Page 24 of As the Rain Falls
“I’m fine, really.”I answer, pushing my hair back and taking my sweater off, trying to cover my battered skin with it.
It takes him another second to react.
“Show me your wounds.”
Shit.
Something in my voice must’ve been too unconvincing.
“It doesn’t hurt, Becky,” I reassure him, shifting over the leathered seat. The fabric under me makes a squeaky noise, and I wince.“Shit!”
“Oh, really?” Beckett ignores my words completely. I watch him as he leans closer and pulls the sweater away from me. “Give me this!”
“Hey, that’s mine!” I gasp.
“Well, not anymore.” He tries to clean the blood dripping down my leg, but I take the napkin from him and wave him off. “You need to clean the scratches.”
“Can’t you see that I’m doing that, Dad?” I ask half-jokingly. Beckett looks away, almost embarrassed, and my stomach warms up.“Just kidding.”
Stupid, stupid girl who won’t ever shut up.
“No boots, really?”
“Couldn’t find them.” I shrug, not paying it any mind. “I can go to the nurse once we’re at school. I’m fine.”
My words are still not as reassuring as I want them to be. Beckett stops for a moment and stares at my knees, a conflictedlook on his face. I don’t know what else to say besides thanking him for being so helpful.
“Thank you,” I start to speak. His blue eyes quickly flicker back to me, and I shoot him a soft smile, noticing how the color is a more muted tone today. The worry in his expression slowly fades away as I add, “For helping me out there and for driving me to school.”
His jaw clenches. “I can’t believe you didn’t knock.”
Beckett starts driving us out of Port des Ondes.I readjust the seat to my liking.He yawns.
The movement makes me want to stare at him for the hundredth time. His hair is slightly damp and curly, strands sticking to his forehead giving him a wet puppy look. I can also tell Beckett hasn’t slept much, or even at all, by looking at the dark circles under his eyes. Given the circumstances…
I mean, they were as close as twins. It was always just the two of them, by the looks of it.Lucia and Beckett.Beckett and Lucia. He probably really misses her. I know I would.
From the small brown birthmark on his neck to the bags under his eyes, he is beautiful without trying, but right now, he looks exhausted too. Her death is killing him.
“I just didn’t want to bother you,” I explain, smiling lightly and feeling shy. My fingers twitch with the urge to brush his hair back. “You shouldn’t be driving me to school, Becky.”
“Cass, please. It’s a twenty-minutes’ drive,” he scoffs sarcastically. “I’m definitely not going to lose my mind over taking time out of my napping schedule if I’m being of service to you, if you know what I mean.”
Touché.
“Thank you,” I agree as my smile weakens. “Again.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He shrugs and wets his lower lip, sounding earnest as he adds, “You know that, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” I pout, shifting my thoughts to something else than my brother and how he didn’t care. Beckett cared enough today, and I will be fine. “The weather is only getting worse, don’t you think? I heard it’s going to be raining all week on TV.”
The weather?
Really?
“Don’t even get me started on that.” He doesn’t miss a beat, enthusiastically jumping into whatever topic of conversation I seem to be bringing. Thank God. “It’s going to be a hell of a week at the farm.”
Beckett drives us through the main street, leaving the neighborhood. I start to press my fingers randomly over the radio, trying to find a working station. To my disappointment, not much is happening right now.
