Chapter Twelve

Brad made sure he stayed on Kendrick's roof as much as possible. He parked in the back so he could access the stairs, not even bothering to go inside to let Kendrick know he was there. Plus, the stair access on the outside made bringing up the materials in the bed of his truck easier.

Brad made sure he arrived early enough in the morning that he had several hours' work done before Kendrick even arrived. Brad had already pulled up the old roofing material and the board with the hole in it. He had cut and patched the roof by the time Kendrick pulled into the back lot beside Brad's truck.

If Kendrick knew Brad was on the roof, he didn't bother greeting him, which Brad took as the final nail in their dating coffin. With all the banging around, there wasn't a possibility he didn't know.

Brad had to replace the roofing material, but that wouldn't take very long. He had a couple of hours to work up the nerve to see Kendrick again.

He felt as if Kendrick had carved his heart out. After only one date, his reaction was a little ridiculous, but he couldn't deny his feelings. He had to work through them before he saw Kendrick again. If he didn't, the pity party he had felt building since yesterday's phone conversation would grow out of proportion until he craved a drink. There wasn't anyone or anything in the world that would make him go down that rabbit hole again. So yeah, Brad needed to give himself time.

Develop coping and problem-solving skills in the right way. He could hear the therapist in his mind. Hell, maybe he needed a few sessions. Maybe it was a way into a conversation with Luis. He would go if it made Luis go too.

Brad walked down the steep staircase, going to the bed of his truck and climbing onto the back, pulling a package of the roofing material to the end of the bed. When he turned to jump down, Kendrick stood a foot away from the open tailgate. He folded his hands in front of himself, wringing them.

Brad met his gaze but then gathered the package of shingles onto his shoulder before heading to the stairs. He didn't look at Kendrick when he spoke. "I'll be another hour. Not much longer than that. So I'll be out of your hair."

He didn't expect Kendrick to follow him up the stairs, but he heard footsteps behind him. And then Kendrick spoke. "Can I talk to you?"

Instead of answering, Brad kept it about business. "It'll be about a week before I can repair the wall in the apartment or the ceiling in the bar, if the damage there is bad, I mean."

"Brad." Kendrick sighed.

Brad turned when he got on the roof, making sure Kendrick made it over the edge without getting hurt. "Be careful, Kendrick."

"I'm fine." Kendrick was short enough that he had to climb over the brick edge, which scared Brad enough that he almost dropped the shingles pack and went to assist him. When Kendrick was on the flat roof, Brad turned back to the repair, setting down his load. "I want to explain myself."

"I need to finish here. I have another job this afternoon that I can't be late for." And maybe he needed space.

"Can we talk after you finish your day?"

Brad sighed. He didn't see the need to beat their dead relationship to death. "There's no need. I understand why you don't want to date. Really."

"But—"

Brad turned and met his gaze. "It's fine. We're good. Friends and all that, but I need space."

Kendrick opened his mouth to speak again, but Brad cut him off. "I have to get back to work."

Kendrick stood there scowling. It was the first time Brad had seen him so upset without it being a panic attack. He couldn't decipher Kendrick's emotion. He would say Kendrick was angry or maybe frustrated, but that made little sense with their current conversation or Kendrick's personality. And then Kendrick turned. He fisted his hands and kept them at his side. "Fine. But you'll talk to me at some point, Brad Flynn."

Kendrick yelled.

Brad blinked. Kendrick. Yelled.

Brad scowled and turned back to the job. That was something to think about.

Brad's next job was at Jaron and Travis's house, finishing their floor. It was his bad luck that Jaron had the day off from cleaning the big house and had tried to help Brad, but had just gotten in his way and annoyed him.

"You're the reason Caden's so annoying. You realize that, right?" Brad fit another board in, tapping it with the hammer.

Jaron squatted next to him, doing nothing but taking pictures of Brad. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Caden gets more of his annoying traits from you."

If Jaron had taken offense, it didn't show. He grinned and snapped a picture of them both. Brad knew his annoyance showed on his face while Jaron chuckled. "As in my influence on him was great while you were in prison?"

"Yes." But even as in the way as Jaron was, Brad couldn't help but smile.

"I'll take that as a compliment since he turned out to be a great guy."

"Yeah, he is." Brad pointed to the stack of boards. "Hand me the next one, please."

Jaron grabbed it and handed it over. When he held his phone up, Brad suspected he was taking a video.

Brad rolled his eyes, but even he couldn't be mad.

"What's wrong with you today?"

"Besides you making me the next top model?"

Jaron snorted when he laughed. "Besides that."

"Nothing. I'm fantastic." So what if that last part came out a lot sarcastic?

"Brad," Jaron whined.

"Jaron." Brad copied Jaron's tone. But then he expressed annoyance. "I'm not telling your camera so you can document the pitfalls of an ex-convict."

"So it is Kendrick. That's what I thought."

Brad stared into the phone since Jaron had his eyes on the screen. "I'm not talking about it with your camera. I mean it."

"You're upset because…"

If Brad didn't speak, Jaron would take that for anger. The last thing he wanted was Jaron fearing him. It was a real possibility given their past. Brad sighed. "Fine. I liked him. A lot. He said no and I'm respecting that, but that doesn't mean I'm not disappointed and maybe a little mad at myself."

Jaron scowled. "You're not blaming yourself, are you?"

Brad turned back to his task, wanting to get the floor done so he could go home and stew in his own despair.

Okay, maybe that was too dramatic. When he went home, he would overthink the whole mess with Kendrick just like he had been doing for the past week. Nothing would change, and maybe that was part of the problem, but he couldn't do much about it.

"I'm not stupid. I know what people think of me in this town." And why wouldn't that be a factor.

Jaron stood and walked to the door. "I'm getting Travis."

Maybe starting a fight with Travis was what he needed. He had worked hard not to solve his problems in such a way, so starting a physical fight wasn't an option but it would give him some level of instant gratification.

Jaron left Brad alone long enough to find a rhythm in his work. The boards went in one right after another, and Brad plugged along until it became meditation.

When Travis showed up, he didn't say a word but handed Brad a board. Brad didn't even have to ask him.

Brad's back was to most of the room so he couldn't see Jaron, but he could hear him moving around the kitchen.

Travis and Brad worked together in silence until they finished two rows. Part way through the third row, Travis spoke. "Not everything is about you."

He almost told Travis to fuck off. His anger rose, but he reined it in, calming before he responded. "Not trying to make it about me."

"If you're blaming yourself for that scene last week, you are."

"I'm not. I'm blaming myself for the conversation after."

"What did you say?" Travis didn't wait for an answer. "Wait. You didn't actually say anything, did you?"

"Told him I'd like another date. He said no. I'm leaving it at that." Brad sighed. "Guess I don't much like hearing him tell me no, but I'm not an asshole or an idiot. I get that he probably doesn't want to go on another date because of my past. Maybe he's afraid I'll trigger him, given how he was that day." Brad knew all about triggers. Instead of fear like Kendrick, Brad reacted with violence. He hadn't had an issue in years, even so, he knew what it was like.

Travis handed him another board. "Do you want my opinion, or do you want me to stay out of it?"

"If I don't get your opinion, your man will have my head."

"Damn straight." Jaron yelled across the open space.

Travis chuckled.

Brad shook his head, chuckling. "Give me your advice then."

"I think you're underestimating Kendrick. That scene made him seem like he's fragile, but I don't think he is. You should know what it's like, given how your dad was. You've worked through your past and have come out better because of it. Kendrick knows that about you because he has too." Travis handed him a board.

Kendrick yelling at him on the roof came to mind. His clenched fists and his pretty scowl replayed in Brad's memory.