Page 16 of Rescued Duty

Naya couldn’t figure this man out. He was a good guy, and yet he’d abandoned her once. He leaned his forearm on the windowsill. And he sported her red, corded bracelet. None of it made sense.

“My friend was supposed to come to my house to help me paint one of the rooms. But something came up last minute.”

“I’m off the clock tonight if you still want company.” He shrugged.

Naya opened her mouth, ready to say no.You’re running away.He had helped her today. And if he was offering assistance, it would make the project go a lot faster.

“Sure.” She nodded.

“I’ll follow you.” Zack jogged back to his car.

Once back at her house, Naya led Zack to the garage where all the paint supplies were stored.

Naya grabbed some of the paint and trays while Zack picked up the rest, and the two headed inside. She’d dreamt of redoing the workroom in her house one day, and when Ingram had initially offered her assistance, Naya jumped at the opportunity. That and the freshness of the spring season had inspired the action, but now that work had piled up, she couldn’t decide if this was a complication she didn’t need or a reprieve from the stress.

Naya set the supplies down in the room, then crossed her arms. “It’s about time this room got a new look.”

“You don’t say.” Zack scanned the expanse.

“That bad, huh?” Naya raised an eyebrow.

“I’m kidding. Although, a new color always adds a fresh look.”

The overhead lights cast shadows from the curtains and darkened some areas of the lilac walls. It had probably been a girl’s room at some point before Naya bought the place. But at least the existing color was light enough it wouldn’t be hard to paint over with the cream paint she’d selected this go-around.

“Shall we?” Zack laid down the tarp.

There were a few more art pieces on the wall Naya had to take down. She took the frame off the wall, then grabbed a hammer and pulled out the nail.

The last picture was of her and her brother, playing with bubbles in their backyard.

“Who’s that?” Zack’s breath tickled the back of her neck.

“My brother.” Naya put the picture with the rest of the frames and cleared her throat.

Zack shoved his hands into his back pockets. “Do you ever wonder what life would be like if they were still here?”

“Before my mom ran off with another guy and my dad planned to move to the States?” Naya’s throat constricted and she swallowed. “Sometimes. But it feels like a lifetime ago, and it won’t bring them back.” She’d never shared the details of what happened to her brother with Zack. It was one thing to think about it and another to vocalize it, because then reality set in all over again. Naya popped open the first can and poured the paint into the tray.

“Loss is hard.” Zack picked up a brush.

“It’s one thing to grieve a loss. The betrayal of abandonment is another beast. But it fuels why I write. So the past doesn’t replay itself.” She’d made it her duty now as a reporter to track down the stories that needed to be told so others would beeducated and empowered to create change. Because no one’s story should be silenced, forgotten the way her brother had been. She was the only one who remembered Dom, and Naya wasn’t going to let that happen to anyone else.

Zack’s gaze dropped. “I get it. It’s a way to save someone else from the same heartache you endured.”

“Exactly.”

“Have you found anything from your leads yet?” He slid the roller up the wall.

“Everything and nothing.” Naya wiped her brush back and forth on the wall. “Tensions are high for everyone, especially with the Green Warriors protests. Ethos, isn’t a fan of the publicity that’s being created either. I don’t understand why they won’t pull the fire extinguishers and foam sprays off the shelf. It would resolve the whole situation a lot quicker because everyone would realize those products are not what’s making people sick.”

“Maybe they’ll have to soon,” Zack said. “It would be a start, at least.”

“Let’s hope so.” The sooner Naya could find all the plausible leads and write this story, the quicker people could return to everyday life. And eventually all the turmoil surrounding the situation would die down because there’d be another story to tell, and people would shift their attention.

Naya turned to Zack. “Hey, watch the—” She lunged for the tray on the floor and slid it over just in time to capture the dripping paint from Zack’s brush.

“We’ve got the tarp for that.” Zack chuckled. “Makes any incidents easier to clean up.” Zack bent and dipped his brush in the paint. A gleam shone in his eye, and he flicked his wrist. “Like this one.” Paint splattered on Naya’s pant leg.

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