Chapter 18
Kate
This past week has been like a dream. I’ve spent the last seven days remodeling Brody’s house.
Most people would consider that work, but to me, it’s pure bliss.
My happy place. I’ve never felt this energized or excited about something.
I love every part of it, even the messy, tedious stuff like steaming wallpaper off the walls in the spare bedroom.
I did that last weekend, and then on Monday, Brody replaced the trim, which I painted that night.
Tuesday I patched up the walls and put on a coat of primer, then on Wednesday I was finally able to paint, using the grayish-green color I’d told Brody about weeks ago.
He wasn’t sure about it, but now that it’s on the walls, he likes how it looks and how it contrasts with the bright white trim.
Yesterday and today I worked on the other spare bedroom, the one that’s supposed to be mine.
I haven’t stayed in it for weeks because I spend every night with Brody.
We’re living like we’re a couple, which I know we shouldn’t do, but we both like what we’re doing and it’s only for another week, so why change it now?
‘Let’s take a break,’ Brody says, coming into the room.
‘I finished painting the trim,’ I say as Brody puts his arms around me. ‘I was about to start on the closet doors.’
‘That can wait until later.’ He kisses me, the kind of kiss that’ll lead to us doing more.
I smile at him. ‘I guess I could take a break.’
I never turn down sex with Brody. It’s too good, and we don’t have much time left. I’m leaving soon. Brody and I haven’t talked about what we’ll do when I go back to Chicago. We’re both avoiding the topic, as if it’s not happening in a week.
The doorbell rings.
‘Shit,’ Brody mutters, lowering my shirt. He was lifting it up when we heard the doorbell.
‘Are you expecting someone?’
‘No.’
The bell rings again, then we hear knocking and someone yelling, ‘Brody, you in there?’
‘It’s Sawyer,’ Brody says, sounding annoyed. ‘What the hell does he want?’
‘Let’s go find out.’ I leave the room with Brody following behind.
‘Hey, guys,’ I say, opening the door. Sawyer’s there with Gina. She’s holding a paper sack and Sawyer’s got a pizza. ‘This is a surprise.’
‘We thought you could use a break,’ Gina says.
‘And some food.’ Sawyer holds up the pizza. ‘Gina has the beer.’
‘That was nice.’ I step aside. ‘Come on in. ’
‘You couldn’t send a text letting us know you were coming over?’ Brody says to Sawyer.
‘Why?’ Sawyer smiles at him. ‘Are we interrupting something?’
‘Not at all,’ I say. ‘Now is actually a good time. I just finished painting the trim in my room.’
‘Can I see it?’ Gina asks.
‘Sure!’ I motion her to follow me.
‘I’ll stay here,’ Sawyer says to Gina. ‘I’m not that interested in trim.’
Gina smiles as we go into my room. ‘I like it. The new trim really brightens it up in here.’ She points to the floor. ‘You put in wood floors?’
‘They were already there. They were just covered by the carpet. We’ll have to refinish them, but Brody knows a guy who will do it for free in exchange for lawn work this summer.’
‘The whole room looks great! The house is really coming together. I can’t believe how much you guys have gotten done in a week.’
‘I know. And I have another week here. I’m hoping to get even more done before I leave.’
Gina walks up to me and lowers her voice. ‘Have you guys talked yet?’
‘About what?’
‘About what you’re going to do when you move back to Chicago?’
‘What’s there to talk about? Brody and I are just friends.’
She laughs. ‘You can give up the act. We all know you guys are dating.’
‘We’re not dating. We’ve never even gone on a date. ’
‘But you’re living together. Spending all your time with each other. Sleeping in the same bed. That sounds like dating to me.’
‘I don’t sleep in his bed,’ I insist.
She looks around the room. ‘I don’t see a bed in here.’
‘Because I’m painting. We had to put it in the basement.’
‘You’re not sleeping in the basement. You’re sleeping with Brody. Just admit it. And hey, I’m not judging you. I think it’s great you two are together. I’m just wondering what happens when you leave.’
Gina’s someone who says what she thinks, which I admire because that’s something I’m not good at. I’m used to saying what people want to hear. It’s how I was raised. My parents told me to be polite and don’t say anything that would make anyone uncomfortable.
‘We haven’t talked about it,’ I say, giving up trying to deny my relationship with Brody. ‘I’m just assuming we’ll go back to our regular lives.’
‘And never see each other again?’
I shrug. ‘I guess. Brody doesn’t want a girlfriend. He’s told me that more than once.’
‘Just because he says it doesn’t mean it’s true. Or maybe it was true before he met you.’
‘He doesn’t see me as his girlfriend. We’re just friends who .?.?. do stuff.’
‘And in a week it’s just over? Is that really what you want? For this to end when you leave?’
‘It doesn’t matter what I want. I have to go back to my job, my old life. ’
‘Hey, Kate, are you hungry?’ Brody yells from the kitchen. ‘The pizza’s getting cold.’
