Page 38 of Everything We Found

He was a certifiable bastard for manipulating her that way.

“Well?”

His tongue clicked, mouth slightly parting. He rolled his lips over his teeth and nodded.

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“I know you didn’t.”

“Why, Tom?” Her face softened with something he couldn’t quite discern, and frankly, was too hesitant to hope for.

Because I love you.

The confession sat on the tip of his tongue like a squatter in a trailer park.

“Why wouldn’t I? You were going to lose your house.”

She shifted her weight, looking uncomfortable. He decided to let her off the hook and lifted another box, taking it to the truck. When he picked up the last one, Nadia followed him to the truck. He set down the box in the bed and quietly closed the tailgate.

He turned to her. “Why did you open the garage?”

“For James.” She scratched her nape, ruffling her long hair. “If there’s the off-chance he makes it home to Aimee?—”

She stopped when he started shaking his head. “I don’t think he can come back. You need to move on. We all do.”

She glanced away, lips twitching as if she was holding in her emotions. When she turned back, her gaze roamed over him.

“When was the last time you ate?”

He blinked at her unexpected concern. “I don’t think about food these days.”

“Wait here.”

“I have to go.” He already had his key fob out.

She held up her hand. “Wait. Two minutes.” She ran into the house, and in less time than she’d asked for, she was back outside, softly closing the front door behind her. She jogged across the street. “Here. We had lasagna tonight. There was a lot left over.”

With a tightness in his chest, Thomas took the disposable container. Inside was a large, thick square slice of lasagna. His mouth watered at what he dreamed it would smell like when he heated it up at home. Their role reversal wasn’t lost on him. How many nights his high school senior year had he bought her dinner at Joe’s because he knew she hadn’t eaten, because she’d had no food at home.

His dinner would have to wait, though. He had to get these boxes and himself on a plane.

He touched her cheek. She surprisingly didn’t flinch. “Thank you.”

To his amazement, she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

“You’re shattering me,” she whispered.

“No, I’ll break for both of us.” His thumb caressed her cheek. He was toeing their line of friendship and dropped his hand before he was tempted to cross over into uncharted territory. She’d only ever thought of him as an older brother. He wasn’t short of blackmailing her to get her cooperation with James. And he was already manipulating both of their emotions. But as much as he wanted to kiss her, he’d never physically take advantage of her. She was too important to him. Everyone he loved was.

“I’ll be traveling for a while. Text if you need me.”

Gaze on the ground, she nodded and turned back for the house. He opened the door and stepped up on the foot rail.

“I forgot.” Nadia snapped her fingers and turned back to him. “Remember that woman I told you about, Lacy-something-or-other, who tracked Aimee down in the parking lot after the funeral?”

He froze, half inside the truck, half out. That name. Lacy. It just now registered where he’d heard it before, and it wasn’t from Nadia.

“What about her?” His question carried an unintended sharpness.