Hard Brake (Wilkins Brothers Book 2)

Chapter 10

CAMILA

It has been a week since we left our home in New Mexico and we’re falling into a sense of normalcy living with Gruff and being around his family members. I find myself letting my guard down more and more. His family makes it so easy. They’ve been completely welcoming to me and my kids, no questions asked. Nico spends at least an hour every day working on cars in the shop with Gruff and his brothers. I’ve seen him relax, something I didn’t realize my ten-year-old needed so much.

Anna was a harder nut to crack, but she’s lived in a shell her entire life, always scared to make the wrong move. Hattie has gone above and beyond to give her attention and develop a love of the arts. Our bedroom, well Gruff’s bedroom, is filled with paintings and drawings. She really wants to go into the city and visit Hattie’s art studio, but I have to tell her no. The fact is that even though we are living in a place that feels safe, we are anything but.

The plan was always to stay here until my car could be fixed and then move on, but now I feel like that plan has gone out the window. I haven’t seen my SUV around here and Gruff never mentions it. I’m afraid to ask because I don’t want him thinking I’m trying to leave or anything. I know we have so much to talk about, but I like living in this bubble. 

“Can I go down to the shop, Mom?” Nico comes out of the bedroom dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, clothes that Georgia and Bellamy bought at the store over the weekend. 

“Let me go check to see if he’s busy today. Did you finish the worksheets that I printed out this morning?”

He rolls his eyes at me and scoffs, “No, I didn’t think you were that serious.”

“Uh-huh, first, watch your attitude because we’re not doing that. Second, I need you to stay on top of your academics okay? If you aren’t sure how to do the math problems, we can over them again.”

“Why do I have to do school work when I’m not even in school anymore?”

“Because I am hoping that eventually you will be able to go back to school and I don’t want you to be too far behind.”

“Back to school at home?” He asks, almost disappointed.

“I don’t know, maybe here. I just, I can’t give you exact answers, Nico, but I hope that someday I can put you back in school, so while we have to take a break with that, you need to keep up with your academics. If you’re not going to do that, then I’m not going to let you go hang out at the shop.”

“I bet Gruff wouldn’t care!” He raises his voice at me and storms off into his room before I can respond. The door slams and I jump, getting flashbacks of all the angry door slams that I have dealt with in my life. I know that Nico isn’t his father, but I always wonder if there is something genetic about the behavior, especially knowing Miguel’s father.

“Mommy, I don’t want to go back to my old school, I like it here.” Anna has been working at the kitchen table on her worksheets. I turn my attention towards her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

“Just as I told your brother, I have no idea what we’re going to do. I just don’t want you guys to be behind.”

“Why can’t we stay here with Gruff? Does he not want us to be here?”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Anna. This is kind of a conversation for grown-ups, not little kids. Just know whatever I decide it is considering everybody, okay?”

She gives me a little nod in return. “It’s just, Gruff is so nice, Mommy, not like Dad. Like when I forgot to throw away my trash from snack the other day, Gruff just did it and he didn’t even yell.”