Page 24 of The Only Time

Maybe I could work without telling my brothers.

I start to walk past Eric’s large two-story barn when I hear a noise. The barn door is open and curiosity gets the best of me. I walk in and find Eric picking things up off the ground with his good arm and placing them back on a shelf.

I look around and my jaw hits the floor. The barn is covered with incredible woodwork, from long farm tables to rocking chairs. There are large circles made of wood with, what appears to be, last names burnt on the surface.

I’m stunned. I look up to the second story of the barn and it’s filled with unused wood.

It looks like a factory in here.

I look back over at Eric whose eyes are fixed on me, filled with anger. He takes a step closer to me, he stands over me, but I’m not scared. I stand my ground, refusing to back away.

“What are you doing in here?” he bites out.

I look him up and down, his jeans and black t-shirt cling to his muscles. His anger is doing something to my body, making it respond again in a way that is totally inappropriate for the circumstances of the moment.

“I was walking over to look at the gazebo and heard some noise coming from in here. This is amazing stuff. Do you make all of this?”

I see a moment of appreciation on his face before he goes back to glaring at me. “I do. But I don’t tell anybody about it. So do me a favor and keep your mouth shut. Don’t tell Layla.”

As much as I want to know why he would keep this art a secret, I know now is not the time to ask. He turns away from me and begins picking up nails and tools from the ground.

Instead of talking, I decide I can work with him in silence. I begin to pick up a bunch of nails and place them in the box lying next to them.

“How long have you been doing this?” I dare to ask, expecting him to blow a gasket.

“Four years,” he answers, continuing to clean.

Maybe if we just don’t make eye contact and work together on this, he’s okay with talking to me.

“I started out wanting a big table for my backyard. Couldn’t find the size I wanted anywhere. Then I just kind of kept going.”

I’m shocked he divulged that information without having to pull it out of him.

“It must come naturally to you. Your work looks like you’ve been doing it for much longer than four years.”

“Thanks. My ex hated it.”

“Why in the world would she hate it?”

He shrugs before picking up a nail gun. “She said the work was beneath me. She said carpentry is for poor people.”

What a bitch. I can’t believe those words could ever come out of someone’s mouth.

“Well, it’s a good thing she’s an ex because she’s wrong.”

I hear a strange sound coming from just outside the barn door.

“What the fuck is that?” I whisper as I drop the nails in my hands and run further into the barn.

In the process of it all, I trip and fall onto my hands and knees. What could that have been? Is it Don? Did he find me? Terror takes over my body and the room begins to spin.

Eric looks at me then at the door until a dog comes into view. “Um, that’s my neighbor’s dog, Max. He likes to walk around the property sometimes.” He crouches down. “Are you okay, Mia?”

I feel like I’ve reached a new low point. The reality finally hits me. I feel the sadness come in waves, the weight of it all pressing down on my chest until I can’t take it anymore. My breathing hitches and my vision blurs as tears spill over.

I’m here in this man’s house, who doesn’t want me here, and I’m scared of random noises because I don’t know if my ex is trying to hurt me.

Eric seems skittish and slightly alarmed. “Look, you’ve been acting strange and a little on edge at times. I’m just going to come out and ask. Is there something I need to know? Why exactly are you staying at my place? Are you in some kind of trouble? Drugs or something?”

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