CHAPTER ELEVEN
What the fuck did I do?
I hadn’t realized how riled I was until Bree started firing off question after question about my love life.
Mentioning Meredith only made it worse.
A ball of dread landed in the pit of my stomach earlier, when Bree casually told my parents about starting graduate school at the end of August. I can’t stand her leaving again, even though I know I have to let her go.
Then there’s the shit Chad said about Bree always coming back to him. Haven’t stopped thinking about that either. Yeah, I’ll admit, the fucker hit a nerve there and I hate myself for entertaining the thought. Bree’s strong. She’s a survivor. She’s not going back to him. I shouldn’t doubt her.
Ultimately, I’m furious because I can’t express how I feel about her. Not now.
Slowly other sounds of the night filter in over the blood pounding through my ears and Bree’s soft sobs. Her arms tighten around my waist and her cheek rests over my heart. My hand moves in circles over her back, her silky hair tickling my fingers. Eventually her body stops shaking and her tears subside.
A car slows behind us and comes to a stop. A short sharp blast of the horn makes me groan.
“Everything all right?” a man calls out.
I turn, my movement stiff because Brianna clings to me even harder, hiding her face from the good Samaritan who I recognize as one of my dad’s bowling buddies. Before I can answer, he asks, “What’re you doing out here, Hollister?”
“Hey, Henry. Nothing. We’re fine. Thanks for stopping and checking.”
He stares at us a few minutes longer. “All right. See ya later.”
Once he’s gone, Bree lifts her head. “I’m sorry. I’m sure this will get back to your parents now.”
“I don’t care about that. I care about you.”
“I know you do. I shouldn’t have…I didn’t mean it.”
“I know, baby girl.”
After a few more minutes, I take her hand and walk her back to the truck.
The silence is awkward at first. We’ve never fought before. I’ve never been angry with Bree in my life. How could I be?
This has bothered me for so long and now seems like the right time to apologize. “That night, Bree. I’m so sorry I didn’t stand up for us.”
She doesn’t ask which night I’m referring to. “Vince is your best friend. Of course you’d take his side.” She lets out a dry laugh. “You were just humoring me anyway.”
I slide my hand over her leg and gently squeeze. “I wasn’t humoring you.”
“You gave me my first real kiss that night, so thank you.”
“That was your first kiss? How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. You and Vince scared any guy who looked at me away.”
“You had a boyfriend for a while there. Robbie Whats-his-face.”
“Robbie Norton? He gave me a kiss on the cheek once. It was awkward as hell and he smelled like onions.”
It’s time I tell her the truth. “I broke up with Meredith before your graduation because all I thought about was you and I couldn’t stand it anymore.”
She sucks in a sharp breath. “What? No you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did. I wanted to talk to your brother first. But then you so sweetly ambushed me outside.”
“Ugh. Don’t remind me. That was so embarrassing.”
I pull into Vince’s driveway and shut off the engine. “Why? I loved every minute, until your brother ruined it.”
She whips her head around and nails me with a hard stare. “What a load of shit. You did nothing. You went home. Didn’t call me. Didn’t even say goodbye.”
My blood boils at her words. She’s partially right. “Well, you got even, didn’t you? You left for college early and never looked back.”
She returns to staring out the window. “I didn’t see the point in sticking around all summer and having you ignore me. Why didn’t you say something?”
“The next I knew you were hooked up with Chad. You seemed happy. I didn’t want to mess with that.” I drop my gaze to my fists resting in my lap. “I really wish I had, though.”
“Don’t take this on, Liam. It’s not your fault. I’m responsible for my own mistakes.” She jerks her door open and jumps down, racing over the lawn to the front door. Part of me wants to go home, but I can’t stand the thought of leaving her alone.
“Hey,” I call out when I enter the house and find her in the living room. “Are we all right?”
Her wide eyes stare at me for a few seconds. “Why are you still here?”
Now, more than ever, I can’t leave her. Not after the fight we just had. The things we said to each other. Even if she won’t speak to me for the rest of the night, I don’t want her all alone. “Vince asked me to look after you until he comes home.” It’s a weak answer and doesn’t come close to the full truth.
Her jaw tightens. “Right.” She glances down at the couch. “Do you need blankets to make this up?”
The meaning is clear. “Sure. I’ll sleep out here tonight.”
“I think that’s for the best.”