16. Melanie

16

Melanie

I can't help but think it's been one heck of a crazy week with work, studying, and sharing a place with Brady, as I glance out the patio door to watch tourists soaking up the last of the summer sun with their families. Soon enough, they'll all head back home and the vibe will change. Busses will arrive with the retired crowd, and believe it or not, sometimes they can be rowdier than the spring breakers. I'm not complaining. The work and tips are going to go a long way toward tuition, and I've just about made enough to cover next term.

Thanks to Brady—and I do plan on paying him back—my car is fixed, and, also thanks to him, I don't have to make the commute back and forth to my place and waste a lot of time when that time could be put to better use, like sleeping in late with a hot hockey player.

But I was up early this morning, and sick to my stomach—not to mention a headache—worrying about my final exam which, according to the time on my phone, is less than two hours out. As I stand in Brady's kitchen, I take a breath and shake out my hands, working to expel the anxiety rushing through me.

"Hey, you got this," Brady says, coming into the kitchen. My heart leaps at the sight of him. Earlier, I enjoyed the sight of him too as he ran on the beach. Now he smells fresh and clean after his shower. He pulls me to him and plants a kiss on my mouth, and I've really grown accustomed to living with him—fast. I didn't really see him much this week, with me working and studying and him practicing. But it's Friday night, and he's insisting we celebrate after my exam.

"What if I don't got this?" How embarrassing would it be to go out for a celebration if I fail the damn exam.

"I've been testing you, and you're ready." He cocks his head. "Would I lie to you?"

"I'd hope not." He knows how I feel about liars and when it comes to trust, I don't take people at their word. I can't believe anything coming out of their mouths. I know better than that. Or at least, I used to. Until this guy named Brady Fisher—Coddy—nearly accosted me with a poker. He's a man who seems to keep his word, a man who gives without asking in return. Just look at what he does for his family—and I do hate how they all take advantage of him and how he thinks he's responsible for them when he's not—to the point he's almost terrified of really living because it could result in not being there for them. Wow, just wow. He's probably going to keep his word and do some big celebration, too, because he wants to do something nice for me—with nothing in return.

He laughs and whacks my ass as I go for another cup of coffee. He puts his hand over mine, uncertainty in his eyes. "Uh, maybe that's not a great idea. You're kind of jittery."

"You're right." I grab a glass of water instead, needing something to wash down the bile punching into my throat. If I didn't have an exam today that was making me nervous, I'd think I was coming down with a virus. My stomach is achy and I'm kind of sweaty.

"Did you eat?"

"I had toast for lunch. I don't have much of an appetite. I'm sure I'll feel better once the exam is done. I get like this because I don't test well."

"What time do you want to leave?" Brady grabs a package of lunch meats from the fridge and opens it. The smell makes me a bit queasy, so I take a seat at the table and sip my water.

"I told you. You don't have to take me."

He shrugs, squirts some mustard on the bread and slaps down the meat. "I'm going into the city anyway. I have some things to do."

I eye him as he takes a big bite. "I don't want a big party or any kind of party for that matter, Brady." I warn and glare at him as I cross my arms. His face is full of innocence as he puts a hand on his chest and blinks at me.

"Really, Lanie." He scoffs and there's playfulness about him when he rolls his eyes at me. "You're such a narcissist, thinking everything in this world revolves around you."

"Fine, what things do you have to do?"

He walks up to me, and taps my nose. "Not everything is your business, either."

"You're infuriating."

He goes back to eating his sandwich, unfazed. "That's one of the nicer things people have called me."

Now it's my turn to roll my eyes. "Fine, if you insist on driving, let's head in after you eat. I wouldn't mind hitting up the campus community room and doing a few stretches and breathing exercises."

He gobbles up his sandwich, and nods. "Great idea." He pours a glass of water to wash down his sandwich. "Are you going in your pajamas or are you going to get dressed?"

"Right." I hurry to my room, pull on my most comfortable yoga pants and a T-shirt and shove a sweater into my bookbag. The air conditioning on campus is on full blast, and the rooms are freezing. Once I'm ready, I find Brady opening the door to greet Brighton and Camryn.

"What are you two doing here?" I ask. "I thought you'd be on your way to your summer home by now." They usually like to leave before lunch to beat the traffic.

