Page 61 of Hazel and Elijah Find Out: First They F*cked Around

He clearly knew how to fix the things that were broken around her. He wasn’t needy like me; he didn’t ask her to work less, to give less of herself to others.

I hoped it didn’t look like I was being possessive when I wrapped my arm around Hazel’s waist. She blinked up at me, surprised, as if she was shocked I was still here.

“Hey.” Her smile looked tight.

My stomach twisted, and I felt sick. Whatever had changed since the time I left to getting back to her had changed in a big way.

I focused on appearing relaxed as I felt people pretending not to watch us.

“Hi,” I said, then to Dennis, I lied, “Good to see you again.”

“You too, man.” He held his hand out for a shake, and I had to let go of Hazel to take it. “You really worked the crowd out there.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but she cut me off, “That’s the Elijah effect.”

Her words sounded hollow. I couldn’t quite place why her words were biting, but they stung.

“I don’t know about all that.” I gripped the back of my neck, my shoulders taut.

Dennis nodded. “Yeah, I get mixed reports about you.”

My eyes narrowed, and my jaw clenched. Memories were long, and there were mountains of dirt on every person in this town. But having him blatantly acknowledge mine set my defenses up.

Next to me, Hazel had stilled, her brow furrowed. Was she beginning to realize the kind of backlash that could fall on her and her business if she stayed with me?

Any of the bystanders in earshot had to be salivating to repeat the whole encounter.

His lopsided smile was affectionate as he looked at her. “But Hazel is the best judge of character I know, so if she says you’re good, that’s who I believe.”

“Thanks.” I shoved my fists into my pockets. “You’re gonna do some carpentry for her?”

The carefree grin was back on his face. “Sure thing. Apparently, a stair broke on her tonight… nearly broke her ankle. I’m sorry I let it get that bad.”

“Ilet it get that bad,” she insisted.

“A stair broke?” I asked.

She breathed in deeply, opening her mouth, but Dennis explained, “Right before she got here.”

“Are you okay?” It was really hard to not read into the fact that she had told him and not me.

“I’m fine, just a little bruised.” Gesturing to him, she added, “Dennis will fix it for me. It’ll be fine.”

“I’ll fix whatever I can in the next couple of weeks, and then the rest of it when I get back, I promise.”

It didn’t slip past my notice that he was making plans for the future, and she wasn’t doing anything to contradict him. What had happened?

Hazel and I were not in the same place we had been just a few moments ago.

Or was this the direction we’d always been heading? Had I been fooling myself every time I imagined Hazel being with me long-term? So long that our hair grew gray together. So long that the hands we grasped together were wrinkled from the wear of time. So long that we looked back and saw a lifetime spent together.

“I appreciate it.” She looked around. “It looks like people are starting to head out. I should probably see if they need help cleaning up. Have either of you seen Nora?”

“She left with Brooks a little bit ago,” Dennis answered, then he pushed both of his hands in his hair with his eyebrows raised. “Wasn’t his bidding wild?!”

I nodded, my teeth squeezed too tight to say anything.

Hazel’s eyebrows rose. “It was.”

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