Page 9 of Silver Lining Love

“No! I don’t want your help! I just want her to leave my shit alone!”

“Michael, do not curse.” I spun around, and my hand hit the pan of noodles, knocking the pan off the stove onto the floor. The hot water splashed up and burned my skin.

“Fuck!” I screamed as scalding pain ripped through me.

“You curse!” Michael yelled accusatorily.

“Shut up, stupid face!” Alice defended me. She always defended me.

“Go to your room! Both of you! Now!”

Alice’s lip quivered. “But Auntie Whitney?—”

“Now! Both of you!” I yelled.

Mikey stomped down the hallway and Alice followed in his wake. He slammed the door, and a few seconds later, I heard Benji screaming.

“No!” I silently sobbed as I grabbed the baby monitor and whispered, “I can’t do this.”

And that’s when I heard it.

The knock.

He was here.

He didn’t come over every night, but somehow, he always showed up when I was at my breaking point.

I tried to wipe my face as I rushed to the front door and sniffed. When I opened it, Moose trotted inside like he lived there, which he practically had. I heard Alice squeal from behind me. Apparently, she hadn’t gone to her room as instructed.

I would have addressed her disobedience, but I was too busy swooning. Wyatt Briggs was standing on my porch. My knight in shining khakis and a polo. He’d come to rescue me.

I’d thought I had it bad for Wyatt Briggs before a bomb had exploded, blowing up any semblance of my life, and I had. But now, now I was head over heels in love with the man. I wasn’t sure what to do about my unrequited feelings, but that was a question for another day when I wasn’t in crisis mode.

“Hi!” I lifted my uninjured arm and wiped my nose, coating the back of my hand in snot.

Attractive. Real attractive.

“What happened?” His brows furrowed as he gently lifted the arm I had cradled to my side.

“Auntie Whitney said fuck,” Alice offered in way of explanation.

I sighed. “Hot boiling water happened.”

“Alice, can you and Moose go check on Benji for me?” Wyatt asked as he calmly took the baby monitor out of my hand.

“Yes!” Alice cheered as she hopped up and down. The girl loved helping and having a job to do. “Come on, Moose!”

With an air of gentle authority, Wyatt cupped my elbow and guided me into the bathroom. We stepped inside the small space and he set the monitor down before turning the water on. After a few seconds, he placed my forearm beneath it.

The cool water stung, and I hissed.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice holding a gravelly sexiness that sent a shiver down my spine.

“No,” I answered honestly.

Although I had to admit that being this close to Wyatt, smelling the musky scent of his aftershave and feeling his tender touch was a step in the right direction.

Over the baby monitor, I heard Alice say, “Don’t cry, Benji. Moose and Wyatt are here, so everything is going to be okay.”

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