He closes his fingers around mine instantly, holding on like a drowning man grabbing a line.
"I sat in the car with Jade today, and we talked about it,” I say. “I know why Dad barked. I know why you went quiet. I knew it this morning, even when I was mad enough to bash a wrench over your head."
A small, genuine breath of relief escapes Locke’s chest, his shoulders dropping two inches as the tension drains out of him.
"I'm sorry too, Locke," I say, looking up into his tired face. "I shouldn't have thrown the 'partner' card in your face. I know the position you're in. I know you have to answer to my Dad when the patch is on, and I know you're trying to keep a full-scale s*******r from landing on our doorstep."
"You had every right to be furious," he says, his thumb tracing a slow, sooth
