Rock then proceeded to tuck me in and make sure my wrist was propped up and my ribs were okay. Watching him work over me with a serious expression kept me from speaking.
When he was satisfied that I was comfortable, he stepped back. “I’ve got a beach towel in the truck and a duffel with a change of clothes. I’m going to grab those and get changed, and then tonight I’m sleeping on the floor in here. I won’t get any sleep if you don’t let me. So please don’t tell me I can’t.”
The pleading look in his eyes combined with all that he had done tonight for Krit and me—I knew I couldn’t tell him no about anything right now. The idea of Rock being in my room gave me peace. I never felt at peace in this trailer. Or anywhere. But Rock was giving me that. I wouldn’t freak out now. I would just embrace it. I needed it right now.
“Okay,” I whispered, and he smiled at me.
I wanted to smile back, but it would hurt my lip. He winked at me as if he knew that, and then he turned and left my room.
Krit had a comforter on his bed he didn’t use. I’d get him to let Rock sleep on it so he didn’t have to sleep on the worn carpet.
As if on cue, Krit’s bedroom door opened and my little brother stepped into my room with a frown. “He coming back?” he asked.
“He’s getting a towel and a change of clothes from his truck,” I assured him.
Krit let out a noticeable sigh of relief. He wasn’t up for dealing with his mother again. Rock had taken that weight off Krit’s shoulders, which I always tried so hard to do.
“He’s sleeping on the floor in here. Bring him that comforter you never use so he can sleep on it.”
Krit nodded. “Yeah, I’ll bring him a pillow, too. And he can have my blanket as well. I’ll go grab a quilt out of Mom’s room.”
The door to the trailer closed as Rock came back inside. Krit walked into the hall, and I heard him speaking in low tones to Rock. I knew they were talking about me and Krit was needing reassurance from Rock. I didn’t want Rock to make any promises to my brother that he couldn’t keep. Krit didn’t need that kind of disappointment in his life. He had enough.
Krit walked back into the room a few minutes later with a pillow, his comforter, and his blanket. “He said he didn’t need anything and he was just going to sleep on his beach towel, but I ignored him. He’s getting changed in the bathroom.”
He was trying to make it easy on Rock so he would stay. But Rock couldn’t stay forever. He was a kid too, with a football career in his future. He didn’t have time to save us. “He can’t stay forever, you know. He has a life and a future. We will be okay when he walks away. We have each other,” I reminded him.
Krit didn’t respond. He kept making Rock a bed on the floor beside my bed.
“You know that, right?” I asked again, needing Krit to acknowledge that this wasn’t something he should get used to.
When Krit dropped his pillow on the makeshift bed, he turned his gaze to me. “No, Trisha, I don’t know that. I think . . . I think you may be more important to him than football.” Then he walked over and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You’re special. The kind of girl a guy does crazy shit for.”
I started to say something, but Krit left my room before I could think of what to say.
Moments later Rock walked back in, wearing a pair of what looked like board shorts and a Sea Breeze Football T-shirt. His gaze landed on the spot Krit had made for him on the floor, and a small grin tugged at his lips. Then he turned his attention to me. “I think he likes me,” he quipped.
I didn’t smile. Not because my lip was hurt but because Rock didn’t understand the truth in his comment. I had to protect Krit. Letting him trust in Rock was a bad idea.
“He thinks you’re going to save us. I don’t need you to encourage that idea. He’s been let down too many times. I won’t let you do that to him too.”
Rock stared at me for a moment, and then he walked over to the bed. His finger traced the side of my head gently. “You’re worried about me letting him down. What about you?”
What about me? I was sure it would break my heart when Rock walked away from this. But I was tough. I could deal with it. My brother had emotional issues that I didn’t have. He lost it and became uncontrollable crazy when things were too much for him.
“I know you’ll leave. I don’t have any grand illusions. In real life there are no heroes.”
Rock didn’t reply at first. He continued to trace the side of my head and rub his thumb and forefinger over my ear in a caress that felt soothing. “One day, Trisha Corbin, you will call me your hero. And that day will be the most important moment in my life.”
Rock
She hadn’t woken up all night. Several times I had watched her chest to make sure she was breathing. Fandora hadn’t come home, and Krit had already stuck his head in here once this morning to check on her.
Lying on my back, I had both my hands tucked under my head as I watched her sleep. Three hours ago I had heard Dewayne and his dad come get my dad’s truck to take it back to the house. I had called Dewayne when I had gone out to my truck last night. I hadn’t wanted Trisha to hear me.
Dewayne’s dad had left me one of his work trucks he didn’t use every day. The keys were hidden under the backseat. He wanted me to have some way to get around in case we needed to get Trisha back to the doctor or needed to escape. I hated telling Dewayne the truth, but I knew he’d help me.
Trisha’s eyes began to flutter, and I was mesmerized. Slowly her one good eye opened. She focused on me and a smile touched her lips. It was a small smile. One that wouldn’t hurt her split lip. I sat up and reached for the salve the doctor had suggested for her lip. “Your need some more of this,” I told her as I stayed on my knees so I’d be at eye level with her.