‘I’ll be there in a minute,’ I yell back.
‘You should talk to him,’ Gina says.
‘Yeah, I know,’ I tell her, but I don’t feel ready to. I’m worried if Brody and I talk, it’ll ruin what we have right now. It may be undefined, but it’s also really good. I don’t want it to change.
Gina and I go to the kitchen. I’m painting the cabinets this weekend so all the doors are off and everything that was in the cabinets is packed away in boxes.
‘You want a beer?’ Sawyer asks me. ‘I brought over that stout you like.’
‘Maybe later.’ I take a slice of pizza. ‘I need to be sober to paint the closet doors.’
‘You guys are working tonight?’ Sawyer asks. ‘It’s Friday. You should take the night off.’
‘Maybe we should,’ Brody says to me as I stand beside him at the counter, eating the pizza. ‘We’ve been working hard all week. We deserve a break.’
‘I don’t need a break. I love doing this! It’s fun.’
‘Is she joking?’ Sawyer asks Brody. ‘I can’t tell.’
‘She’s not joking. She actually likes doing this.’ Brody puts his arm around me, smiling. ‘She’s even got me liking it.’
‘Guess you two are a good match,’ Sawyer says.
He’s right. Brody and I are a good match, which makes no sense.
We’re so completely different. I never in a million years would’ve imagined myself with someone like Brody.
But here I am, falling for him more and more each day while trying desperately to convince myself he’s not the right guy for me and that I need to forget about him when I go back to Chicago.
There’s no way that’ll happen. I’ll never forget Brody. I’ll never forget these weeks we spent together. I’ve never been this happy, never felt this good, never felt more like myself instead of the person everyone wants me to be.
‘We should head out,’ Sawyer says to Gina. ‘Let these two get back to work.’
‘What’s this?’ Gina holds up the hotel receipt I found in Cam’s car. I left it on the kitchen table next to the pile of receipts for the house supplies.
‘I found it in Cam’s car. I was going to toss it. I just haven’t yet.’
‘I know a guy who works there,’ Gina says. ‘He does night security.’
‘What guy?’ Sawyer asks in a suspicious tone. ‘And how do you know him?’
Gina rolls her eyes. ‘He used to live in Green Bay and hang out at the bar I worked at. I went out with him once. Or maybe twice. I can’t remember.’
‘And you still talk to him?’
‘I haven’t talked to him in over a year.’ She walks over to Sawyer and gives him a kiss. ‘And I have no interest in him so stop acting jealous. It’s annoying.’
‘Do you think this guy would recognize someone who stayed there?’ I ask Gina.
‘Maybe. Why?’
‘I want to know if Cam was staying there the week before the wedding. He said he was staying with a friend, but if that’s true, then why does he have a receipt with his name on it for a hotel?’
‘Text me his picture and I’ll send it to Jud.’
‘Jud?’ Sawyer says. ‘That’s his name? That’s a stupid name.’
‘What did I just say?’ Gina throws her hands up. ‘So annoying.’
‘You two fight like an old married couple,’ Brody says to them.
I text Gina a photo of Cam. ‘Okay, I just sent it to you.’
Gina takes out her phone. ‘I hope I still have his number.’
Sawyer shakes his head. ‘Why the hell do you have—’ He stops when he sees Gina looking at him like she’s going to strangle him if he makes one more comment about the guy.
‘I found his number,’ she says. ‘What should I say?’
‘Ask him if he saw Cam there a few weeks ago and if he was with anyone.’
‘You sure you want to know this?’ Brody asks, sounding concerned.
‘I’m not expecting to find anything. It’s possible Cam got a room there for one of his groomsmen. Two of them were from out of town.’
‘Okay, I sent it,’ Gina says. ‘I’ll let you know what he says.’
‘Let’s go,’ Sawyer says to Gina.
‘We’ll see you guys later!’ Gina says as they leave.
I follow them to the door. ‘Thanks for the beer and pizza.’
When they’re gone, Brody comes up to me, his arms going around me. ‘Want to finish where we left off?’
‘I’d love to.’
The doorbell rings .
Brody groans. ‘Now what?’
‘Maybe they forgot something.’ I open the door and see my parents standing there. ‘Mom. Dad. What are you doing here?’
‘We came to take you home,’ my dad says. ‘Go get your things.’
‘I’m not going. I told you that on the phone, several times.’
‘You don’t know what you want,’ my mom says. ‘You’re an emotional mess right now, which is understandable, but you can’t be trusted to make decisions at a time like this.’
‘She’s not going,’ Brody says from behind me. ‘She’s here for another week.’
‘Is he the man you’ve been living with?’ my dad says to me, looking at Brody with disgust. ‘Please tell me you’re not involved with him.’
‘I’m not talking about this. You need to go. I’ll see you next weekend when I’m back in Chicago.’