Brighton rubs her protruding belly. "We weren't going to leave without wishing you good luck."

"Good luck, Ms. Melanie," Camryn says and wraps her arms around my waist.

"Thank you, Jellybean. Are you guys heading out now?" I ask Brighton, and her gaze cuts to Brady and they exchange a look I don't understand.

"Brady," I warn. "What is going on?"

"Nothing." He holds his hands up innocently.

"I have some errands to run," Brighton explains, and because she's not a very good liar, a good quality in my books, I know whatever it is Brady is up to, she's in on it. While I might be pretending to be mad about it all—I'm certainly not used to people doing things for me—it is rather sweet. Warmth spreads through my chest and it's kind of crazy because it weirdly feels like we're all just a big happy family.

Although that will end when my apartment becomes available. But I can't think about that right now, I have an exam to focus on.

"We're going to see Grandma and Grandpa," Camryn tells me.

"Oh, how lovely. Give them a big hug for me."

I cast Brighton a fast glance, and lower my voice when I ask, "Is everything okay?" Her mother-in-law has dementia and they have been trying to spend a lot of time with her.

"Camryn has some new artwork in her backpack and wants to share it."

Camryn holds her bag up. "Look, I have a backpack just like you, Ms. Melanie."

I tap her nose. "Yes, you do."

"Okay, go break a leg, Mel," Brighton says and leans in and gives me a hug. "Text me when you're done to let me know how it went."

"Will do."

They head down the stairs and Brady runs back to the kitchen to grab his thermos of coffee. A few minutes later I'm sitting beside him in his vehicle staring at the gorgeous ocean as he drives me into the city.

"I can see why you like living at the resort," I say with a sigh. "That view never grows old." He goes quiet, almost pensive, and I cock my head. "What, are you telling me you are growing tired of it?" He scrubs his chin and makes a snorting sound and my chest tightens. Okay, maybe it's not the view he's tired of and maybe he did lie to me a while ago when he said I wouldn't be a bother. Is he tired of having me around?

We've been having fun, haven't we? Sure, I've seen another side of him, a kind, compassionate caring side that he hides from the world, and I like that side. But maybe the loud obnoxious guy is who he really is and something about me stifles that. No, that can't be right. After learning about his past and his demons, I'm pretty sure I know who the real Brady Fisher is. God, I think I might have been confused for a moment there because I've been studying too long and now I'm projecting. And, of course, I can't forget that I still have a few of my own demons haunting me.

But if he is tired of me, I can't think about that right now. Again, all my focus needs to be on my exam and I'm going to clear my head and not delve into any kind of conversation that will set my brain off in a direction I can't have it going.

I go quiet and focus on my breathing as we drive and Brady falls quiet too, distracted by his own thoughts. Soon enough, he pulls up in front of my campus and I reach for my door. He touches my arm and leans in to give me a kiss.

"You got this."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." He opens his mouth like he's going to say more, when someone calls my name and I look out the window to see Tania, a girl from my small study group, waving at me.

"Friend?" he asks, and I suspect that's not what he had on his mind.

"Tania is part of my study group."

"I didn't realize you had a study group, or friends on campus. You never mentioned them."

"I wouldn't exactly say she's my friend. We just all get something out of the study group. We all have different strengths when it comes to the material."

"Right, tit for tat," he says, scrubbing his chin, and it gives me pause. Brady swears life isn't about tit for tat, and not only does he tell me that, he's also constantly trying to prove it. I mean, how does it help him when he quizzes me? We might have played a sexy little game with it in the beginning, but I can tell he's very serious about my studies, and I love how he supports me. He's always insisting I don't have to cook or clean to stay at his place.

His family from Paradise, Newfoundland take horrible advantage of this good man, and his generosity, and I refuse to do that. I refuse to be duped by anyone ever again, which makes me keep everything I have close, and while we've both been taken advantage of, we now have very different outlooks on life.

The guy who borrowed the twenty dollars didn't dupe him.

"I better get going." He nods like he has a lot on his mind, and I open the door. "I'll see you in a few hours."

I hurry over to Tania, who is watching Brady drive away. "Ah, was that Brady Fisher?" she asks, sounding breathless.

