Irreparably Broken Page 14

  Harrison sips his coffee and smiles at me from behind the cup. “Not much, just hanging out. I tried to text you earlier.”

  “Oh, crap. Sorry.” I pull my phone from my purse and turn the ringer back on. “I silenced my phone this morning and must have forgotten to turn it back on.”

  He shrugs and smiles. “No biggie. I just wanted to say hi.”

  “Hi,” I say, and wave, feeling a mix of bashfulness and guilt. Maybe I should tell Brady I can’t go with him and keep my date with Harrison. Harrison’s considerate and kind, and doesn’t send my emotions all over the map. He’s stable. He’s husband material, a guy capable of committing to a girl and planning a future with her – the life I want. Why am I avoiding him? Maybe because I thought Jake was that guy, too, and I was dead wrong.

  Brady is entirely the opposite of Harrison, everything I should steer clear of: unstable, temperamental, and incapable of having a serious relationship. Not to mention the secrets he keeps from everyone. Yet a single glance from him is my undoing. He’s like a drug, and without my fix I can’t function.

  I remember when Jake and I broke up, people thought I was devastated because I lost him. In reality, it was losing Brady that completely destroyed me, and sent me into a depression. Brady’s deceit is what locked me away and led me to believe love isn’t worth it. Now that I have him back, I’m desperate to hold on to him. Maybe I’m heading into a storm that will only bring heartache, but I’m doing it with my eyes wide open. I know exactly the type of person Brady is, and, foolish as it may be, I want to weather the storm with him, figure him out, and possibly make him fall in love with me.

  I shake away my thoughts when I sense Harrison’s eyes on me. I smile wanly and slip into the back room to put my things away.

  When my shift starts, Liv leaves the Bean for a hot date with the boy I’ve yet to meet, the one who took her to the movies the other night. Harrison hangs around for a while, talking with me in between customers.

  I’m lost in thought when Harrison touches my arm. Other than alerting me to his presence, the touch does nothing. No reactive tingle this time. That scares me, because the reason is ludicrous. I’m pining after a man who only wants to be my friend. If I run Harrison off and Brady breaks my heart, I’m back to square one.

  “Are we still on for Saturday?” he asks.

  We are, because I have to move on, and not just from Jake. Minutes ago I was thinking I wanted Brady to fall in love with me, and now I’m telling myself to accept that Brady only wants to be friends. My emotions are like an out-of-control wildfire; just when I think I have them contained they shift direction on me, and he’s not even here. “Yes. One of Tug’s friends is having a bonfire at the beach. You still up for that? We can totally do something else as long as you ask the attack dog. Liv can’t be angry if you ask.”

  He laughs. “No, I’m good with it. I’m looking forward to hanging out with you again. I gotta get going. Call me later.”

  “’Kay.” I hang my head, and he leaves. Good God, I’m a complete mess.

  The rest of my shift drags. I end up spilling a couple of drinks. One customer gets truly upset because she’s running late and tattles to Ted. He gives her the drink for free and then tosses a quiet expletive her way when she walks out the door. I thank him for it, and he winks at me. Ted is fantastic to work for. I’m happy I got over my judgmental first impression of him.

  I say goodnight to Ted as he’s locking up and climb in my Jeep. There’s a neatly folded tissue taped to my steering wheel with my name on it. I throw my head back against the seat and smile. Then I sigh, emotionally exhausted after working an entire shift thinking, I love him, I hate him, I love him, I hate him.

  What am I going to do with you, Brady Hunter?

  When I unfold the square, there’s more than one and the tissues are torn in a few places where the pen went through. Sunshine. I’m going to kill him for the nickname alone, and I haven’t even read the note yet. I smile in spite of my annoyance, picturing the blush on his face the night he came up with the name, the same night he said I was beautiful.

  You were right. Who you date is none of my business. Trust me, though, when I tell you Harrison is up to no good. Trust me when I tell you his intentions aren’t genuine, and trust me when I tell you that you deserve better, so much better. I wish I could tell you everything, but I can’t. If you don’t want to trust me, that’s fine, too. Just promise me you’ll be careful. – Brady

  I drop my head onto the steering wheel, grunting, which accidentally sounds the horn. A few people glance my way and I wave, mouthing “accident” to them.

