Chapter 20
Brooks
“D ad!” Presley bursts into our home like a tornado, flinging the front door open wide. She runs into the kitchen where Jared and I are cracking open beers.
“Hey, Pres, what are you doing here?” I glance over my shoulder, half expecting Judith to be trailing behind her, but she’s nowhere in sight. The guys are coming over to watch the baseball game for the afternoon, and Presley’s supposed to be hanging out with Judith. Living a couple of floors down, it’s not unusual for her to go back and forth between our places, but she knows I don’t like her hanging around when it’s the guys. The mix of alcohol and language is not appropriate for her tiny ears, especially if our team is losing.
“She’s a lot quicker than me,” Judith declares, appearing around the corner, out of breath.
“We made everyone chocolate chip cookies,” Presley exclaims as Judith holds up the basket.
“Snarky, you can’t cook,” Jared teases, giving her the side-eye.
She turns and glares at him. “Bruh. I cook better than you look.”
His head falls backward with a roar of laughter, and I’m momentarily stunned and impressed by her comeback. She’s honing in her skills. “When did I become a bruh?”
“Everyone is a bruh,” I deadpan, hating the word, especially when she calls me that.
“Well, I see you’re all better,” he says, throwing a pretzel at her, and it falls to the floor. “Back to being ornery.”
Without missing a beat, she picks it up, sticks her tongue out, and throws it at him. He catches it in his mouth and eats it.
“Gross! That was on the floor,” she snickers.
The banter continues as Judith places the cookies with the rest of the snacks.
“Those look delicious,” I comment, picking one up and taking a bite. The warm, melted chocolate hits my tongue. “Damn, those are good.” The words come out muffled with a full mouth of cookie.
“I knew you would like them,” she boasts, a confident grin on her face. “You’ve always had a weakness for anything chocolate.”
“You know me too well,” I reply, popping another one into my mouth.
“All right, Pres, let’s get out of here so these guys can have their fun,” she says, nudging her to get moving.
After the door clicks shut behind them, Jared turns to me. “Has Judith mentioned anything about Gray? About you being married?”
“Obviously, unless she’s been living under a rock, she knows. But she hasn’t said anything. There’s no reason to act like anything has changed since it hasn’t.”
“So how is Gray?”
I raise a brow. He’s armed with all the questions today. He pops a grape into his mouth as I collect my thoughts. That’s a much harder question to answer. She’s incredible. She’s stubborn. She’s downright hot when she’s short-tempered. She doesn’t hesitate to put me in my place. She’s genuine.
She lives in Vegas.
Almost perfect.
I blow out a heavy breath, rubbing the back of my neck. “She’s different from any woman I’ve ever met. I … I can’t stop thinking about her.”
He flashes a told you so smirk. “Ever think of asking her to move here?”
“She doesn’t want to move here. I asked her point-blank if she ever wanted to move to New York. I got a hmm .” It still irritates me. She flat-out denied me.
“Who the hell could be happy living in Vegas?”
“She feels the same way about New York City,” I mutter, a little defensive now.
“Not every woman is perfect,” he chides, popping another grape in his mouth.
“She is,” I snap before I can stop myself.
His eyes widen, then his smile grows. “Wow, the last time you defended a woman … was never. She’s more than a fuck to you.”
His words sound archaic and grate on my nerves. I’m not a twenty-something kid anymore, even though she’s ended up in my bed the three times we’ve been together. She’s still more than that.
“Someday you’ll grow up.”
“What? Am I supposed to think something different? You can’t seem to stay away from a woman who lives thousands of miles away, which I assumed was because she was great in bed,” Jared presses.
Irritated, I grab my beer and head for the living room where the game is about to start, and he’s hot on my tail.
“Tell me something different, Brooks,” he taunts, pushing me. “Admit that you’re into this woman and do something about it. I mean, damn, she’s already your wife.”
I twist the cap off the bottle and take a long swig. I want more . That’s not the problem. It’s the damn distance between us that’s holding me back from pursuing her.
“When do you see her next?”
“The court date is next week, I think.”
I told myself I wasn’t going, but with Presley fully recovered, and now that I know it was a stomach bug, I’d like to see Gracyn again. Even if it is to break the only bond between us.
Jared says nothing at first, instead watching me for a beat before saying, “You should tell her you don’t want the annulment.”
I laugh, not because it’s funny, but because it’s so absurd that laughter is my only response. We can’t stay married. “I have a feeling that wouldn’t go over well with her.”
“Then ask for a postponement, so this gives you some time. Consider whether you genuinely want this. And pursue it.”
The door swings open, and Jenson, Chase, and Devon stroll in, each carrying their drink of choice. As the night unfolds, my mind drifts elsewhere. Jared’s words have lit a fire, and now I can’t ignore it. He’s right, I need to get off my ass and make a move, or I’ll live with regrets.
I slam my empty bottle of beer down on the coffee table, rising with a resolute air, fueled by at least six beers. All eyes turn to me.
“Decision made. I’m heading to Vegas for my wife .”