My head rests in the crook of Luke’s arm when I feel him shift beneath me. The bed depresses and foams back up without his body holding it down. My eyes flicker open, taking a moment to focus in the midnight darkened room. Believing him to be heading to the bathroom I start to close my eyes once more. Only he walks past that door.
With heavy eyes I watch him cross the room. At that moment, a drawn-out, obnoxious banging sounds at the front of the house.
“Luke.” My sleepy voice reaches him before he makes it out. Lifting up on an elbow, I ask, “Is someone here? What time is it?”
“Go back to sleep. I’ll see who it is,” he replies a notch above a whisper.
“Where’s my phone?” I’m fully awake now. “Something could be wrong with Bri.”
“Baby, go back to sleep. I’m sure Bri’s safe at Della’s.”
“Where’s my phone?” I repeat.
She may need me. She’s not used to sleepovers. I’m always down the hall if she wakes up from a nightmare.
The knocking continues to echo throughout the silent house.
“I’ll get your phone.” Luke walks out of the room. I can hear his footfalls down the hall and in to the center of the house. Within a minute he’s back in the room handing my cell over. “No missed calls. I’ll see who’s at the door. Stay in bed.”
Awake, but groggy with interrupted sleep, I catch the strangle in his words. He doesn’t look back as he crosses to the door and out.
I check my phone briefly when Luke’s mumbled speech travels back his room. Not thinking much of it, I don’t pay attention to what’s being said.
There’s no missed calls or texts from Della. It’s two in the morning so I find relief in that. Setting my phone aside, I lay down. Curiosity keeps my eyes peeled on the door. Waiting for Luke to return. To send whomever knocked on his door this late away.
But it’s two in the morning. On Friday night. Curiosity wins out.
Could he have a woman, a former “lady-friend” knocking for a booty call?
Della mentioned—on purpose, I have no doubt—that the women in town weren’t easily convinced Luke is off the market.
Uncurling from the comfort of Luke’s bed, I use the flashlight on my phone to search for any article of clothing to cover up my nakedness. I may be curious, but flashing my goods is not what I am aiming for. Show a little leg, wearing nothing but Luke’s shirt, however, should get the point across.
Spinning—naked—in a circle comes up empty on finding even one thing to cover with besides the sheets. Luke is remarkably tidy. Not one piece of clothing or even a shoe lay around his room. I walk over to the dresser I found the hoodie in earlier. The top drawer had shirts.
I slip a t-shirt on, the end falling to mid-thigh. The dresser sits close to the door. As I pull my arms through the sleeves, I hear Luke’s raised voice clearer than before. It carries a hint of anger.
On light feet I step into the hallway, stopping at the end to peek around the corner. A clear view into the living room, Luke’s body blocks the doorway and our unexpected guest. Then again, I don’t need to see when my ears catch the voice blaring in the silence of a dark night.
I only consider retreating back to Luke’s room seconds before I’m stepping out from the hallway.
Crossing arms over my chest in defiance, I lean a shoulder against the nearest wall. With his back to me, Luke hasn’t noticed my presence. The living room up front remains fairly empty—only a single couch—allowing Brady’s rude, slurring tone to echo in the hollowed space.
“Call a cab,” Luke says to him.
“Fuck that. Let me in.”
“I’m not doing this again, Brady. Call a cab, an Uber, I don’t care what, just go home.”
“I left my keys at the bar. Can’t get in without my keys.”
“Take mine then.”
“Luke, it’s late and I’m about to pass out. Let me crash here and I’ll go home in the morning.”
“I know how fucking late it is,” Luke sneers. “You woke me up from a fantastic sleep.”
Brady attempts to shove his way inside. Luke’s body is pushed back enough that I have a straight shot at Brady’s belligerent, drunk ass. He can’t gain on Luke, but that gap was all he needed for his bleary eyes to land on me at the far side of the living room.
The porch light shines down on his bloodshot gaze. He juts out his chin, and says, “Now I know why you won’t let me in. Great sleep after a great lay.”
Luke’s back stiffens at the cheap shot from his brother.
Brady’s a jerk on a regular day. An inebriated Brady is an utter prick.
“Call a cab.” Luke snaps, stepping back and throwing the door shut in Brady’s face.
I remain immobile. Pissed at Brady for ruining our lovely night, and upsetting Luke. There’s no telling how often he does this sort of thing to him. Showing up drunk with a new excuse every time he does it. And because Luke can’t turn off the love he has for his brother, he probably let’s him in every single time.
If it wasn’t for me being here, he’d have let him in.
After the way Brady spoke to Luke, I should feel vindicated he chose me over him. But I don’t. The way I know Luke, protective and loyal no matter the cause, I also know shutting that door figuratively and literally in Brady’s face hurts a part of him. As much as I detest the man who is the father of my child for my own reasons, I can’t allow Luke to hurt himself to appease me.
He asked for compromises, and this is one of mine.
“Let him in.”
He turns his profile to me. With a lightning fast reply, he says, “Absolutely not. He can pull his bullshit on me anytime, except when you are here.”
“Luke, it’s late and he’s plastered. He probably won’t call a cab, which means he’ll try to walk home. In the dark. You’d never forgive yourself if something happened to him.”
