Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
SAVANNAH
I’m pulling the comforter over my head, willing sleep to come fast and deep, when I hear the buzz of the front door’s intercom.
I ignore it. It’s been an intense forty-eight hours.
It took me a couple of attempts, but I had the talk with Cap and the crew.
Not about Dad, but they do know about Mom now.
And honestly, they couldn’t have been more supportive.
Maybe a little pissed I hadn’t already shared it, but overall, there was no judgment.
In fact, there was perhaps even more respect for me because I owned it.
The intercom sounds again: short, sharp hits. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
“I’m coming already.” Nix stomps down the hallway’s wooden floor and I hear the click of the receiver button being pressed.
“If this is kids messing around, you better be prepared to run. I have a katana and I’m very prepared to use—”
“Savannahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?”
What the fuck? I sit bolt upright in bed.
“Nope, Nix. Savannah’s sleeping. She just got off shift.”
“Nix, it’s Brodie.” Or at least, that’s the translation. It sounded more like, “Niiiiiixxxxxxiiiiiissssbrooooodieeeeee.”
I scoot out of bed, grabbing a cardigan to tug over my cami and shorts, and crack open my door.
Nix throws me a look that’s loaded with questions.
She knows I’ve been holed up with Brodie the past couple of days so it’s not a complete surprise he’s here.
But it’s only eight forty on a Sunday morning. And he sounds totally—
“Niiiiiiiiixxxxxxxxxxxxx?”
“What’s the matter with him?” She hisses the question at me.
I pad over, clutching my cardi around me. “I have no idea.”
“So you weren’t expecting him?”
“No.”
“Savvvvvvaaaaanahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.” He sings out my name so loudly I expect he’s woken the whole building.
“He sounds…”
“… hammered.” I helpfully finish Nix’s sentence and then grasp at the buzzer. “Brodie, I’m gonna let you in.”
“Yaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy! Savannahhhhhhhhhhh.”
I hear the sound of the front door opening with a clunk and then slamming shut.
Nix taps my shoulder. “Uh, will he know where he’s heading?”
Shit.
He must have remembered the building from the other day, but I never shared our apartment number. In fact, how did he even know which apartment to buzz? Please don’t tell me he’s been out there pressing every button before reaching us. Way to piss the neighbors off.
I shove on my sneakers and dash down the two flights of stairs to the hallway at the bottom. And it’s a mighty good job because I manage to catch Brodie before he bangs on busybody Reginald’s door. Unlike Nix, Reg probably does have a weapon to deal with unwanted intruders.
“Brodie.” I launch myself at him.
He blinks, startled for a moment, and then he grins. A full, sparkling Brodie grin that would make my panties melt clean away if I was wearing any under my sleep shorts.
His hands find their way to my face and he strokes my cheek as if I’m made of delicate bone china. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
The smell of booze nearly knocks me over. “Woah. And you’re so drunk.”
He hiccups. “Maybe a little.”
I take his hand and try to guide him upstairs. “Did something happen?”
“Don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Okay. Do you know what you do want?”
He stops. He’s a couple of steps behind me so when I turn I’m a fraction taller than him. He gazes up at me, his brow deeply furrowed, his amber eyes bloodshot. “A hug?”
It’s the fact that it’s a question that nearly floors me. As if there’s even the tiniest chance I won’t give him a hug. “Oh, Brodie. Of course.” I wrap my arms around him, pressing his head tight to my chest as I gently rock him from side to side.
I feel him breathe in deeply and then exhale, the sound turning into a low chuckle.
“What?”
“I love your boobies.”
I swallow my own chuckle. “Okay, mister, let’s get you inside before you say something to embarrass me in front of my neighbors.” I break our hug and take his hand again.
“I don’t care who’s listening. Everyone should know that I love your booooooobiiiieeeeessss.” He literally sings it out for the whole world to hear.
Fucking hell. I march on as Nix flings open the apartment door, her arms folded over her own ample chest, a smile twisting her mouth. I imagine this is how she looks in the classroom at least a dozen times a day, trying not to laugh at the cute kids being naughty.
“Well, hello, Brodie Holt. Long time no see.”
I hustle him past Nix and into the apartment, kicking the door shut behind us. Nix remains poised in her amusement as if we’re a live episode of Love Island.
Brodie stumbles to a stop, wrestling to remove his shoes as he blinks at Nix. He’s clearly struggling to get his eyes to focus. “Nix? Wow.” He blinks some more and nearly loses his balance, stumbling into the wall. “Sorry. Think I might be a little drunk so I’m not entirely sure if you’re real.”
“I’m real, Brodie. But I don’t think you came here to see me.”
