Page 36 of Unbearable

As he picked up his keys, they jingled slightly. “I can drive. Supplies are in my truck.”

“Can we swing by Woodstone Perks? I called in a coffee order for everyone,” I asked.

“Sure,” he agreed.

We climbed into his truck, and the air felt charged with anxiety as I fidgeted with my seatbelt. My attempt at breaking the silence failed when Trent continued to offer one-word responses. Eventually, I gave up trying.

The gravel crunched beneath the tires as we pulled up to the cabin, where Dorian and Colt were already lounging on the porch swing.

“I wouldn’t trust that swing if I were you. Especially with the both of you.” I smiled. “But I brought coffee!”

“I checked it out. Seems surprisingly sturdy, though itcould use a fresh coat of paint,” Colt remarked, taking the coffee from me and enveloping me in a hug.

“I should get one of these. Gracie would love it,” Dorian mused, testing the swing’s durability by tugging on its chain.

“That’s a great idea.” I walked up and Dorian stood to give me a hug.

“Glad to see you are feeling better,” Dorian said.

“Thanks, me too. How was your trip? Everything go okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, it was great. Thanks again for looking after Gracie. I’m sorry she got you sick. This time of year, she always seems to get a few different bugs back to back,” he said.

“It’s all good. We had fun before she got sick. She was a trooper.” I smiled.

“Doesn’t get that from you, either of you, really. You both are big babies when you get sick.” Colt looked at Dorian and me.

“Shut up.” I playfully punched his shoulder.

“He’s right though. You were a big baby,” Trent teased, his first real words to me all week.

“Oh, whatever.” I rolled my eyes, knowing full well that wasn’t true.

“Alright, boys. Trent’s got the supplies in the truck. Are we ready to get started?” I redirected the conversation.

“Yes, ma’am,” Colt said.

We grabbed our shovels and began removing the old shingles. Dorian tried to argue that I shouldn’t be helping, but I insisted. This was my cabin, and I wasn’t content to sit idly by while the men did all the heavy lifting. Reluctantly, he relented, and we set to work.

The crisp air hinted at the encroaching winter, despite it only being late September. Woodstone Falls typically saw snow anywhere between Halloween and Valentine’s Day, but it always came every year.

Each of us worked on our respective sections, the physical labor providing a welcome break for my mind. At one point, I noticed Trent and Colt had completed their sections while Dorian and I lagged behind, and Colt and Trent had both started to help with removing the shingles from our sections.

Colt wiped sweat from his brow and grinned as he surveyed his work. The two of us continued as he helped me with the final section.

I heard Trent and Dorian’s laughter on the other side and gave Colt a look. “What are you two giggling about?” Colt asked.

“Dorian ran into Garrett Allen the other day, and he asked if you were still in town. When I said yes, he looked terrified. I think the incident with the gum in second grade scarred him for life,” Trent explained.

I had completely forgotten about the time I put gum in Garrett's hair when we were kids. He had always been the quiet type, only occasionally speaking up to be mean. When Dorian first got glasses, Garrett decided to tease him, only to quickly learn that you didn’t mess with my brother.

“He called you and Dorian stupid dorks! I was sticking up for you guys! And that’s not even a good insult. It’s contradictory honestly,” I said.

“Thank god for contacts. I’ll never have to get insulted in my dorky glasses ever again. The only person who sees me in them now is G.” Dorian chuckled.

“Next time, you can fend for yourself. You’re welcome, by the way. I had to go to the principal’s office and lie about it being an accident. I guess it was believable, though. Dad only found out a couple years ago that it was on purpose,” I added, prompting laughter from the three of them.

“Be careful. Don’t laugh too hard, or you’ll fall off the roof. I’m not taking anyone to the hospital today,” I warned, but that only made them laugh harder.

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