Facing me full on, he argues, “He’s jealous I’m with you. And he’ll say anything to get under my skin.”
“I know he is. He made that clear to me at Bri’s party.”
“What did he do?” his brows crease over his dark eyes.
“Tried telling me you and I together wasn’t right for Brielle. That for her, I should give him another shot.” Luke features morph into rage as he spins back to the door. I run across the room, pulling him to look at me and not the door he was going to tear out of. “None of that matters. But letting him see you pick sides with me will only make this worse.”
“I don’t care.”
“Yes, you do.” Lifting my hands, I hold his stare when he tries to turn away again. “He’s Brady. He’s good at pissing people off. But he’s still your brother. You still see redemption in him, don’t you?”
He sighs.
“I thought I would have wanted you picking me over him, but I can’t be the reason you shun your only family.”
“He’s doing this to himself, not you. And you are my family, too. You and Brielle. He has to learn his priorities are trying to connect with his daughter, and staying drunk all the time or acting like a jealous ex isn’t going to magically fix his problems.”
“Neither is sending him off in the middle of the night when he could get hurt.”
I smile for support, even though, I’m a little disturbed to be sleeping under the same roof as Brady.
“It’s on you if he leaves here with a broken nose in the morning.”
“I said let him in to keep him safe from the streets. Won’t hurt my feelings if you break his nose.”
Luke laughs, laying a kiss down on my forehead. “I love you.”
Yeah, that’s not getting old any time soon.
Turning the knob on the front door, we find Brady sitting on the porch steps hanging his head between his legs, and his shoulder on the railing holding him up. I can’t tell if he’s passed out, or going to be sick.
“Get inside,” Luke says to him. Brady lifts his head. “Sleep it off, but you’re leaving first thing in the morning.”
Brady stands. I leave Luke to see him safely inside, walking through the house to get back to Luke’s room. Before I make it to the hallway, Brady’s crude behavior strikes again.
“Looks like Liv came to town and gave you good time, little bro.”
Lights are dimmed low, but there’s enough glow to recognize what the lacy pieces flung around the middle of the house are.
I face him, showing I won’t cower from his tasteless remarks.
His shameless stare takes in what little clothing I’m wearing, and trails downs my body at leisure pace.
“Hey,” Luke snaps, and waits for Brady to turn his gaze on him. “Don’t look at Liv like that ever again.”
It’s a potent warning, and with it already being established Brady’s an idiot, the next words out of his mouth prove how likely it is that he will be going home with that broken nose.
“Even if I can’t look, I’m familiar with what’s underneath that shirt anyway,” he sneers.
Luke loses it. He moves so fast that by the time I’ve gasped a breath from his quick jolt, he already has Brady flying towards the wall fists balled in his shirt.
Right up in his face, Luke snarls through clenched teeth. “You may be my brother, but that won’t matter if you disrespect her again.”
“Chill, little brother. I’m only joking.”
“Then take this as your warning. I don’t find it funny, and never will.”
Brady glares, making it obvious he doesn’t see the joke in this anymore. “If my daughter wasn’t involved in all of this, I would be more offended at you picking a chick over me.”
It pisses me off Brady tries to use my daughter as a excuse for his attitude.
“Where is she anyway?” he asks when Luke releases him.
“Not here.”
“It’s a good thing, too. Not sure being drunk is a great impression on her,” I add.
“I used to like it when your bitchy side came out,” he sneers, straightening his shirt. “It was hot. Now I only see the bitch.”
Luke takes a step back toward him. He had just made it to my side, too. I stop him with a hand on his stomach.
“This isn’t me being a bitch. This is me being a protective mom. I’m willing to be as civil as I possibly can to you for Luke and Brielle’s sake, but the moment you hurt her or let her down—and let’s be clear, I have no faith in you—I will be the biggest bitch you have ever seen. That’s the one person in my life you don’t fuck with.”
Brady fumes, but doesn’t speak out of turn again. At least, not when it involves Brielle.
“You really think you and Luke are going to last?” Brady swipes his point finger back and forth at us. “There’s too much history, too much baggage for the two of you to make it. And then there’s Della who likes to come between everybody. She’s been working on separating my brother from me for years.”
“You’re doing that all on your own, Brady. Don’t bring other people who aren’t here to defend themselves in this.”
My eyes lower, jaw ticking.
“I’m going to bed,” I say to Luke, turning away.
“I’ll be there in minute. Gonna lock up.”
I nod.
“‘Night, Liv,” Brady’s voice crawls along my skin with the same appeal as a spider sneaking beneath the sheets of your bed in the dead of night.
I say nothing in return, and keep heading to Luke’s bedroom.
Already under the blankets when Luke walks in, he takes off the shorts he put on, folding and setting them on a chair in the corner.
He joins me under the covers, my mind elsewhere with Brady’s final parting.
Luke rolls to his side, pulling me against him. Apologizing for Brady’s unwanted appearance. And for anything else he’s said that may have upset me.
For the first time, sleep doesn’t come easy when pressed warmly next to Luke. I place blame on all the baggage Brady reminded me of.