Page 93 of The Life We Left Behind

“You can totally fit in there,” Delaney told me confidently. “You won’t see anything else big enough. I actually thought we’d have to uncouple the trailer and park the truck separately. You need to get it quick before someone else beats you to it or we’ll be circling the block for hours.”

Those were the only words she could have said to even get me to attempt to park this thing. Because hours more on these roads would send me into a stress induced heart attack.

“Like a glove,” Delaney said happily as she leaned into the driver’s window twenty minutes later.

I was pretty sure I could feel the sweat running down my back right now. That had to be the worst experience of my life.

“Can we all pretend I did that in one go?” I asked.

Cade laughed. “You said that word that Auntie Blake says when she’s parking. Andsoooomany times.”

I cringed. Yeah, I was going to have to be better about the f-bombs in the future. In my defense, every one had been warranted. If Delaney hadn’t gotten out of the truck to help me, I would have just turned around and driven us home after ten minutes.

“Don’t worry,” Delaney said, patting me on the shoulder. “You can lift all the heavy things and feel like a manly man.”

I glared at her, even though I was relieved to see her happy in the moment. It had been a long few days after the funeral of Delaney trying to work through her emotions while helping Cade at the same time. She’d cried herself to sleep in my arms nearly every night, hiding her grief in the dark away from her son.

I was in complete awe watching her. Cade was her number one priority. She was everything my own parents hadn’t been, and she made it look so easy.

“Okay,” I said, getting out of the truck on shaky legs I didn’t want to admit to. “Let’s grab the boxes and get this done.”

Cade was practically bouncing up and down in excitement. “And then we can go for ice cream!” he cheered.

I’d forgotten about that, but it was a good idea. I had a feeling that after this we’d need something cold and sweet.

“Come on, I want to show you my old room.” Cade grabbed my hand and started to tug me down the sidewalk, which was surprisingly quiet for the city.

I’d been to the city a couple of times over the years. It was impossible not to in our business. I’d never been to this part, though, and I couldn’t help but look around and try to imagine what their life had been like here. The one they had without me.

It seemed like a nice neighborhood. Quiet, no one hanging around that made me fear for their lives. But it also didn’t seem like a neighborhood someone with a lot of money would live in, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Delaney hadn’t been completely upfront about her financial situation. I got her not wanting to take any money from my family, but it shouldn’t matter with me. I had my own money. Money I’d made myself, and she should absolutely be sharing it with me. I’d give her it all if she’d let me. Maybe I should ask Blake. She seemed like she’d tell me the truth if she thought it would help Delaney. The two of them were as close as two friends could get. Not to mention she was also an amazing person.

Before I knew it, Delaney was jogging up the steps to one of the nearby buildings and opening the door for us. That had been an incredible parking spot with how close it was, and a couple of hours from now, those gray hairs I was pretty sure I got from parking might even be worth it.

“We’re on the second floor, so we usually take the stairs if you’re okay with that?” Delaney called over her shoulder as she moved across the neat foyer and opened a mailbox.

There was no door man. I didn’t know how I felt about that. And the outside door hadn’t been locked. I didn’t say anything, not wanting to sour the mood, but I wasn’t entirely happy that they’d been living here. Not when I was sitting in that big house back in Willowbrook while they’d been struggling to get by.

“Stairs are fine with me,” I said instead of what I really wanted to.

There was no point in getting annoyed now. Delaney wasn’t the person to blame for this situation, and she didn’t deserve to have to face my anger.

I couldn’t help examining every inch of the place as we made our way up the stairs, Cade rushing up ahead of us as I clenched my fists at my sides to stop myself from trying to hold him back.

The city was dangerous. Everyone knew that. Anyone could have gotten inside and be waiting up there.

When Delaney reached her apartment door and slipped the key into the lock, I made sure to check the hallway for anyone waiting for the door to open.

“What are you doing?” Delaney gave half a laugh and half a sigh as she pushed the door open and looked at me like I was losing my mind.

“What?”

I busied myself, shuffling the flat boxes under my arm like I was trying to make sure I didn’t drop them, even though I already had a good grip on them.Don’t say it, Trace. Don’t upset her when you’ve only just got her back.

“You’re being weird,” she informed me as she squinted at me in suspicion. “No one’s going to leap out of the shadows and stab you, you know?”

I laughed a weirdly high-pitched nervous laugh and then cleared my throat in embarrassment as I followed her inside.

“I wasn’t thinking…” But then my brain caught up to what I was looking at and the words stalled in my throat.

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