Page 9 of Tell Me It’s Right

As much as I want to protest and get him the heck out of here…I want to carry all these things down alone even less. Hopefully Leo will show up any minute now.

We work in silence for the next few trips, and I pause after setting a box down, trying to catch my breath. Liam sets two more near the gym equipment on the opposite side of the room, then turns, taking in the pathetic, mostly deflated air mattress on the floor. He walks over and pokes it, and it hisses as more air escapes the side.

“Youslepton this thing last night?” I say nothing, and he turns for the stairs. “Come on. Let’s get the bed.”

I wait in the doorway to the garage as he considers the remaining pieces. He bends down, testing the weight of each in his hands.

“We’re going to have to put this together,” he mutters, seemingly to himself, then glances at me. “You don’t know where Leo keeps his tools, do you?”

I stare at him blankly.

“Right. I’ll grab the ones in my truck.” He goes back to the metal frame in his hands. They’re long and awkward, but notheavy. “All right.” He stands, slipping the Ziploc bag with the screws and whatnot into his pocket, then hefts the frame pieces into his hands. “I’ll be right back. We’ll take the box spring down next, if you wanna shimmy that toward the door.”

I check my phone once he’s gone—Leo was supposed to be here half an hour ago—but do as he says, grabbing the box spring and awkwardly trying to nudge it along the floor. I’m nearly to the door when Liam reappears and grabs one of the corners.

“I’ll head down first. Try not to shove me down the stairs, Little Leo.”

I scowl but grab the other end. He walks down backward, the bag in his pocket jangling with each step, and I dig my nails into my end, trying not to let it slip.

Not that I would particularly mind dropping it on him. It wouldn’t hurt.

Too much.

“Don’t even think about it,” he calls.

I wipe off whatever look was on my face as we reach the bottom, maneuver around the corner, and set it against the wall. He must’ve cleaned up the air mattress when he was down here before because the metal frame pieces are already laid out on the carpet, and there’s a black bag of tools set off to the side.

As he fishes the bag of screws from his pocket, his phone rings. The moment his eyes land on the screen, his jaw flexes.

“Do you need to get that?”

“Nope.” He jabs a thumb against the screen and tosses the phone onto the carpet. He doesn’t look at me as he bends down and motions to the frame. “You wanna hold these two pieces together, and I’ll secure them?”

The air feels much thicker now with his mood shift. We work in silence. He’s on the last screw when his phone lights up again. I glance at it since it’s right beside me, and a pretty redhead’spicture flashes on the screen along with her name,Hailey.She looks…familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it.

“Do you…?”

“Just hit ignore.”

I raise my eyebrows but hit the red button.

So he’s mad about a girl. Interesting.

A door bangs open upstairs. “I’m home. I’m home. Sorry I’m late!” Leo calls.

Liam smiles a little and rolls his eyes as Leo bounds down the stairs.

“Oh, shit. You guys really got to work.”

“I will get out of your way,” I say, hopping to my feet. I glare at Leo as soon as my back is to Liam, and he grimaces.

“Should grab the mattress next,” Liam says from the floor.

I punch Leo in the chest as I pass, hard enough for him to stumble, and Liam snorts.

“That’s really no way to say thank you,” he mutters.

“You haven’t actually done anything yet.” Even though it physically pains me to do it, I pause before jogging up the stairs. “Liam though. Liam can have a thank-you.”

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