  What in the hell is going on between Harrison and Brady? Considering for a moment what Brady did when it came to Jake, I have no logical reason not to trust him. He’s probably looking out for me now, just as he did then. But why? Agitation is surging through me as I think about it. There’s significantly more to the story, and one of these two dumbasses needs to start explaining.

  As I drive home, I’m positively bent on confronting Brady and demanding answers. If he thinks he can slap a note like that on my dash and pretend as though it never happened, he is out of his goddamn gourd. I’ve had just about enough of his cryptic messages. There’s not a decoder ring on the planet powerful enough to decipher what he means most of the time.

  Of course Brady’s not home. Spineless coward is probably hiding out at a friend’s, knowing his little note upset the hell out of me.

  Once I’m inside, I read a note on the counter from Liv’s parents. I can’t help but chuckle that it says “To Hunter children and honorary Hunter child.” They’ll be out late, and we are on our own for dinner. I make a turkey sandwich and take it up to my room.

  I try to call Harrison, but he doesn’t answer. I try to call Brady, but he doesn’t answer, either. I want to scream at both of them. What is their deal?

  When I hear footsteps on the stairs, I’m disappointed it’s not Brady. It’s pitiful, that I’m keen to the sound of his footsteps. That only leaves Tug or Liv. When the door opens, Tug stands in the doorway, smiling mischievously. He launches himself onto my bed, sending my sandwich to the floor. I don’t even scold him and pick it up. I’m hopelessly lonely, so I’m glad he’s home to keep me company.

  He takes a huge bite of my sandwich, and I shake my head.

  He talks while chewing. “Hey, chica. I thought you’d be working.”

  I snatch my sandwich back from him and give him a dirty look. “Just got off.”

  Tug wipes his hands on his shirt. “You wanna go get some ice cream or something?”

  “I’d rather…”

  Tug interrupts. “You’d rather cover yourself in honey and hang out in the bear pit at the zoo than go out with me.”

  I laugh. “That’s a pretty good one, Tuggy.”

  “Hey, I got skills. It’s just ice cream. I think you can stand my company for a little while. Come on, I’ll buy.”

  There’s nothing better to drown my thoughts in than a giant scoop or two of pistachio ice cream. “All right. Let’s do it.”

  “Really?” He makes a face, exaggerating his surprise.

  I shove his arm, nudging him from the bed. “Better get up before I change my mind, Tug.”

  He stands and looks down at me. “You drive, though. I love the Jeep,” he says.

  I don’t want to drive and I suggest he drive my Jeep.

  “Oh…that hurts…I’ve been reduced to your chauffer now.”

  “Do you want to get ice cream or not, Tug? Those are my terms.”

  Tug grins. “Just call me Morgan Freeman. I’ll drive me some Miss Tori.”

  I stand and push him toward the door. “Oh, yeah, and I need the straitjacket.”

  “Touché.” He grins.

  ***

  Tug and I sit on the beach, eating our ice cream. I’m a little edgy and keep glancing at the sky for fear of ending up with a hair full of seagull poop. Tug keeps razzing me and shouting “look out!” every so often
. He’s such a shit, but he’s also a charmer. I like the playful way he treats me. He’s a flirt and there’s a hint of attraction, but Tug never grays the line. He knows I’d kick him square in the balls if he did.

  I hope he meets a girl worthy of him someday, someone who’s worthy by my standards. It’s going to take one hell of a girl for me to think she’s right for Tug. I’m insane to assume I get any say-so in who he chooses for a girlfriend. Just the thought of some girl hurting Tug pulls on my heartstrings. He’s so sweet, and the idea someone could potentially tarnish that makes me a little possessive toward him, no matter how crazy that makes me. Whoever she is, if she hurts him, I’ll kick her ass.

  “So, Tor.” Tug disrupts my planning of his future. “What’s going on with you lates? Before you say ‘nothing,’ remember, I caught you in a fight with the coffee maker.”

  I poke him in the ribs. He’s way too much like Liv. “It is ‘nothing,’ Mr. Nosy Pants.”

  Tug starts sniffing the air in an exaggerated way. “Do you smell that?” He’s suddenly very serious.

