Equilibrium (Marauders #4.5) by Lina Andersson

part in every person’s life. It could be a room, a house, a bed, or just a fucking area where you knew you were protected, even if it was just inside your own head. The problem was when that space was the only place you felt safe. Or if you didn’t have one at all.
    “It’s a nice room.”
    “Yeah, you said that. And that it suited me.”
    So she hadn’t missed the sarcasm in that. “It kind of does,” he said.
    “So you’re gonna keep being an asshole?”
    “Do you want me to be more like your mom and dad?”
    “No,” she said, but she wasn’t looking at him. “Just… Don’t be mean, and don’t make me talk.”
    “I wouldn’t do that.” He thought of something else. “You should probably mention this to your dad. No need for details, but so he knows why we’re talking.”
    “I will. Is it weird that I’m looking forward to hanging out with someone who called me a spoiled brat and thinks I’m just feeling sorry for myself?”
    “A little,” he laughed. “But I think you need someone who doesn’t just tell you the things you want to hear, and I don’t think you’re feeling sorry for yourself. Not really. I just wanted you to pay attention. And I took out my own issues on you, which was shitty of me. I’m sorry about that.”
    “Thank you,” she smiled. “Just don’t touch me. I’ll tell Dad if you do.”
    “It’s got its flaws, but I like my face, so I won’t touch you. It’s not about that.”
    “I didn’t think it was, but I mean, like, at all . Don’t touch me at all. I mean, most places are okay, but some are really not okay, and some of them are weird.”
    He stared at her. “I’m not sure I followed that.”
    “It’s not everywhere on my body. I mean, it’s the obvious place, but there’s some weird places that I can’t… It doesn’t matter. Just don’t.”
    She started to leave, and when he laughed, she turned around.
    “What?” she asked.
    “That threatening thing, when you threatened with your dad. That was good.”
    “Why?”
    “Means you’re still fighting. Keep that up.”
    She stood still, and he could see her thinking about it, and then she smiled and gave him the smallest nod. “Okay. I’ll see you, Samuel Walsh.”
    “See you, Eliza Baxter.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    Ask Away
     
    ~oOo~
     
    “IF YOU JUST HOLD there, I can tighten it for you,” Brick said. The ten-year-old Eliza was sitting next to him, and she leaned over to see where he was pointing. “Just hold this.”
    “I don’t know. It looks dirty. Do I have to?” She turned and looked at a stool behind them. “I can sit over there and watch you work.”
    “Okay, Baby Girl,” he said with a laugh and kissed her forehead. “Go sit over there.”
    “Did you do this with Mac and Mitch?” she asked once she was safely away from the dirt.
    “Yeah,” he answered.
    “They’re boys, you know. They don’t seem to care much about dirt.”
    “I guess that’s the difference.”
    “I mean, I like being here, but I don’t think I wanna fix stuff.” She picked up some bolts—clean ones. “I can tell you what I’ve been doing in school today.”
    “That sounds like a good idea, honey. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”
     
    ~oOo~
    Brick
     
    “Hi there, Baby Girl,” he said to Eliza when she came to sit on a toolbox close to him. “Gonna watch me work?”
    “Is that okay?”
    “You know it is. I like having you here.”
    She’d had done that since she was a kid, usually when she was waiting for Mel to finish up in the office, and most often she talked non-stop about her day. What she’d done, who’d said what to her, who she didn’t like, and sometimes what guys she thought was cute. The mentioning of cute guys got less common when she became older, but she’d talked anyway. Since she’d been taken, she still sat there sometimes, but she wasn’t talking. Partly because there wasn’t actually much going on in her life, and partly because she wasn’t talking much anymore at