A Tiny Home

Chapter 10

I wake up with a throbbing headache and make it to Tim's drive-thru by some kind of miracle. I turn down the radio to a meek whisper hoping that the background noise of pop songs will do something to improve my mood.

My dreams haunt me the entire drive, not nightmares of headlights and Will's broken body, but dreams of running through the forest into the clearing in the backwoods, of his unmarked hands, peeling up my dress, of the way he held my face as he kissed me, of me begging him to stay. Not out loud, never out loud, but staring into his eyes as he moved inside me. The way he shielded my body from Hank when he came barging through the trees, the way Will went down without a fight taking every single punch his eyes locked on me. He silently told me it was worth it. That I was worth it.

But none of that mattered.

He left for the Navy a week later.

I take a deep breath and get out of the truck, listening to the crickets as I walk up to Will's new trailer. I bang on the door before barging in coffee first. He opens one eye in nothing but his boxers. My eyes linger on his abs and follow the trail of coarse hair down to the elastic of his shorts.

"Take a picture, Hannah."

"Hm?" I ask coming out of the daze. "Oh sorry."

I don't even have the energy to be embarrassed.

"You okay honey?"

I let it slide since he doesn't bother adding bear.

"Yeah, bad sleep."

"Nightmares?"

"No- well, not last night anyways."

"Ah,"

"You get them too?" I ask softly.

"Sometimes. But when I wake up I remember we're both alive and I can breathe again." He sips his coffee. "Want something to eat?"

"Huh, oh no thanks."

"Good cause I have no food."

I laugh. "We can grab Alice's for lunch."

"Deal."

He puts on a shirt then holds it out smiling at me. "I am holding up my end of the bargain."

I look down at my bare legs.

"Okay in fairness, I don't think I woke up until two seconds ago."

He chuckles, "I forgive you. Just this once."

He walks up to the door and lingers in my space taking a sip of his coffee before he pulls it open.

"After you."

I do a dramatic curtsy. "I thank you, good sir."

He lightly kicks me in the butt and I giggle my way over to the woodpile.

By the time I get my gloves on he's all business, with the plans at the ready we begin measuring and cutting for the roof.

It's noon by the time we have it framed. One by the time we're securing it in place.

By one-thirty, we hear the car.

I shoot the final two nails into place and climb down the ladder taking a moment to admire the bones of the loft and the plywood roof. Will tosses me my water bottle and I drink deeply, praying for patience as I see Amy come up the footpath.

"Hi, guys! It looks like a house!" She calls out spreading her arms wide.

"That's the idea," I mutter earning me a jab from Will.

"Yeah, she's starting to look like something that's for sure."

"Can I get a tour yet? I hear the view is incredible."

"Yeah come on up." Will reaches out an arm and helps pull her up. I watch as he winces and instinctually put a hand on his back.

"I'm alright." He says.

"Is that an older injury? From the accident?" Amy asks softly.

For once I'm grateful to her for talking so much. I'm too afraid to say anything.

"Yeah, I probably aggravated a muscle hoisting the roof overhead. But I'll be alright. I've got a physio appointment tomorrow evening."

"What happened?" Amy asks softly, "I mean if you don't have to tell me if you don't want to but Hank always just says there was a car accident."

"I don't mind talking about it," Will answers.

That makes one of us.

"It was pouring rain and I was at a bar completely smashed. I tried calling a couple of friends who were supposed to be out with me and some friends from high school, Hank was still in Victoria at this point but I knew that I could count on Hannah. She came and got me. I don't remember much before, in the car though it was raining in sheets. The car hydroplaned and there was an oncoming truck. Hannah turned the wheel and we, fortunately, missed it. Unfortunately, we hit a dead tree. The airbags had gone off and we were both disoriented when there was this huge crack. I just reacted. I threw myself over her and the tree landed on top of me." He raises his shirt to show her his scars.

"Punctured lung?" Amy asks, touching a scar on his chest.

"Collapsed entirely."

"Well, I'm glad you ended up in my recovery unit." She smiles at him and wraps her arms around him in a friendly embrace.

"And for bringing Hank." She chuckles, "And for convincing him to stay."

I drop the nail gun and climb down the stairs running for my truck.

Yeah, Hank was there for Will. And I couldn't be. Because I was alone, I was alone, wondering if Will was alive or dead in a hospital bed all on my own. With a broken hip, and a neck brace I was left to recover.

"Hannah," Will calls after me.

I don't stop. I turn to unlock the door and begin pulling it open before he comes up behind me pushing it closed.

"Wait a minute."

I turn and hide my damp face.

"Hannah, I'm sorry."

I push him away from me with two hands.

"For what Will? For saving my life."

"No, for not being there. For not being there when you woke up."

"Yeah well thanks to me you were a little busy," I say roughly wiping at my face.

"Hannah, it was an accident."

"Fine, it was an accident. My entire family missing from my bedside, for two weeks, with hardly any updates was no accident. You might not blame me but they do." I yell. "Just leave me alone for a bit."

I pull on the door handle, his hand still firmly keeping the door closed.

"Fine. But we're not done talking about this hon, not by a long shot."

"We're done when I say we're done." I spit at him before I close the door and start the car.