so much of life being suspicious of everyone and second-guessing everything, it was second nature to think there was more to the old man’s words than he intended. I didn’t want to be the girl who jumped at her own shadow anymore, but old habits die hard. Sadly, I couldn’t talk myself out of grabbing a canister of pepper spray when I checked out. I already had one, but I’d taken it off my keychain a few days ago in an attempt to claim some sense of normalcy. Huck scolded me and reminded me that Sawyer wasn’t the only person I would ever encounter in my life who had bad intentions, but I was convinced I could handle what any normal bad guy might throw my way after everything I’d been through.
Maybe I was arrogant and should’ve listened to him. After all, Huck hadn’t been wrong about much.
As soon as I got out of the Uber in front of Mr. Peters’s house, I sent another text to Vernon. I told him if he didn’t hear from me in the next ten minutes, something was wrong, and I was in trouble. I got a flurry of messages back demanding to know what was going on and why I sent such a cryptic text, but I was already at the front door and didn’t answer. Of course, Vernon immediately called when I didn’t respond, but I just let it go to voicemail as Mr. Peters pulled the door open.
He looked incredibly frail and very green around the gills. His hands were shaking as he pushed the storm door open, and he was blinking rapidly. He didn’t just look ill; he looked like he was about to keel over at any minute. I reached out to catch him as he practically crumbled into my arms as soon as I stepped over the threshold into his normally immaculate home. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a couple of pictures of his kids and grandkids were askew on the wall. I also noticed the lampshade on his antique table was tilted, like someone bumped into it and didn’t bother to right it.
My phone started ringing again, and I knew without looking at it that it would be Huck blowing it up. Before seeing the look of terror on my landlord’s face, I would’ve been annoyed that the boys were overreacting. Now, I was glad they were so overprotective of me. I handed Mr. Peters my phone and tried to gently move him onto the old house’s porch. He looked like he’d been through the wringer already, and I wanted him as far away as possible from whatever threat was inside. I didn’t know what was going on, but I was sure the elderly man had no business being caught in the middle of it.