16. Chapter Sixteen

16

Chapter Sixteen

Brittany

C ome on Brittany. It’s been weeks and the cookout is for Rhett. You wouldn’t disappoint him with your absence now would you?”

I glare at Clara through the phone, “Seriously? Have you always been this dramatic? It’s been four days, and all I said was I didn’t know if I had to work.”

She smirks, “Don’t make me play dirty here. You’ve been avoiding us and I want to know why. You’ve made up with Mac and Rowan. There’s no excuse now.”

My shoulders lift in a noncommittal shrug, “I’ve been busy. I’m trying to establish myself here and I have to work when they tell me to. Promise I’ll talk to Mr. Hall about it.”

She smiles in victory, “Perfect, so you’ll be here. Now you can talk to your godson.”

She goes looking for Rhett while my thoughts wander to the six and a half feet tall man who’s probably currently in that house. I hurt his feelings the other day, I know I did. I’ve wanted to text him countless times since, but stop myself every time. Maybe it’s better this way. Nothing good can come from a friendship or hooking up or whatever. There’s undeniable chemistry between us. I don’t even want to think of the feelings that surface every time I think about him, but I’m not in a spot to explore that. Even if I was, it couldn’t be with him. That’s so complicated, my best friend is married to his brother. At the same time he’s upset and it’s because of me, so I really need to text him after I talk to Rhett.

My favorite little face pops into the frame filling the screen with his dirty ‘I’ve been playing outside’ face and bright smile. His brown curls fall onto his forehead, and most importantly his gorgeous hazel eyes shine with happiness.

“Auntie!” He screams so loud that I just know that the whole house can hear him.

“Little Bear! What are you doing? I miss you so much.” He takes the phone and runs off from his mom.

“Playing.” He takes me with him over to the play set his Dad and Uncles made him. Climbing up to the top he sets me up against a rail so he can sit and have free use of his hands. He signs as he talks most of the time and honestly probably always will. It doesn’t bother me and I prop up my phone at the kitchen table to do the same.

“Auntie, where have you been?” My sweet boy signs and asks at once.

Raising my hand to do the same, “I’ve been working. I miss you so much.”

“I miss you. Can I come over and have a sleepover?”

My heart cracks, I really have been slacking on my Auntie duties. “Of course, but I’ll have to talk to your parents about when, baby.”

He springs up to his feet, grabs the phone and takes me with him down the slide and across the yard. How I’m not getting motion sickness is beyond me. “Rhett what are you doing? Are you okay?”

He doesn’t answer as he dashes into the house and into a room I’ve never been in. I can hear deep voices that all stop abruptly as Rhett shoves the phone at someone’s chest. Next thing I know Rowan’s face fills the screen. He looks from Rhett to me, confusion written all over his face.

Finally settling his gaze on Rhett he asks, “What’s going on, Bear?”

I’m unable to see Rhett but I can hear him as clearly as if I was standing in the room with him, “I want a sleepover at Aunties.”

His eyes shoot to mine and I quickly fumble out, “He asked. I told him I had to talk to you and Clara first.”

Before Rowan can answer Rhett cuts in, “Yes, now you can talk. Daddy, please. Sleepover for me and Auntie?”

Rowan lets out a half groan. “Uh, when were you thinking?” He looks at me, and I can tell he’s not a ‘put on the spot’ kind of guy, he’s definitely unsure of what to do.

“Oh, whenever it works for you guys. I usually get home around eight every night, and I’m off Sundays. When you let me know a date I can take off or just get off earlier.”

His brow furrows before looking to Rhett and someone else, “Bear, go tell Mama I need to talk to her in a little bit. I’ll come find her after I hang up with Auntie.”

“Okay, bye Auntie, I love you.”

Smiling because those words from him are my favorite thing. “ I love you baby. I’ll talk to you soon.” Rhett’s little feet run across the room before the sound of the door shutting behind him echoes in the office space.

Rowan brings his attention back to me, his green eyes almost menacing as they bore into mine, “Where are you working Brittany?”

Raising my eyebrow at him I make him wait a minute before answering. “Careful, Rowan, you sound like I answer to you and your goons.”

He huffs out an exasperated breath, “I’m insanely protective of my family, and that extends to you now too. So again, where are you working that requires you to walk home alone in the dark six days a week?”

He seems sincere, and me being upset that he’s demanding answers from me is going to stress Clara out. “Fine, I’m working as a personal assistant for a law firm. My boss works late most days and I need the hours anyway. He’s nice enough though, so I’m positive if I ask he’ll let me off whatever day works for you guys for Rhett to stay the night.”

“Six days a week? You’re walking home alone?”

Rolling my eyes at the voice coming from off camera, “Rowan, I know you aren’t having this conversation with me in front of your brothers.” And because I want to rub it in a little I add, “And no, my boss walks me home some of those days.”

He chuckles just as none other than the one man who makes me melt with just a simple smile snatches the phone.

Kieran’s face fills the screen. Oh, he’s pissed, “What do you mean your boss walks you home, Brave Girl?” I’ve never been one for pet names, but the way he calls me brave makes me want to be it so badly. My nerves settle just by his voice wrapping around me like a warm blanket in the middle of a cold rainy day. Even if he is pissed.

I am a brat at heart, so I poke at him a little more. “Hey, Mystery Man. I mean my boss is kind enough to walk me home most days when we get off. He lives in my building.”

I offer him my most ‘trouble making’ smile, and his eyes light up, just like they always do when we talk. He knows I’m probing for a reaction, just like I know he’s going to give me one. He looks like he hasn’t been sleeping well. Under his eyes are dark, and his eyes look tired, maybe even haunted.

“Why are you letting a strange man walk you home?”

