Page 55 of Break

Danny needs more than just a punch to his fucking face.

It’s only about fifteen minutes before we have all of her totes packed in the trunk, as well as two suitcases only partially filled with her clothing and toiletries. This woman needs some damn clothes, and I plan to correct this oversight as soon as I can get away with it.

As we pull out of the driveway, I catch Mina staring out the window, lost in thought. I reach out my hand and give her arm a comforting squeeze, hoping to bring her back to the present. She turns to me with a small smile, grateful for the gesture.

“Thank you for everything.” Her voice is soft, barely more than a whisper.

“Very happy to help. You doing good?” I ask, wanting to make sure she’s feeling okay with how this all went.

Looking back out the window, she tilts her lips slightly up. “I’m doingbetter.”

Chapter 24

Hiding From a Girl

Vincent

“What are we doing?” I whisper, then laugh when both Max and Ethan jump where they’re sitting at the top of the stairs.

“Waiting,” Ethan grunts out, then turns to face the bottom of the stairs.

Max doesn’t look happy. He looks uncomfortable and anxious as fuck.

Squeezing between the two of them, I sit down at the top of the stairs with them, and ask, “Seriously, what are we waiting for?”

Groaning, Max drops his head and closes his eyes. “We’re waiting for Mina to finish her newest chore downstairs. She’s been down there for over an hour. Every time we find her doing something, we try to tell her she doesn’t need to. It only ends up making her feel uncomfortable. So, we’re leaving her in peace until she finishes before showing our faces.”

Considering this for a moment, I realize my friends are idiots. “Soo… you’re hiding up here while Mina is down there working her ass off for you? You’re freakinghiding?”

“Yep.” Ethan doesn’t sound ashamed at all by admitting this.

Snickering at them, I use their shoulders to push myself up. “I’m going down there. You two are imbeciles, hiding from a girl.”

“No!Wait. Seriously Vince, I don’t know how to get her to stop!” Max’s pleading just makes this entire thing funnier.

“You guys literally know nothing about people. It’s almost endearing. You don’t make her stop, you fucking help her, you asses.” Shaking my head at them, I take the stairs two at a time. I find Mina in the living room with one of those disposable dusters, running it over the top of the TV and the entertainment stand it’s resting on.

“Morning, my dear!” I call out, making my way into the room. I quickly realize my mistake the moment she freezes and turns to me, gripping the duster to her chest.

“Oh, umm… good morning.” She looks around the room, quickly checking things over before looking back at me. “I’m sorry, I’m not done in here yet. If you just give me like five minutes, I’ll be out of your hair.”

Shit. Max is right. Seriously, this needs to be nipped in the bud right fucking now.“Mina, I know the guys have told you this, but you know you don’t need to keep working around here, doing shit around the house.”

Chewing on her lower lip, she looks down at the surface she was just working on, using her hand to wipe an invisible piece of dust away. “I know I don’t.”

“Then why do you keep doing these things? I know the guys have told you it’s completely unnecessary,” I ask, curious if the guys have ever asked her instead of just telling her to stop.

Without taking her eyes from that spot on the surface, she says, “It’s just… I don’t know. It’s important to me, I guess. It’s my way of saying thank you, I suppose.”

“Ah, it’s your love language.” Understanding dawns on me, and I let out a smile. Crossing the room, I sit on the couch. She watches me, then moves to the opposite chair before slowly sitting, still keeping that duster pressed to her chest.

“I’m not really sure what you mean.”

Nodding my head, I decide I’m going to give her an example instead of just telling her how it is. “Do you like cooking and cleaning?”

She thinks about my question instead of just rattling off the answer she thinks I’ll want to hear. “I do… sort of.”

“Even though you’ve been taught that’s what you have to do?” I press.

---