Page 41 of Don't Leave Me Behind
“Why am I not surprised you used the group chat for evil?”
“Evil?” she scoffs, indignation lighting her voice as I work the wood out. “I’d hardly call walking through my parents’ house evil.”
“I mean, who’s to say you weren’t putting hex bags under their beds?”
She gasps as a jagged edge of the window frame scrapes across her skin. “I only did that one time.”
“Uh-huh.” My eyes meet hers, letting her see the humor in them.
“You would have too if Mercer kept eating your favorite cereal. He didn’t even like it. He only did it so I couldn’t have it.”
“That does sound like Mercer.” I wet a paper towel with peroxide, hoping I got most of the sliver out. I wrap it around her finger, my eyes meeting hers as she lets out a sharp gasp.
“Dick.” Her free hand reaches out to punch me in the shoulder.
“I’m sorry about last night.” I shift my hand to hold hers, keeping the paper towel pressed between her fingers. “I have no right to tell you what to do or how to live your life. I hate seeing you like this.”
She ducks her head, heat rising in her cheeks, and attempts to draw her knees up to her chest. I shake my head, pressing my palm against them to coax her legs back down to the counter.
“Not like that, Leni. You’re not a failure. Having to come back home and figure things out isn’t a bad thing. You’re lucky to have this place to fall back on.”
“I know,” she bites back, defensive.
“I hate seeing you distance yourself from the family. That’s all I meant.”
She stares at me, her gaze so intense I have to look away. I should go upstairs, shower, and make my peace with another night on the atrocity she calls a couch.
“I’m going to tell them. Just not everything,” she corrects, gently taking her finger from my hold to inspect it. “I just need a little bit of time. I filled out a couple of applications back in Benson. I just have to find the right one. You know?”
My chest aches at the thought of her leaving, going back to a life where I won’t see her, hear her voice, or feel her touch.
“Do you not want to teach anymore?” I shake out the thoughts, reminding myself that Leni isn’t mine to keep. Gathering the sliver extraction equipment, I put it back into the correct spots in her first aid kit.
“I don’t know.”
“If you didn’t teach, what would you do instead?”
“Write, maybe?” She brings a finger up, chewing on her nail, eyes searching mine, waiting for me to judge her.
“Like, books?” I turn back to her, barely containing the yawn that’s trying to rearrange my face.
“No, I don’t think books. Articles, maybe? Social media posts? I don’t know, that’s probably stupid.” She slides off the counter, heading for the electric kettle. “Tea?”
Chapter 13
You Saved Me
Leni
“Tea?”He stares at me, dumbfounded.
“Yes, Clay, tea. Would you like a cup? I could make some while you shower and bring it up for you.”
“Bring it up?” he repeats. I feel my eyebrows raise into my hairline as he stands there, blinking at me.
“Dude.” I turn to face him fully, putting one hand on my hip. “You clearly need a shower and some fucking sleep. I’ll bring the tea up to the bedroom; you can have the bed tonight. You need it more.”
“Oh, yeah.” He looks at me a second longer, his grey eyes unfocused, then yawns so wide his jaw cracks. “Sorry, I’m fucking beat. Tea is great.”
