Page 134 of When There Was You
One of the shop hands sits at the desk on the phone with a sandwich and a Dr. Pepper before him. I offer the briefest of waves and keep moving. My neck cranes past classic cars in various stages of repair, jolting when I hear a drill whir and tools clank over the loud music. It’s some of that old rock Butch loves, something I’d tease him about if I weren’t nose-diving off an emotional cliff.
I round the corner and spot two figures in the distance bent under an open hood. One man relocates to the driver’s seat; the other is clearly Butch. He spots me from twelve yards away and does a double take. His smile falters from whatever visual cues I’m presenting. My heart thuds hard with a mixture of churning lava-level anxiety and relief I’m here.
My face falls, tears spilling down my cheeks as I throw myself into Butch’s sturdy frame and cry my thousandth tear.
“Jacqui, what’s wrong?” He wraps his arms loosely around me, chin resting on my head.
I mumble incoherently.
“Jeff, go ahead and take lunch. We’ll finish this up later,” he tells his coworker. The car door squeaks open and shuts soundly. Heavy boots recede. Butch raises his hands. “I don’t want to get grease on you.”
“Don’t care,” I blubber. “Just hold me. Please.”
He squeezes tighter and doesn’t pressure me, giving me precious minutes to cloak myself in his comfort.
“Baby, you’re scaring me. Tell me what’s going on.”
I nod into his chest, inhale a breath. “Somewhere private.”
“My place?”
My head bobs again, and he lifts my chin to meet his warm, searching gaze. He gives me a reassuring kiss and keeps an arm around me until I’m in his car.
Butch casts concerned glances my way as fresh adrenaline sprouts in my system. By the time we make it inside the cabin, a new layer of sweat coats my skin. He guides me to the couch, and even though I’m jumpy as fuck, I force myself to sit down.
Then I start my story…from the beginning.
Butch’s expression and posture morphs multiple times during my monologue—mostly pissed, judging by his ticking jaw and clenched fists. I finish, and he breathes heavily, pushing his fingers against his temples.
“Right now, all I want to do is drive to Richmond and rip that prick’s throat out. And much, much worse.” His voice is lethal, a tone I’ve never heard from him before. He cracks his knuckles, pins me with those enraged green eyes. “Is this the reason you wanted the boxing lessons?”
I bite my lower lip and nod.
He stands, paces, stops by the mantle. “I’m proud of you for kneeing that fucking scumbag in the balls and throwing a punch. You took care of business today, stood up for yourself, and that’s exactly what you were supposed to do.”
I’m proud of me too. For that part.
“But goddamn it, Jacqui, why didn’t you tell me about this fucker and what was happening?” His eyes blaze. “We agreed not to lie to each other or keep secrets. Help me understand why you kept this from me.”
My shoulders sag. “Your father is friends with him. I assumed there’d be fallout and I just…I didn’t want to cause problems for your family.”
Butch vehemently shakes his head. “We’re going over to my parents’ house right now?—”
“What? No!”
“And you’re going to relay this entire goddamn travesty to them. My dad is honorable, and he will not stand for this, any more than I will. Mark my words, it will make him sick to his stomach.”
I rake my fingers through my hair. “Oh, god. What will they think of me?”
He looks incredulous. “Of you?Of you? Jesus, Jacqui, you’re not the asshole in this equation.”
Butch pulls me to standing and wraps me in his arms. “I’m so fucking relieved you’re alright, and here with me now. You did the right thing.”
My breath catches, thwarting another sob.
“We’re going to figure it all out—together. It’s going to be okay, baby. You can stay here as long as you need.”
“But I was fired. And?—”
