Page 21 of The Darkest Parts of Me

“She did.” I don’t notice the smirk on his face until I look back up at him.

“Okay. Well, good.” My face grows warm. What is wrong with me? I’ve never been this nervous around a guy before.

“I guess I’ll see you later?” he asks.

I could say I have plans, or make up an excuse not to be home later, but instead, I reply, “Yeah. I’ll see you later, Renn.” I say his name slowly, not really meaning to, but I think he notices too because I see his mouth turn up again before crossing the street.

I watch him for a few more seconds, but before I can look away, he looks back to find me still watching him. I hold his gaze as he winks. That damn wink. I roll my eyes, making sure he sees, and I can hear his laugh even from my side of the street as I walk in the opposite direction, trying to push away the thought that I am, in fact, very much looking forward to seeing him later.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Renn

Tova is waiting for me on the deck, sitting in one of the rocking chairs with a book in hand. As soon as she hears my car on the gravel driveway, she shoots from her chair, waving to me.

“Hey, Tova. Good to see you again,” I say, opening the door of my truck.

“Thank you for coming. I really hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” I say, shaking my head.

She gestures up to the roof. “I noticed it yesterday. The hole looks small, but with the colder weather around the corner, I don’t want it to get worse, especially since Maven is going to be staying here for awhile.”

I had assumed they both were here for a visit, not for good, and I can’t help but smile as I squint up at the roof, noticing the patch she was concerned about, right before the roof drops to the back of the cabin.

“Better to be safe than sorry,” I reassure her.

“Let me know what I owe you for the supplies.”

When she messaged me earlier, Tova mentioned she wasn’t sure what materials I’d need to patch it, so I offered to grab some items on my way through town.

“You bet.”

“There’s a ladder in the shed, and if you need other tools, I left the toolbox in there as well.”

“Sounds good.” I turn to leave, but I spot a simple telescope on the other end of the deck that wasn’t there yesterday. Tova follows my gaze.

“Oh, that’s Maven’s. I found it stored in the shed earlier. It’s an amateur scope, but you’d be surprised what you can see on clear nights with just that little thing.” The mention of anything galactic makes me more nostalgic than I want it to, but I can’t help it. Space was my home for such a long time, something I can’t easily forget, even if I wish I could.

Tova doesn’t seem to notice I’m lost in thought as she returns to the rocking chair with her book, so I make my way to the shed to grab the ladder. It’s old and wooden, but seems sturdy. I climb onto the roof, and it’s steeper than it appears, but once I reach the top, I put a leg on either side while I cut out the damaged area, then seal it before adding the new shingles. All the while, Tova quietly reads below, letting me handle the task without conversation.

As I’m wrapping up, a noise coming up the driveway draws my attention. I can feel Maven watching me as she gets out of the car.

“I can’t believe you actually made him get onto the roof.” I hear her say before the car door slams.

“I didn’t make him do anything.” Tova turns to yell at me, “Right, Renn?”

I steady myself before looking down at them. “Right. I volunteered, remember?”

“Mom, don’t distract him while he’s up there!” Maven says, a tinge of fear in her voice.

I can’t help but chuckle. “I’m fine, and I am almost done.”

Maven narrows her eyes at her mom, then looks back up at me. “That’s pretty high. Do you need help?” Maven calls, shielding her eyes as the setting sun is now positioned so the rays hit us in just the right spot to blind us. I move to respond, bringing my leg over from the other side to scale down, but my foot slips, and I grab onto whatever I can before falling all the way down the length of the roof.

“Renn!” They both shout in panic.

Thankfully, I am able to catch myself, the rough shingles causing burning friction and scraping my skin. I hope they didn’t hear the vulgar word I muttered, even if it was in a language they wouldn’t understand. My native language slips out from time to time, and this was one of those times. I honestly can’t think of anything worse than falling off the roof with an audience. The pain I could get over, but the embarrassment, as much as I hate to admit it, would have taken much longer to heal from than any physical injuries.

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