“He’s not strange, he’s my boss. And you know I can’t just give you that, Kieran. Tit for tat, what’s in it for me?” His face turns stony and his eyes bore into mine with intensity that would have most people running for the hills. Not me though, all this change does for me is make me sad that I’ve lost his warm smile, kind eyes, and relaxed demeanor. At the same time I can feel the heat pooling low in my belly. He’s so sexy when he’s pissed.

Kieran’s voice comes out sharp and no nonsense, “Seriously, I’m just trying to make sure you’re not going to get kidnapped by an asshole stalker serial killer. You’re trying to play games, and I’m not even on the black top.”

He’s right, I know he is, but I still don’t want to hear it. I’m not in the mood to argue, hang up, yell, or anything else fighting with him involves. Honestly, I owe him for hurting his feelings the other day.

“He walks me home on days we finish up at the same time because he’s nice and also tall and built. I’m not saying that to make you jealous, but to say if I’m walking with him no one will bother me. On the nights he’s still at work when I leave I walk alone. I’ve been through worse than a mile walk in the city at night. Trust me.”

Refusing to look him in the face because I don’t want to see that expression directed at me anymore I call out to Rowan. “Talk to Clara and let me know what day Rhett can spend the night, I’ll make anything work.”

He doesn’t respond but Kieran’s “Mo-” is cut off by me killing the call.

Taking my fingers, I rub my eyes, and the frustration away. My mind moves from Kieran to my mom. She texted me yesterday to check in, but I miss her so much. It’s more dangerous now than before to get together and that hurts. My brain’s all jumbled up over a boy, and my mom can’t even come meet him to tell me what to do. She definitely can’t because he has no idea about her.

There’s so many secrets between us still. I don’t know when the proper time to tell him is or even if I want to. This is my story to tell. I don’t have to tell him anything. If my mom drilled nothing else into my head, she did that. No one is owed my story. Kieran and I aren’t even talking right now. My head is everywhere. I’m tired, hungry, and overly emotional. I need a shower and a night to myself. I’ll make moves tomorrow.

* * *

I’ve showered, got dressed in my best sweats, ordered take out from my favorite mom and pop pizza spot, and snuggled up on the couch with a cozy blanket and some trashy reality show on T.V. This is exactly what I needed. Just some me time to process. Later, as I start to drift off my phone starts ringing, checking the I.D. my finger presses the ignore button .

Instantly the phone starts vibrating again, annoyed and half asleep I swipe to answer, “What.”

“Hello to you too, grumpy. Where are you?” His voice slides through me like the most potent alcohol, making me buzz from head to toe.

“Home. Why?”

“Good, I’m coming over so we can talk.”

Taken aback by him being so direct, “Uh, okay. I was about to go to bed, but yeah sure just barge into my apartment.”

“Sounds perfect, I’m coming up the stairs. Don’t get up, I’ll let myself in.” He cuts the call.

Looking at my now black phone screen half in shock due to his audacity. I sit up against the side of my couch and watch the front door. Seconds pass before the door swings open and the most handsome, yet broken man is standing in front of me. His head is hanging low, his face and demeanor just appears to be defeated. Without a word he locks the door behind him, walks over, and toes off his shoes, laying down on my legs, he puts his head in my lap. My fingers tangle in his hair on instinct, combing his hair with them in a soothing rhythm. I don’t say anything. We left off on a bad foot, but something’s clearly wrong, so I’ll wait until he’s ready.

We lay in silence so long I’m starting to think he’s asleep until finally he speaks up, “Tomorrow’s the anniversary of my parent’s death.”

Out of all the things I’d have expected him to say this was not one of them. Deciding to let him get it all out, my hand keeps a steady movement while I bring my free hand up to rub up and down his arm.

“They were murdered by some people who didn’t like my Da or his businesses. They took them, held them hostage, tortured them, and then took their lives. They made my Da watch my Ma be tortured and raped before they killed her. No one knows this part, not even my brothers, but they videoed the entire thing. I used to fight underground back then too.” His voice sounds dejected as he shakes his head. His hand comes to mine and holds it.

His movements are almost robotic as he continues. “The night the video of my parents murder was sent to me, I was scheduled to fight. I know I shouldn’t have watched it, but I did. It was an unlabeled tape and I needed to see what it was before I passed it along to Mac. The things I saw can never be unseen. That night I fought anyway. I needed to get all the aggression out of me that was building. I won, but I saw red and blacked out. They had to pull me off of him. I don’t have a lot of regrets but that’s one of them. I had no business being there that night.”

I can feel the tears streaming down my face. This man who never lets anyone see him break, who has kept this inside for three years chose me to share it with. He came to me when he needed a safe space. Fighting this feeling I’m now certain we both feel seems senseless.

Gently I move his head so he’s on his back looking straight up before leaning down and gently pressing my lips to his. “Thank you for telling me that. I’m so sorry you’ve carried that by yourself for so long. You don’t have to do that anymore though, Kie.”

He lets out a shaky breath and sits up to turn towards me, “Thanks. Something was pulling me to come to you tonight. I know we’re not on the same page, but—”

“No, we are Kie. I think we’re on the same page. I’m just scared of the chapter. ”

“I think we’re both scared. I don’t know how to do this. I’m so used to keeping my life secret, and existing only for the safety of my brothers or my job. So I’m not sure how to be with you, but I know I want nothing more than to be here with you every evening.”

That doesn’t scare me like it would have in the past, “I want that too.” His smile melts my heart as he pulls me into his arms, my legs straddling his lap, “So what does this mean?”

“I think it means you just became my girlfriend.” Before I can do much more than smile back at him his lips are on mine, a claim. I guess I’m Kieran Byrne’s girlfriend.