Page 37 of Fractured Grief (Hope’s Ridge #2)

Seb

M y gaze followed Indy as he left the main room of the garage. I could feel my brother’s eyes on me even before I turned to face him.

“So, you have a boyfriend.” Atty’s face was pensive, and I wasn’t sure how to take that. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but what the fuck?”

“What?” Not sure what Atty was getting at.

“Okay. First off, when did this happen, and why didn’t I know about it? Second, since when have you been interested in guys?” Atty sounded more indignant the more he spoke.

“Ah, the boyfriend label as of about an hour ago, and I’m demi, I think.

I don’t care that he’s a guy. I’m just interested in him .

” I rubbed the back of my neck, hating the feeling of being put on the spot but unable to help my mouth lifting into a smile at the thought of Indy and what he’d come to mean to me.

“And don’t drag me for not telling you something. You forgot to tell Theo about Bodhi.”

Atty raised a dark eyebrow at me. “Have you told Theo?”

Well shit!

My face fell at being called out. I hadn’t seen or spoken to Theo since he dropped me at Ma’s for my welcome home dinner.

“Okay, fair call. I’ll be sure to message him. Do you know when he gets back? Doesn’t he have final exams soon?”

“Yeah, he’s back next week. Although I wish it were sooner. The work is piling up. Any idea when you’ll be able to come back?” Atty asked, taking in my cane.

“Not sure. I’d hope soon, but I don’t know with my hand and leg.

If I could get my hands back to one hundred percent, then I could at least help with the day-to-day.

You’d just have to do the driving and testing.

” My shoulders drop at the thought of letting down my big brother.

“I’m sorry, man. I’d love to be at work, you know that.

” I loved my job, and I missed it. There was something about putting a vehicle back together that settled me.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’d love to have you back, but your health and recovery are more important.

” Atty gripped my shoulder and gave me a little shake.

“I’ve found a possible temp that I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.

His name is Asher, and he calls himself a floating or touring mechanic.

He moves from place to place. He’s looking for at least six months of work.

What do you think? I’ll send you his resume, and you can look it over. He sounds like a good guy.”

“It sounds like you need the help, and you’ve looked into it. I trust you, bro. If you’re happy, then I’ll follow your lead.” The garage was Pa’s before it was ours, and we couldn’t let it fail; it was our legacy.

“Okay, I’ll send you his details anyway, and you let me know what you think. Then, I’ll call him and see when he can start.” Atticus nodded to himself.

“I actually came by to ask a-bout Lyric,” I cautioned, not wanting to add to Atty’s worry, but needing all the parts to the puzzle about what was going on with our youngest brother. “Has he been able to come by?”

A heavy weight seemed to settle onto Atty’s shoulders as he visibly drooped in front of me. “No, he hasn’t. He always makes excuses. I don’t think he’s even set foot inside the garage since you were shot. I’ve only seen him at Ma’s and even then, not much. What’s he like with you?”

That had been what I’d thought, but knowing he hadn’t been inside the garage for all these months was new— and worrying .

“He’s been great helping me and taking me to appointments, but he has been more withdrawn than usual.

I’ve been trying to get him to talk to me.

We’ve had a few, what I thought were breakthroughs, but he just lashed out this morning and left.

” I continued to fill Atticus in on all Lyric had mentioned.

Once I’d finished, Atty looked as worried as I was about the welfare of our little brother.

“I had no idea it was that bad. Nightmares, not sleeping, the mood swings,” Atticus paused. “Do you think he could have PTSD or something? ”

I froze. It was like a big flashing neon sign went off. “Well, shit. That makes so much sense. How can we help him?”

“Get him to talk to someone, like you said. Reach out to Levi and see who he recommends, and then make the appointment. I could close the shop and take him if need be. He needs to know we’re there for him and have his back no matter what.

” Atticus pulled me in for a hug. “We’ll help him get through this. ”

“We will,” I whispered, more to the universe than Atty, but he just patted me on the back and pulled back from our hug.

And we shared another sad smile.

The bullet that had damaged my insides seemed to have fractured my world and that of those around me. We all carried something from that day.

Atty and I made our way into the break room; both lost in our thoughts and found Bodhi and Indy deep in conversation. Hazel was sitting on the couch with her little legs crossed, playing with a phone, perfectly content.

Indy beamed at me, and something inside me settled. My recovery was hard, and I didn’t know if I’d ever return to one hundred percent, but the fact that this incident had brought Indy and Hazel into my life was a gift I couldn’t fault.

“Everything okay?” he asked, still smiling.

I leaned down to kiss his cheek, causing him to blush. “It will be. How are you doing?”

“We’re good, just getting to know Bodhi. ”

“Don’t worry, there wasn’t enough time to tell any tall tales,” Bodhi added, playfully. He’d settled into Hope’s Ridge, and our family and the quiet confidence he’d slowly built up after all he’d been through were wonderful to see.

“There’s not much to tell. Atty has more stories than I do. I’m the quiet one, remember?” I couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at my lips as Atty barked out a laugh.

There was no way to be part of the Papadakis family and not have an interesting story or two to tell. However, mine were a lot more subdued than Atty’s or Theo’s, and none of us came close to the plethora of shenanigans Lyric was involved in.

“Are you going to bring Indy to Ma’s Sunday feast? It’ll be good to introduce him to the family and give him a taste of what he’s got himself into.” Atty winked at Indy, who looked a little anxious.

“Sunday feast?”

Rolling my eyes before playfully shoving Atty as we took our seats next to our boyfriends.

“Don’t worry, it’s not bad. Ma hosts family and friends for Sunday lunch.

We are Greek, so it is usually a large get-together, but it’s very casual and relaxed.

” I leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I’d love to take you and show you off if you’re up for it. ”

Pulling back, I gazed into his eyes and loved the way they sparkled. “Show me off?” he whispered, a beautiful blush coloring his cheeks.

Atty and Bodhi both chuckled beside us as Indy’s cheeks darkened .

“At least Seb’s being honest that it can be quite a large gathering.

Unlike Atty, to me. We rocked up, and the street and lawn were full of cars.

I almost made a run for it. I wasn’t used to crowds or that many people, but I had Atty by my side, so I pushed through, and it was fun.

Everyone was lovely. You should come.” Bodhi smiled warmly at Indy before nodding towards Hazel.

“There are also plenty of cousins, so there’ll be lots of kids for Hazel to play with. ”

Smiling shyly at me, his blush still blooming. “I’d love to go.”

My heart warmed at his ready acceptance.