by K J Bell
He’s right – I should fix it. I’m not exactly sure how to do that now. “I’m not sure I can, kiddo.”
He takes a sip of milk. “If you don’t make up with her, you’re an idiot.”
I chuckle and ruffle the little guy’s head. He has a point. I am an idiot. “Watch your language, rug rat, and eat your breakfast.
After breakfast, I help in the kitchen and then take a shower. The streams of hot water beat down on me, and I close my eyes. Tori loves me without a doubt, but can she love me enough to forgive me for bailing on her? She clearly believes what happened with Vanessa wasn’t my fault. The problem is, she doesn’t know the truth. I’m not sure if telling her everything will make things better, but she deserves to know. If I tell her and she still wants me, then we’ll see where it goes, and I’ll have to figure out a way to tame my beast of a mother.
I’ve committed to helping Rodrigo with the new gym for the next couple of days. After the outside is finished, I’m heading home to tell her the truth, including the fact I’m in love with her and I want to be with her. Fuck everything else!
Chapter 27
Tori
It’s been three weeks since I’ve seen Brady, yet he still pervades every thought in my head. I’ve dredged through the last few weeks like a machine, going through the motions of life – eating, sleeping, working – but not living. Liv has practically disowned me. Of course she made up with Tyler when she learned that the mystery girl texting him was his sister. She spends most of her time with him. The only time we talk is when we work a shift together at the Bean, and even then, it’s awkward. I can’t blame her. I’m miserable to be around right now.
Harrison has been there for me – as my friend – just as he promised. He's talked me through every pathetic breakdown at work, been respectful of my feelings toward Brady, and avoids telling me what he thinks of him. He’s my friend, and I’m happy to have him in my life.
It’s difficult living here after everything I’ve learned. Interacting with Liv’s parents is nearly impossible. I do my best to avoid them. The fact they knew about what happened with Vanessa and took part in paying a family off to keep it a secret has drastically changed my opinion of them. Our relationship is damaged, and I’m not sure it can ever be repaired.
I can’t continue to let thoughts of Brady completely consume my life. I haven’t been eating or sleeping very well, and I’ve lost weight. He’s made a choice, and if I've learned anything after my breakup with Jake, it’s that I can’t let a broken heart control me and keep me from living my life. Life goes on, as they say. Brady has to get over his guilt before he’ll be able to love anyone. I want to wait for him. I want to be here when he’s ready. Feeling this way doesn’t mean my life has to stand still. Brady will come around when he wants to, and if he doesn’t, then I’ll have to live with that, but in the meantime I have to have a life worth living. And withering away isn’t much of a life.
“Are you getting out of bed before noon today?” Tug’s in the doorway of my room. I fling a pillow at him. Thankfully, Tug is the same ol’ goofball he’s always been. He strolls into the room and plops down on the bed next to me. “What are you doing tonight?”
I frown. I’ll be pouting in this bed like I do every night. “I don’t have any plans. Pitiful, right?”
Tug turns on his side, resting on his elbow. “You want to go to the movies with me?”
It would be nice to get out, and it might make me feel better. It would be a start at least. “You know what, Tug? Yes, I would like to go the movies with you.”
Jumping to his feet and standing next to the bed, he looks down at me with a stupefied expression. “Seriously?”
Smile wide, I answer, “Seriously, Tug.”
Tug starts skipping around the room, waving a hand in the air as though he is lassoing something and smacking himself on the ass. “Whoo hoo! Slap my fanny and call me Red. I can’t believe she finally said yes!”
I sit up in bed, and wonder if I should use my cell phone to take a video of his shenanigans. It could prove useful later. I decide against it. Liv might find it. “Uh, okay, Red. But no romantic flicks. I need action. Guns and gore, you know?”
He stops at the foot of the bed, eyeing me coquettishly. “Oh, you’re really breaking my heart. I’m dying to watch two people run from each other for two hours because they’re too stubborn to realize they love each other while the girl whines the whole time. Blood and guts will be pure torture.”