  I look at him, taken aback, because all I smell is salty air and pistachios. “Smell what?”

  “Bullshit, Tor. I smell bullshit.”

  If my eyes could speak, they’d be telling him to shut the hell up. I smack him in the arm, almost dropping my cone in the process. “You might be worse than Liv, you know that?”

  He laughs, sitting with one knee up, his cone-hand elbow propped up on it. “Let’s try this. I tell you what I think is going on, and you tell me if I’m right.”

  He cannot possibly know what’s got me so troubled, and I nod in agreement. This should be interesting.

  “I think you have guy troubles.”

  I nod, digging my toes in the sand.

  “I think you might like two guys,” he continues.

  I nod again.

  “I think said two guys may not like the other very much.”

  I don’t nod this time. Instead, I look over at him, wondering if he knows more than I think.

  “Brady and Harrison are both dumb shits and you should kick ’em to the curb and go out with me.” He laughs.

  I shake my head no, trying to come up with an “I’d rather” joke, but my mind is too jolted by his perceptiveness to think of one. “Tug, how do you know all this?”

  He lets out a shallow laugh. “I’m not blind. It’s obvious they both like you and even clearer they don’t like each other.”

  Since he seems to know everything, I ask, “Do you know why?”

  He shakes his head. “Nope, I have no idea. They were always friendly, but the other day at the beach they almost threw down when they ran into each other. I stopped it.”

  I shrug and lick my ice cream, swirling the bottom of the scoop with my tongue to catch the melting drops. Tug’s watching me with large eyes. When our eyes meet, he quickly looks away. Pervert – by the look on his face, he was having dirty thoughts. Even though it’s a perfect opportunity to make him squirm, I let it go. My thoughts are engrossed in his brother right now and I have more questions.

  I remember what Harrison said, and ask, “Do you think your brother’s reckless?”

  Tug cocks his head to the side, pondering. “Umm…like most guys in their twenties, Brady’s young, dumb, and full of come, but I’m not sure that makes him reckless.”

  “Ugh – gross!” I cringe at his vulgar reply. Tug may have a filter in that brain, but he often forgets to use it.

  “You know what I mean, Tori. He’s my brother. Hell, the two of us have gotten into our fair share of trouble together, but above anything, Brady always has my back. When it comes to those he cares about, he’s loyal to a fault. So, reckless? No, that doesn’t describe him.”

  I want to ask if he knows what’s up with Brady and his parents. Since that would betray Brady’s trust, I avoid it. “Do you know what happened with Vanessa?” I ask instead.

  “Vanessa,” he repeats, tapping his fingers on his top lip. Recognition falls over his expression. “Oh, the girlfriend…that was her name?” I nod. “That’s a touchy subject for Brady.”

  “Yeah, no kidding…Do you know why?”

  Tug shakes his head. “I’d guess it has something to do with the fact that she was his first real girlfriend. You know how that feels. It sucks.”

  He’s referring to Jake, and I reply, “It sucks, all right.” Thinking of Jake makes me frown. “I don’t know why I’m trying to figure this out. Brady’s made it clear that he only wants to be friends.”

  He slaps his hand against his forehead, and then he rubs the back of his neck. “And here I thought you were a smart girl.”

  “But Brady said….”

  He laughs under his breath. “Forget what Brady said. He doesn’t share his feelings easily. Trust me, he wants to be more than friends, and honestly, I think Brady’s more your type.”

  “Yeah, my type and the type of every other person on the planet with a uterus.” I laugh nervously. “And probably even a few without.”

  “He is pretty. Of course, I’m a little biased because he’s my brother and I love you like a sister.”

  I’m so thankful we had this talk. Tug’s pretty sharp when he’s not being a smart-ass. “You’re a good brother, Tug, and a great friend. Thanks for the pep talk.”

  He nudges me with his shoulder. “You’re welcome. Hey, if it doesn’t work out with dumb or dumber, would you go out with me?”

  “I’d rather lick maggots off cow dung than go out with you, Tug.”

  He grins and wags his eyebrows. “Ah-ha, there’s my girl.”

