He parks the car in his driveway, getting out before he walks around to open my door in complete silence.
My eyes search his, but he just looks back at me flatly. Eventually, he turns and opens his front door. I tentatively follow him inside and so many happy memories immediately flood back. I feel like I’m at home here.
“I’m going to take a shower,” I tell him quietly.
“Okay.”
I watch him for a moment, not knowing whether to push for a conversation or just leave it.
I don’t want to fight with him. I’m here. I’ll just see what happens.
I climb the three flights of stairs to his bedroom and bathroom, and I take a long hot shower. He doesn’t come in at all. I have no idea where he is or what’s going through his mind.
Just get into bed and go to sleep. Don’t push him tonight, I tell myself.
I dry myself and hop into his bed, knowing it’s late. Half an hour later, he walks through to the bathroom and showers. Then he comes out of his bathroom in boxer shorts and climbs into bed beside me, turns his back to mine.
I stare at the ceiling, my heart dangerously close to breaking.
“Are you not talking to me?” I whisper into the darkness.
He stays silent for a moment. “Just go to sleep, Tull,” he sighs sadly.
I cuddle his back and kiss his shoulder blade. I feel him exhale heavily as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Maybe he does.
Brock
“Want to get some lunch?” Ben asks as he pokes his head around the corner of my office.
I glance up at him. “Yeah, okay.”
We go to our favourite pub and I order two beers-something I never do on a weekday during working hours. Ben watches me for a moment as he sips his. “What’s going on, man?” he asks.
I shrug. I haven’t told him anything that’s been going on. I haven’t wanted to talk about it at all.
“You came back here from London a month ago and you’ve been in a filthy mood ever since. Then you and Tully act like you don’t know each other, and she kissed someone else last night before you dragged her out of there. What the fuck is going on?”
I shrug. “We’re not together anymore.”
“Why not?”
“She went back to her boyfriend.”
He frowns as he watches me. “When?”
“When he was in hospital.”
He narrows his eyes. “Is she still with him?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean, you don’t think so? What did she say?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it with her.”
“Why not?”
I shrug. “What’s the point? I went to London, she dumped me and told me she was too busy caring for him to be with me. She cut me to the bone, and then I came home alone.”
He watches me for a moment. “And you fucked her last night?”
I sip my drink and clench my jaw. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Did you talk to her this morning about it?” He frowns.
“Nope.”
“What the fuck are you doing?” he snaps angrily. “You’re in love with this girl, and whether you like it or not, she did the right thing by staying with him while he was sick.”
“Don’t,” I warn him.
“What kind of a person would she have been if she didn’t give a fuck about him? Nine years is a long time, man. They’re friends.”
“So, it’s okay that she just dumps me on a whim?” I snap. “I’m nobody’s fucking back up plan.”
“No. It’s not okay. But did she get back with him?”
“I don’t think so. She said…” My voice trails off.
“She said what?’
“She said she still loved me but didn’t want me to wait for her while she was at the hospital.”
He stares at me for a moment as he processes her words. “And then she came back and said she wanted you back.”
I bite my bottom lip. I’m not even answering that fucking question.
“Did she?”
I nod. “She sat out the front of my house the other night in the rain for an hour crying. She keeps crying and shit, telling me she loves me.”
“Why didn’t you just ask her in and talk about it like a fucking man?”
“What am I going to say, Ben?” I throw my hands up in the air. “What the fuck could I possibly say that will make me feel any better?”
“Why don’t you just listen?” He frowns. “You don’t need to say anything. Just listen, you hot-headed prick.”
“You know, Brock, Bridget forgave me when I left. She made a decision to try and work it out because she knew I loved her, and she loved me.”
My eyes rise up to his.
“Being stubborn will only hurt you.” He sips his beer. “Nobody else gives a fuck if you go back to her or not. But you’ll be the one who loses a life with her if you don’t at least try to work things out.”
I sip my beer and stare off into the distance.
“I’ll tell you one thing,” he says. “It doesn’t go away. Once you’ve met her, nobody else will do. Trust me, five years I pined for Bridget. Five fucking long years.”
I sip my beer again.
“And it won’t go away, so you can listen to her now, or you can wait five years and then have the conversation.” He raises his brow sarcastically. “But you will have it, because if you don’t, you’ll go insane,” he adds.
I shake my head in disgust. “Just shut the fuck up, will you?” I sigh. “What are you, a fucking marriage councillor now?”
He smirks as he sips his beer. “Yeah. That’ll be two-hundred and fifty dollars, thanks.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not paying for your shitty advice.”
“Suit yourself. Stubbornness will get you nowhere, my friend.”
Tully
“See you.” I wave to my co-workers as I head for the bus stop.
I’ve been flat today. Brock and I hardly spoke this morning when he dropped me off at work. He wasn’t screaming at me, but it was an icy wakeup. Especially since I woke up in his arms, lying on his chest, our legs tangled together and his erection up against my hip. I thought I may have pushed a few of his buttons last night, but obviously not. I’m going to have to find another way of reaching him. I make my way to the bus stop and take a seat on the bench. My phone beeps.
BROCK: Need a lift?
I glance up and see Brock parked on the other side of the road. He gives me a crooked smile in return, and my heart swells. I stand and run across the road to him. A car horn blares to life when I nearly run out in front of it in excitement.
I bounce into Brock’s car. “Oh my God, did you see that?”
“Be fucking careful.”
Hope blooms in my chest. “Hi.”
“Hello, Tully Pocket,” he says casually as he starts the car.
I smile goofily. He called me Tully Pocket. He hasn’t called me Tully Pocket for a month.
“How was your day?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Okay, I guess.” His eyes drift to mine. “Yours?”
“Better now.”
He rolls his eyes and turns his attention back to the road. Something is different about him this afternoon. I’m not going to push it. I’ll just try and let the conversation flow naturally. “Any news on the case?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Are you sure Meredith didn’t say anything last night?”
I shrug. “Nothing.” I think for a moment. “And we were pumping her full of questions. I honestly don’t think she knows anything. The girl can’t keep a secret at all.” I look over to him. “Remember when she told you about my vibrator?”
He rolls his eyes in disgust. “Where is that fucking vibrator, anyway?”
I smile. “In my top drawer.”
He smirks but keeps his lips firmly clenched closed. “Meredith has been moved into a different house today. We’re going to go and see her tonight, if that’s okay. Just grab your things and we’ll head off soon,” he says as he watches the road.
I smile and widen my eyes. “Am I sensing that you’re beginning to like Meredith?” I tease.
He smiles this time. “She’s okay… I guess.”
I point at him. “Ha. See, I told you. Once you get past her weirdness she has a heart of gold.”
We pull up at my apartment and I climb out. “Are you coming in?” I ask.
“No, I’ll wait here,” he says, then he frowns. “No, actually I’ll come up.” He climbs out of the car. The two of us walk up into my building and into the lift.
He’s silent, keeping his hands to himself while I stand patiently beside him.
We make our way into my apartment, and I walk into the kitchen, turning to him. “Would you like a drink?”
He shakes his head, and his eyes hold mine. He looks like he has something on his mind. “Start talking.”
“Start talking?” I frown. Does he mean…?
“You heard me.” He waits for a moment. “Tell me why?”
“Why?” God, what is he talking about?
“Why you fucking left me, Tully. I did everything right. Everything that you wanted, I handed it to you on a silver fucking platter. Now I want to know why you left me.”