Page 27 of Truck Off

Lina: What kind of question is that? I love ice cream. Doesn’t everybody?

Chase: You’d be surprised at the stupidity of others.

Lina: Stupid people never surprise me. I’m surrounded by them.

Chase: We need to change that. Let me take you out for ice cream one day this week.

Lina: I wish. I work every night this week. All late shifts. I’m not off again until next Monday.

Chase: You’re killing me. I don’t want to wait eight days before I get to see you again.

Lina: Then I guess you better get creative.

Chase: You like tossing out challenges, don’t you?

Lina: Maybe.

Chase: Alright, I’ll figure it out then. Not sure how yet, but I’m on it.

Lina: Can’t wait.

Lina: Have to go. Time to drive to work. Text me later?

Chase: Yes. Have a great day. I’ll be thinking of you.

I close out the message thread with Lina and start to open the one from Christian, but there’s a knock at my door.

Tossing my phone aside, I get up. When I open the door, I’m surprised to see Christian on the other side.

“Hey, what’s up?” I ask as I wave him in.

“You’re not answering my messages,” he growls out in response.

“Yeah, sorry.” I rub the back of my neck. I never ignore my brother. “I’ve been distracted this morning.”

He squares his shoulders and crosses his arms over his chest. He glares at me like he already knows he’s not going to like how this conversation ends. “You didn’t tell her the truth.”

He doesn’t have to ask. He can read me better than anyone.

Dropping against the wall, I rub my hands down my face. “I couldn’t. I had every intention of telling her, but I couldn’t. We were having such a great time, and I didn’t want to ruin it.”

“Dammit, Chase.” He grounds out. “I can’t have rumors spreading around that I went out with Lina.”

“I know!” I yell.

His shoulders drop and his hard expression turns to something closer to confusion. “Fuck!”

He turns around and mimics the action I just made by rubbing his hands over his face. Then he turns to me with a deep furrow in his brow.

“How long have you known?”

I shrug. “A while. A long while. But I don’t know who it is. I take it she means a lot to you.”

He nods. “She’s everything. I can’t lose her because you’re a chickenshit.”

I stare at my brother like I’m seeing him for the first time. I knew he had a girl, but I didn’t pick up on just how serious he really is about her. “Does this mean you love her?”

His gaze shifts to the floor. “Don’t know. Not sure I’m capable of love. But that doesn’t mean I can lose her.”

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