He’s honestly the most sarcastic and funny person I know, but his joking pinches me a little. Brady and I are doing exactly that. “I guess you’ll have to wear your big-girl panties and make the best of it.”
“Yes, ma’am! I’ll pick you up at six.” He’s grinning from ear to ear. He turns on his heels, and struts out of the room.
I smile, watching him leave, and bite my lip. Oh, my God, I’m going on a date with Tug.
After peeling myself out of bed, I slip my arms into my bathrobe and pad down the stairs to the kitchen for some much-needed coffee. Perkily, I enter the kitchen. My happy mood disintegrates when I find Mrs. Hunter sitting at the island, reading the paper. She’s clutching a tissue to her nose, and I assume she’s home sick from work. The tissue reminds me of Brady, which only stirs my anger toward this woman.
“Good morning, Tori,” she greets me, sounding every bit as stuffed-up as she looks.
“Good morning.” I keep my head down and shuffle to the cabinet to get a mug. I feel her gaze follow me, but I don’t turn around. After pouring myself a cup of coffee, I add cream and sugar, and decide to drink it upstairs.
“Tori.” Sheila’s stern voice cuts though me, just as I start to pass through the doorway. I turn to her, and she waves me over. “Come, let’s chat.”
“I have to get ready for work,” I lie. “Maybe later.”
“Brady told me that you know. I don’t like how uncomfortable this little situation makes you.”
Brady has spoken to her?
Anger zips through me. Is she serious? I stride over to her and set my coffee on the counter. “Pardon me, Sheila, but I don’t think there is anything little about this situation.”
“You’re right. It’s huge. It’s also something Brady truly regrets, and it was an accident. He can’t beat himself up forever.” She rubs the tissue along the bottom of her nose and sneezes.
Well, at least we agree on that. “And what about you? Do you have any regrets?”
“Of course I do. I told Brady over and over that bike was a death machine. He never listens to me.”
“I’m not talking about the bike or the accident. How could you offer a grieving family money for their silence, Sheila? Five million dollars is what I find regrettable.”
She looks completely stunned. The small smile slides off her face, and she flushes red. Her wrinkles crease tight around her eyes. Blood pumps through a vein bulging out of the top of her forehead. “That is family business and does not concern you,” she says, her voice firm and commanding. I’ve definitely hit a nerve and she’s pissed. But, damn it, so am I.
“Right. You once said I was family. I suppose that’s just another one of the many lies in the Hunter household.” I spit the words venomously. Even though my legs shake so wildly my knees are knocking, I turn and run, pounding up the stairs to my room, Liv’s room.
She calls after me, but I don’t turn back. I don’t care what she has to say. It will probably be a lie.
Damn it! I really needed that coffee.
Brady
As I sit under a tree, thinking of all the things I want to say to Tori when I get home, my phone vibrates in my pocket. When I pull it out, my heart stutters, hoping it’s her. It’s not. Anger laces my words when I answer, “Hello, Sheila.”
Her voice is rigid and unsteady. God, I hate this woman. Nothing good ever comes out of a conversation with her. “Brady, how could you tell Tori about our money?”
“It’s my money, Sheila,” I coldly remind her.
“That’s not relevant, Brady. Tori shouldn’t be involved with our family business, and you know that. I think it’s time she finds a new place to live.” The shrill tone of her voice sears through me, sparking my ever-present anger.
“Don’t even think about asking her to move. It will only hurt Liv. Besides which, I didn’t tell her anything. Harrison blurted out something about the contract and the money at the beach. She’s probably fishing.”
“She’s not fishing, Brady. She knows we paid Vanessa’s family. She even knows how much.”
Damn him! I’m guessing Harrison’s been talking to her while I’ve been away. He’d better only be talking, because if he’s touched her, I might have to hurt him. “Well, I didn’t tell her. Harrison probably filled her in.”
“Good. If he talked that, means his family is five million dollars poorer.” Her unkind words makes me sick. She’s a heartless, greedy bitch.
“Enough, Sheila. I don’t give a shit about the contract. I’m not asking them to give the money back, and neither are you.”
