Page 128 of Override
"That's rough." I huff out a laugh.
"Helpful."
"I'm serious." For once, he actually is.
His gaze stays fixed on the backyard.
Not me. Making it easier somehow.
"I spent a lot of years convincing myself I didn't need people." The confession catches me off guard. Mostly because Wheels rarely talks about himself.
He jokes. Deflects. Distracts. But this? This is different. "I figured if I never got attached, nobody could leave."
The words settle heavily between us. I glance toward him. He's still staring into the darkness. Still speaking casually. Like none of this matters. Which somehow makes it matter more.
"And?"
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Turns out people leave anyway."
I don't know what to do with that. So I say nothing. Wheels takes another drink. Then shrugs. "The trick isn't avoiding people." His voice softens. "The trick is finding the ones worth getting hurt for."
The words land harder than they should.
Because suddenly I see Maeve smiling at her mother. Maeve laughing at her phone. Maeve drinking coffee on the balcony. Maeve. Everywhere. All at once.
I rub a hand over my face. "That's not helping."
Wheels bumps his shoulder against mine. "Good."
I glare at him.
He grins like he's just won an argument. "There he is."
The sliding door opens again. Neither of us turns. Mostly because we both know exactly who it is.
"Whatever he just told you..." Sloane's voice carries across the deck before she even reaches us. "...ignore it."
Wheels looks offended immediately, pressing a hand against his chest. "Excuse me?"
Sloane stops beside us, arms folded across her chest. Her expression is perfectly unimpressed. "You're not qualified to give relationship advice."
My eyebrows immediately shoot up. This should be good.
Wheels scoffs. "I've had plenty of relationships."
Sloane doesn't even blink. "None longer than a week."
"A month," Wheels corrects.
"Seven days."
"Twelve."
"Five."
Wheels points dramatically at her. "You keep records?"
Sloane shrugs one shoulder. "I have eyes."