  As Tug and I sit on the beach, finishing our ice cream, I realize another one of the Hunter boys has genuinely surprised me this week.

  Chapter 17

  Tori

  Thursday is fairly uneventful. I spend the morning arguing with Liv about what she wants me to wear to the beach Saturday, as if shorts and a T-shirt are not beach attire. I will finally get to meet her new boy toy, Tyler. She’s been spending most of her time hanging out with him, and she’ll be bringing him along to the bonfire. I text with Harrison a few times and don’t allow the conversation to get too friendly. I still have to decide how I want to play things with him and Brady. On Thursday evening, I work my shift without spilling a single drink.

  Friday morning I wake early and am grateful to see a note from Liv telling me she’s out with Tyler and plans to stay at his place for the night. This works out perfectly for me, as her nosy butt won’t be around to question why I’m leaving with Brady and where we are going.

  As noon approaches, I’m surprised by how nervous I am to see Brady. Liv says he’s been staying with Jesse. Having not seen him for a couple of days, I haven’t had the opportunity to confront him about his note. After sitting on it, I’ve decided not to. I came to the decision when Tug mentioned Brady was “loyal to a fault.” Brady’s just looking out for me. He would do the same for anyone else he cares about. As much as it’s killing me to know why he needs to look out for me with Harrison, I’m dropping it. Without my participation, there’s no game to play.

  I stack the boxes packed with toys on the front porch and walk back inside, leaving the door open. Brady pulls in the driveway at noon and stomps up the front stairs noisily. The cursed Timberlands, I assume. When he opens the front door, he gives me a look that tells me he is expecting me to be snippy after the note he left in my car. Little does he know that I have no plans to be snippy.

  “Hey, stranger,” I say, gawking at how incredibly hot he looks in dark-wash jeans and a snug-fitting gray T-shirt. When I glance down, I roll my eyes. Goddamn boots.

  “Hey, Sunshine.” He’s grinning with one eyebrow raised defiantly, waiting to see if I keep my promise about ripping his balls off for calling me that.

  I ignore the ridiculous nickname. “I have some boxes on the porch. Can you help me load them?”

  “What’s in them?”

  I shrug. “Just some old toys that I cleaned out of storage.
Nothing too exciting, but I thought the kids might enjoy them.”

  He seizes me around the waist with one arm. Chills come over me, and all I can think about is throwing myself at him. It staggers me how much his touch affects me. “That’s what makes you so special. You’re pretty fucking great. You know that?”

  Barely able to breathe, I pull away from Brady. My heart hammers in my chest. “Careful, Brady, you keep throwing compliments at me, I might start to think you like me.” I say it confidently and hopefully in a way that will provoke him.

  He’s watching me with an inquisitive eye. I open the door and strut onto the porch, purposefully swaying my hips. Maybe I have learned a thing or two from Liv.

  He grumbles under his breath and follows me out onto the porch. When I turn around, his eyes are raking up and down my body. “I never said I don’t like you, Sunshine. Believe me, I like you. I only said I wasn’t good for you. If things were different, you’d be mine. You’d be in my bed, underneath me anytime I wanted.”

  I turn away, desperately trying to ignore the heat burning inside of me. With my hand on my hip, I look at him over my shoulder. “Maybe I’m capable of deciding what’s good for me, Brady. I happen to think you’re pretty fucking great, too.”

  He looks at me dejectedly, like my compliment causes him pain. “That’s only because you don’t really know me.”

  Ouch. That one hurts. I decide to be resilient. “I think I do,” I say contradicting him. I pick up a box and shove it into his chest. “This conversation is over, Brady. Take this to the truck, please.”

  He smiles, biting down on his bottom lip, and shakes his head. He doesn’t argue his point further and it makes me smile. I might have shocked Brady for once.

  Score one for me, finally!

  Brady

  She shocks me. In fact, she stuns me. When I said she didn’t really know me, it wasn’t to hurt her, and I think I did. That gives me an idea. While she’s still inside, I grab a tissue and a pen. I’ve been keeping a stash in the glove compartment since she seems to like my notes so much, and I’m a fucking sap. I scribble a note, toss the pen back in the box, and set the tissue on the seat. Several minutes later I turn to see her walking for the truck.