“You just watch me, Brady,” she threatens.
“Sheila, you’d better listen to me. Stay away from Vanessa’s family, or I’ll take what’s mine and destroy you.”
“Brady! How can you talk to me that way? I’m your mother. You need to think about what this will do to your future if it gets out.” Her words are tiring. I’ve heard them all before.
“You mean your future, Sheila. Vanessa’s family has nothing to say, so stop flipping out about it. Don’t you have a job to do?”
She sighs into the phone. It’s intentional and increases my annoyance with her. “And what about Tori, Brady? What if she runs her mouth? I should talk to her and make sure she knows not to discuss this with anyone.”
The thought of her talking to Tori enrages me. “You stay the fuck away from her, Sheila. I will talk to Tori. She’s not going to tell anyone.”
“You better do it soon, Brady.”
“Goodbye, Sheila,” I snarl.
I end the call and throw my phone on the ground. I detest that woman. I’ve always felt disconnected, but after I learned what kind of a woman she is, I grew to hate her with every fiber of my being. I play along, allowing her to be motherly for Liv and Tug, but she’s dead to me.
Chapter 28
Tori
Tug is prompt, knocking on my door at exactly six. Of course, he didn’t have far to go to be punctual. I open the door and chuckle, as his mouth is hanging open.
“Damn! You look amazing.”
I smile shyly, and shift my weight to my other foot. I made an extra effort to look nice tonight, as I’ve been living in ratty sweats and T-shirts for the last few weeks. I’m wearing a frilly tank with a short skirt and heels.
“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.” It’s true. Tug looks downright handsome. He’s wearing faded jeans and a plaid button-up shirt. The Hunter brothers are not lacking in the looks department. They are both attractive, just in different ways. Brady always exudes the bad-boy dark and dangerous vibe that I’ve always been a sucker for, whereas Tug is the all-American boy, like those pictured on the Abercrombie posters at the mall.
I reach in my purse, and pull out my keys, dangling them in front of Tug. “You want to drive?”
“Yes’m, Miss Tori.” He grabs the keys from my hand. I chuckle at his reference to Driving Miss Daisy again.
Once we’re outside, Tug opens the passenger door of my Jeep and then excitedly makes his way to the driver’s side. I can’t decide if he’s excited for our date or because I’m letting him drive my Jeep. Maybe a little bit of both.
While we’re driving to the theater, I click on the radio. One of my favorite country songs is on, and I start singing along. Tug snorts when he hears it and tries to change the channel.
I grab onto his arm. “My car, therefore my radio, buddy.”
“Oh, come on,” he whines. “How do you listen to this stuff?”
“I love country music.” I enjoy all music, but having a chance to give a little back to Tug, I don’t mention it.
“What? How can you love it? All the songs are the same.”
“They are not.”
“They are, too, check this out,” He turns up the volume and starts belting out his own lyrics in perfect match to the actual words. “My dog got runned over yesterday. It was so damn sad that I cried to my best friend, Ray.”
I try to purse my lips and hold in the laughter, but I completely lose it and laughter explodes from my mouth with a raspberry.
“My old truck finally broke down. What’s a guy to do but simply frown, because for now I have no way to get around town, ye haw! My mama told me to get a cat. But there’s no way in hell I’m gonna do that.”
Now I’m laughing so hard that I have tears streaming down my cheeks and my stomach is cramping. I smack him several times playfully in the arm, but he just laughs and continues,
“My girl left me without a word, and now I hear she’s moved in with some fuckin’ nerd.” He finishes with the song on the radio.
We stop at a red light, and he turns the volume down. He turns his head toward me and gently brushes his hand along my jaw, wiping away my joyful tears with his thumb. “I sure do like seeing that smile back on your face.” He says sweetly.
It feels good to have this smile back.
The light changes, and I look out the window. Brady is all I can think about, but being out of the house make the need less intense. Or maybe it’s being with Tug.
