Page 15 of Brodie

“I would never be mad that they’re friends or that they werespending time together.” I was angry that they were sleeping togetherbehind my back. I don’t tell her that. I can’t. “School starts in August.I haven’t gotten my schedule yet, so I’m not sure. Plus, I still have to work.”

“You know you don’t need to work, Reese. Your dad made sureof that. Stop acting like you don’t have any money.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as possible if I can make it ornot,” I say, ignoring her comment. My dad did leave me a very sizable trustfund, but school is expensive, and I don’t want to be one of those people wholooks back and wonders what happened to the money they had. As for Mom’swedding, it isn’t even in Minnesota. The venue she found is in Hawaii, andthat’s not just a quick weekend trip. It takes planning. The plane ride aloneis seventeen hours with a layover, which means I would have to plan for atleast a five-day trip. Not to mention, I’m not sure I’m mentally ready to bearound Melissa—and possibly Kirk—yet.

“All right.” She sighs, sounding disappointed. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. I’ll call you soon.” I hang up aftersaying goodbye and then walk back into my bathroom. After hanging up my towel,I check my reflection, then shove my feet into my flip-flops and head for thedoor, grabbing my purse on the way out.

When the elevator doors open on the ground floor a fewminutes later, I immediately spot Brodie and, right on cue, those peskybutterflies with no sense of self-preservation take flight.

Ignoring them has gotten more difficult the more time Brodieand I spend together, but I’m determined.

As I wait for a couple with three kids and a stroller to getoff the elevator ahead of me, I take him in. Standing with his arms crossed anda disinterested look on his face, his body language screams: Do notapproach. I get it, or I’m starting to understand that he doesn’t love theattention he gets just for being who he is. More than once while we were out,random people came up to talk to him. And although he’s always friendly withthe men who approach to say hi, the women are a different story. Or at leastthey are when they come up to him, breathing his name like they just finishedhaving sex and are ready for another round. He dismisses them without muchcare.

When I finally get off the elevator, I step around thecouple now trying to detain one of their little boys, who obviously has nodesire to be strapped into the stroller his parents are attempting to lock himin.

Jeb is the first to notice my arrival and stands with ahappy woof, wagging his tail. “Hey.” I smile at him and then look up at Brodie.A warm, familiar smile replaces the disinterested look he wore moments ago.

“Took you long enough.” He leans down to kiss my cheek, andmy insides twist in response.

“Sorry. I was on the phone with my mom,” I tell him, rubbingJeb’s head.

“Everything okay?” he asks as we fall into step and walk outof the building. Even with the sun not directly overhead, it’s still hot.

“She was telling me about the wedding venue she found inHawaii.”

“Is that where she’s getting married?”

“She’s thinking about it. But if she does, I don’t know if Iwill be able to go.” I glance up at him. “She wants to have the wedding inAugust, but that’s around the time school starts.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah,” I lie. Because if she does have her wedding inHawaii in August, and I have a legit reason not to go, it will make my life somuch easier.

“So, what are you in the mood for tonight?”

“Whatever you want.” I shrug. With Jeb along, there arefewer options since we have to find a restaurant with an outdoor dining area. Idon’t mind. I enjoy having him with us, especially after dinner when wenormally take him down to the beach to run for a bit.

“All right.” Brodie wraps his hand around mine but then letsgo quickly. “Sorry, habit.”

Habit? Like he’s used to holding someone’s hand so oftenthat he reached out for mine without thinking. My insides twist, and not in agood way.

Sitting across from him sometime later under a dark blueawning outside an Italian restaurant, I study him as he looks over the menu inhis hand while Jeb lies under the table at our feet. We’ve spent a lot of timetogether this last week. And we often text throughout the day, so we’ve talkeda lot, and about many things. But I’ve never asked him about his love life, andhe’s never asked me about mine. Is that weird? Should I know if he has agirlfriend, even if we’re only friends?

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Shit, I know how that probablysounded. He lifts his gaze to mine. “Not that I’m interested.” I hold up ahand. “I’m not. I’m just curious because you said habit earlier, likeyou’re used to holding someone’s hand.”

“Jesus. You’re horrible for my fucking ego, Ree.”

Darn. I really love it when he calls me Ree. No one has evergiven me a nickname before, and it’s cute when he says it.

“Sorry.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend.” Relief I have no reason to feelsweeps over me. “But I had one back in Tennessee.”

“Did you break up because you were moving to Florida?”

“No. She broke up with me long before that because I was anidiot.”

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