“No. I came to see my girl.”
“Your girl, hey?”
“Uh-huh.” He wobbles forward, leaning into Nix. “Don’t tell anyone, but she’s the love of my fucking life. I don’t think I should say that out loud though. It’s too soon, right?”
My heart climbs into my throat. Oh my god. The love of his life?
Nix shoots me another delighted look and then leans him against the wall next to the coat hooks.
For a minute it looks like she’s going to try and attach him to one.
“I don’t know that it’s too soon, Brodie, but maybe wait until you’re a little more sober, okay?
And you and I can catch up another time, when you’re not quite so worse for wear.
” She gestures at me with a tilt of her head and moves to the kitchen doorway.
I make sure Brodie isn’t about to fall and then step over to her.
“What the fuck’s happening?” She lowers her voice to a stage whisper as if she’s actually worried about him listening.
Judging by his current state, I could probably propose and he wouldn’t remember. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“What was he doing last night?”
“I don’t know. I think he was at a family dinner for his gram’s birthday.”
“Dinner? Are they super hardcore partiers or something?”
I glance over at him swaying from side to side against the wall, humming what sounds suspiciously like “Light My Fire” under his breath.
“No. I think this is way more likely because something didn’t go so well.
Probably to do with his dad. It’s fine. He can sleep it off next to me. You get on with your day.”
“You sure?”
“Of course.”
She wraps me in her arms and squeezes tight. “He’s so totally in love with you.”
I bat her away, doing my best to ignore the flutter of butterflies. “He’s just drunk.”
“And totally in love with you.” She sniggers and steps into the kitchen.
I steel myself and then turn my attention to Brodie, the L word floating between us. A marching band takes up residence in my chest. “Okay, handsome. Let’s get you to bed. Do you want to use the bathroom first?”
He stops humming and looks over at me with a start, like he’d forgotten where he was. A moment later, he unleashes another of his grins.
“You’re going to have to help me out a little. Bathroom and then bed?”
“Bed. Definitely bed.”
“Bed to sleep. Nothing else until you’re sober.”
He frowns, wrinkling his nose. “But where’s the fun in that? I want the boobies.”
“Nope, not gonna happen.” I take charge, drawing on all my firefighter training to coax and cajole him into the bathroom, and then through to my bedroom. Sitting him on the bed, I remove his clothes—shirt, pants, socks—and then guide him under my comforter.
He snuggles down and smiles at me. “It’s so cozy in here.”
“I know.”
“You’re coming in?” He blinks, suddenly looking so vulnerable. “I don’t want to be on my own.”
I reach out, stroking his cheek. “What happened last night, Brodie?”
He frowns, his face crumpling. For a moment, it looks like he might cry, but then he shakes his head. “I just don’t want to be on my own.”
“Well, I promise you won’t be. And when we wake up, we can talk.”
“And do other things?”
“Other things?”
“Play with the boobies.”
It’s my turn for the Nix teacher poker face. “Only if you never call them boobies again.”
“Okay. Sleep first. Sleep then boobies…” His eyelids get heavy as he long winks. “I love sleep. Sleep’s the best…”
“It sure is.” I watch as he passes out. He looks more like college Brodie than ever.
It gives me another of those intensely sharp moments, the past flooding into the present in an instant.
This time though, it feels different. I don’t experience the hurt and humiliation that’s plagued me these past three years.
Instead, I feel a protectiveness for the man curled up in my bed quietly snoring. And a huge surge of love.
I want to be the one to provide him with comfort. And I want to do that because I also love him. I never stopped loving him.
Releasing a sigh, I head to the kitchen for water and a couple of Advil.
Nix is munching on a bowl of Lucky Charms. “How’s he doing?”
“Out for the count.”
“How are you doing?”
“Tired, but it’s okay. Something clearly went down last night so I’m glad he came here.”
She giggles behind her spoon. “Because you love him.”
“No. Because—” I stop short, chewing on the inside of my cheek.
“Okay. Maybe I love him a little bit. Not like totally head over heels or anything, just…” I sigh.
“Remember, you’re meant to be on my side here.
I’m holding you solely responsible for letting me get into this mess if it goes wrong. It’ll fucking kill me, Nix.”
“This isn’t going south. I can feel it in my bones. This time, it’s you and Brodie forever.”
“I’m holding you to that.” I stalk back to my room.
Closing the door, I place the water and Advil on the nightstand and take another lazy look at Brodie. He’s sprawled in the bed looking so at home.
Yep. I’m totally in love.
Tugging back the comforter, I nestle in close and throw a silent wish out to the universe.
I know I can handle whatever happens with Dad this week, providing things don’t go south with Brodie.