When we get to the theater, we decide on a new action thriller and head to the snack counter. We order an insanely large bucket of popcorn and both agree you can never add too much butter. Tug gets Milk Duds and makes a squishy face when I ask for Sour Patch Kids. I laugh. It’s the exact face I make when I eat them.
On the ride home from the movies, Tug finally gives up and we listen to country. He smirks and turns the volume down. “Did you enjoy the movie?”
“Yeah. It was good. You?”
“I’m a guy. It had guns, hot chicks, and a killer car chase. So yeah, I liked it.”
I roll my eyes.
“Seriously, I hope spending an evening with me wasn’t too horrible for you.”
I wrinkle my nose. “It wasn’t too too horrible.” I shrug and look away, grinning. Hanging with Tug is surprisingly completely the opposite of horrible. He’s polite, attentive, and positively lovable. My brain stumbles over the word again. It doesn’t mean I love him, like, love him, love him.
When Tug pulls into the driveway, he throws my Jeep into Park and turns his head to look at me. “Well, usually I’d ask if I could walk you up, but since I live here, I kind of have to.”
I chuckle. “You can walk me up, but don’t expect a kiss on the first date. I’m not that kind of girl.”
“So presumptuous, Miss Preston. I’m offended that you think I would try to kiss you.”
“I know you would, Tug.”
As he opens his door, he flashes a huge grin, saying, “I think you have me confused with the other Hunter brother.”
Ouch! I definitely didn’t have them confused. I knew exactly the difference. I knew that only one of them was capable of breaking my heart, and despite that, I missed him terribly.
Before we reach the front door, I realize I don’t want the night to end. I’m having so much fun, and the inside of the house is tense and awkward. “Tug, I’m not ready to go in. I think I’m going to go for a drive.”
“Okay, you want some company?”
“Sure.”
“I have an idea. I’m going to get a few things, and I’ll meet you at the Jeep.”
While I’m waiting in the Jeep, thoughts of Brady fill my mind, all the way to the brim –his smile and his laugh, but also his heartache and pain, his haunted eyes when I last saw him. He’ll never let me in, and I’m starting to understand there’s no alternative other than to accept it. The question is, can I truly be with someone who won’t let me in
? Why am I clinging to the hope that he still wants to be with me? The intimate moments where nothing else existed but the two of us are what keep me holding on. They’re too special to let go of. But the ugly memories remind me that Brady has no problem walking away from women he’s been intimate with. Oh, God. He’s not coming back. It’s been weeks. Maybe I need to move on so I can heal.
Tug comes out of the garage with a crate full of wood. He sets it in the back of the Jeep and then goes back into the garage. Moments later, he comes out with a blanket and a bag and tosses them into the back. He hops in the driver’s side and holds my flip-flops between the seats. “All set.”
I smile my gratitude. My feet are killing me in these heels. “Where are we going?” I ask, swapping my shoes.
“The beach.” He smiles.
***
Once we’re at the beach, Tug builds a fire in the pit with the wood he brought. It’s chilly, and I’m grateful he thought ahead. I love fires at the beach at night. He lays the blanket out, and we sit on it. I laugh when he pulls fixings for s’mores out of the bag. He certainly did think of everything. This is perfect and I’m grateful for the distraction. He puts a marshmallow on the end of a stick and hands it to me, and picks up another stick for himself.
“I’m glad you weren’t ready to go home. I’m enjoying hanging out with you.”
I rest my head on his shoulder. “Yeah, I needed to get out. I guess I’ve been a mope lately, huh?”
He puts his head on mine. “You sure have,” he kids.
I lift my head, bumping his hard enough that we’re both rubbing knots. “Thanks for tonight, Tug. I needed this.”
After we’ve each eaten several s’mores, we lie on the blanket, looking up at the stars. The waves lap lightly onto the shore in the background. Tug points out a shooting star and tells me to make a wish. There is only one thing I want. I’m not sure wishing on a star will make it happen, though. Brady’s made his decision.
Tug rolls over, props himself up on his elbow, and looks at me with caring eyes. “Did you make a wish?”