"Yes, why?" I try to play it casual, but it's hard to do when her jaw is sitting on the ground.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Her eyes are big and wide as she watches his car disappear around the corner. "Brady Fisher, as in the goalie from the Bucks?"

"The one and only," I tell her and hike my backpack up higher. Trevor, another guy from our small study group, joins us on the path.

"What's that about Brady Fisher?" he asks and glances around. "Was he here?"

"Are you tapping that?" Tania asks and I shake my head and laugh.

"Tapping that?"

She playfully wags her eyebrows. "Okay, answering a question with a question now, are we?"

"Which means she's definitely tapping that," Trevor pipes in.

I start walking toward the building and the two fall in line with me. Trevor nudges me with his hip. "Just tell me you're using protection. That man has a reputation a mile long."

"That's not the only thing he has that's long," Tania says and my gaze flies to hers. She grins and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Or so I heard." She chuckles. "Might that be something you'd want to confirm."

"The only thing I want to confirm is we're all ready for this exam today."

Tania and Trevor exchange grins. "Confirmed," they both say in unison.

"Ohmigod are we fourteen?" I ask, exasperated.

"No but some of us are closer to it than others," Tania jokes, and while she's just kidding with me, it does remind me that I am older than Brady and that maybe he should be dating girls his own age. Why again is he with me when he could have any vivacious bunny he wants?

Trevor throws his arm around me. "Ignore her. She's jealous of your maturity and years of experience."

"Was that meant to be a compliment?" We reach the doors and Trevor opens them for us.

"Of course." He waves his hand for me to enter and I walk into the building. Students mill about as they get ready for their finals, and I excuse myself and head to the community room, where I do some yoga and center myself for the exam.

Ten minutes before it starts, I make my way to the classroom, and grab my usual seat. I'm pretty Zen by the time our professor enters, and when he gives us the go, we all boot up our laptops to take the online exam. Head down for the next couple of hours, I focus and begin to fly through the questions. When I come across a few essay questions from none other than chapter four, Brady's favorite chapter, I can't help but chuckle. A few heads turn my way and I refocus.

By the time the bell rings, I've answered all the questions and double checked most of them. I blow my hair from my face as I hit enter, and lift my tired eyes to find everyone else finishing up and powering down.

I catch Tania's eyes and she gives me a smile, then we both turn to Trevor, who is still running his fingers through his hair. I do the same when I'm stressed. "Trev, you good."

"Yeah, what are you guys up to now?" he asks.

Tania stretches her arms out. "I have a date with my bed. I plan to sleep for a whole week."

I groan with envy. "That sounds absolutely divine," I tell her, even though that's not in my near future.

Trevor hikes up his backpack. "You guys want to grab a beer first? Chill out for a bit?"

I hate to blow them off. I've barely seen them the last two weeks, but the thoughts of alone time with Brady is just what the doctor ordered to soothe my stomach and headache—well if I went to a doctor—which I didn't. "Can't. I have plans."

I stand and pack up my laptop. "Oh, do those plans involve Coddy?" Tania teases.

I lift my chin an inch and grin at her. "As a matter of fact, they do."

The three of us walk out of the classroom. "And might those plans involve a week in bed…but no sleeping?" she teases.

While that too sounds divine, I shake my head. "No, and I'm not sure what the plans are." I wince against the late afternoon sun as we exit the building, and my heart misses a beat when I find Brady leaning against his car waiting for me. I take a moment to admire the long length of him, the way his T-shirt stretches across tight chest muscles and how his shorts showcase strong legs and a trim waist. I wave and he pulls himself up to his full height and as he starts my way I run my palms over my mess of hair. "He's been helping me study all week, and wants to do something to celebrate, I just don't know what."

"Oh, wow, it's serious then?" Trev asks.

I give a fast shake of my head. "No, not at all."

They both look at me like they might know something I don't. "He helped you study all week…" Tania begins.

"…And now he's planning a surprise to celebrate," Trev finishes.

I give a curt nod, understanding how that could look to them. "Right."

Tania nudges me as Brady approaches, a big smile on his face and a fine shiver goes through me the way it always does when I'm the sole focus of his attention.

Trev leans in and whispers, "If that's not serious, then I don't know what is."