Chapter 12: Di

When the house phone rang, Di sat Jason's ereader down and went into the kitchen to pick up the call. "Hello?"

"Hey Di! It's Michelle. Is Jason there? I can't get him to pick up his cell phone."

"He's working on a brake job for a big truck out front right now. I bet he left his cell in the garage. Can I help?"

Michelle paused for a second while Di heard Jeffery babbling at her in the background. "I swear that boy has some kind of radar for when I get on the phone," she muttered. "Go play with Sloane! Go on."

Di chuckled. "Sounds like you have your hands full."

"I really would pay you to babysit if you lived closer," Michelle groaned. "Anyway, I was just wanted to know why social services was calling me before I called them back."

Di felt her heart squeeze at the comment. "I think Carrie reported Jason to them. A case worker came by earlier today asking me if Jason has been... inappropriate." Just saying the words made her angry again.

"That bitch! What happened?"

"The caseworker kept tryin' to get me to say he was bein' a creep. When I didn't, she talked to Jason and he went off on her." The sight of him rising to her defense had been one of the most empowering things she'd ever seen.

"Good! I can't imagine how scary that must have been, especially with what you went through before."

Di had been terrified as well as furious, and wanted to talk to someone about it other than Jason. She looked up to blink back the tears that filled her eyes. "C-can I tell you something?"

"Oh, Di, of course," Michelle sighed into the phone.

"I know Jason cares about me. He'd never do anything like that." Di stalled trying to find the words to say what she was feeling. "So why do I feel so guilty?"

"Maybe part of you wants him to?" Michelle guessed and Di sighed.

"I know it's supposed to be wrong, but it doesn't feel wrong to me."

Michelle took a slow, deep breath. "Jason has always had the worst luck with girlfriends. He's a little too trusting. Carrie was just the latest in a long line of women who've taken advantage of him."

"I hate her," Di whispered.

"Lauren and I both hate her. And for what it's worth, after meeting you last night we both like you." Di smiled at her words. "But..." The smile faded.

"He could end up in jail."

"Exactly."

"So what do I do?" Di begged.

Michelle sighed. "I wish I could tell you, Di. Just take care of each other and keep your head down for now. Time will fix it if nothing else will."

Di nodded and wiped her eyes. "Thanks for talking to me about it."

"Tell Jason I'll call social services and do what I can to keep them off his back. If he gets into trouble, tell him my husband, Karl, will help. He's a lawyer and knows some people over in Swain County. Hang in there, Sis."

Hearing Michelle call her that made Di shut her eyes and smile. "Will do."

After getting off the phone, Di made a big glass of tea and took it to the front of the garage. Jason was removing the lug nuts from one of the back tires on the truck.

"Thirsty?" she asked when he put down the air-powered wrench.

"Thanks," Jason said and nodded towards the garage. Di saw the same middle-aged man she'd seen when the social worker left leaning against the open bay door.

"Can I get you anything?" Di asked the man.

"No, I'm good. Can I use the restroom?" he asked.

Jason pointed inside the garage. "It's towards the back behind the wall with the utility sink."

After the man disappeared into the garage Jason gave Di a thin smile. His sweat had wet his hair and soaked through his t-shirt in places, but she didn't care about that any more than his greasy fingers. Being close to him and not being free to touch him made her stomach knot.

"Michelle called," Di said. "She got a call from social services and wanted to know what was going on. She said her husband Karl would help if you need him."

"Damn," Jason muttered and looked down. "What did Lola say to you?"

"That they got an anonymous tip about sexual abuse. I told her nothing happened but she kept after me. Then she made me show her where I slept and poked around my room."

"Carrie," Jason growled. "God damn it!"

"That's what I figured."

"I'm so sorry, Di." Jason looked in her eyes with a heavy sigh. She knew what he was thinking from the pain she saw there.

"You aren't a creep, Jason." She reached out to rub his arm.

"You have no idea how creepy I feel," he whispered.

"I'm not a kid, no matter how short I am. And you know I feel more for you than just grateful."

Jason reacted like the words stung him, then looked up in the sky. "I can't."

"I'm not asking you for anything. It'll work out, you'll see."

She dropped her hand from his shoulder as the man came back from the bathroom. Jason finished the tea and handed her back the empty glass. "I'll be in when I'm done. It'll be late."

"I'll have your dinner ready."

Di went back inside and kept busy all afternoon. She cleaned and dusted the house, mopped the kitchen floor to clean where the kids had dropped food, and scrubbed out both bathrooms. She showered after she cleaned her own tub and put on a long nightshirt over leggings.

Despite a lack of appetite, she forced herself to eat some leftovers and put a plate in the fridge for Jason when he came in. By the time she picked up the ereader again to finish her latest romance it was dark outside.