Page 88 of Devoted

Chapter 28

Brooks

“I’m at a fucking loss, man.” The shot of whiskey sitting on the table torments me with the momentary relief I know I’ll feel once I down it. And even though tomorrow will be filled with regrets from listening to the amber liquid, my head and heart don’t really give a shit right now. I grab the glass and sling it back, wincing as the burn courses through my throat.

“I honestly didn’t see this coming. I just don’t buy it. Jess isn’t like that. When she was around all of us that night, she didn’t seem bothered or emotional about seeing your mom. If anything, she seemed understanding to me.”

I shake my head and then take a sip of my beer. “My gut is telling me there’s more to it too. Like, why is her sister here all of a sudden? I know she’s in school, so maybe she’s just visiting for a few days before the new semester starts. But it’s kind of odd that she never told me about it. However, now I’m realizing that there are quite a few things she never told me about. Like taking a month off of work? Why? She loves her job….”

There’s nothing quite like learning that the woman that you asked repeatedly to trust you is keeping a secret. My gut is telling me that. And my intuition is usually right.

As my voice trails off, a group of men walk through the door that I instantly recognize. Cooper, Cash, Luke, and Kane filter into Tony’s and head straight for us.

“What are they doing here? Did you invite them?” I ask, turning to face my cousin while noticing that he’s starting to form two heads.

“I called in reinforcements. These guys understand women better than you and I do. They’re all married too. Well, except for Luke. But he and Rachel are solid now since they reconciled. Maybe they can help us solve the puzzle.”

Just as I turn to face them, Cash reaches down to shake my hand. I’m pretty sure my arm makes a snake-like motion as I try to pinpoint the exact location of his palm to reciprocate the handshake. Maybe I’m done with the shots for tonight.

After I went to Jess’s apartment and confronted her last night, I called Ethan on my way home. He was just as confused as me, so he suggested we get together tonight to hash it out and drown my feelings with some booze, something I wouldn’t typically do, but is warranted given the circumstances.

My anger subsided once I realized that Jess and I could be finished and there’s nothing I can do about it. I stared at the engagement ring I had stuffed in my sock drawer before chucking the box across my bedroom. When I woke this morning, I returned it to its rightful place, hoping that this speed bump is just temporary, and not final. But my hope is wearing thin right now, just like my sobriety.

“Hey, Brooks. You look like shit.”

I stare up at him and then narrow my eyes. “Well, when the woman you love pushes you away, looking and feeling like shit becomes a requirement.” I reach for my beer and drain it before motioning to Tony for another one.

“Oh, believe me. We all know that too well, don’t we boys?”

“You’re speaking to the choir, Brooks,” Cooper adds as they all pull out their chairs and a waitress comes by to take their orders.

“So tell me what you went through then. Help me believe that this is fixable, because right now I feel defeated. She pushed me away and gave me an excuse that could be accurate, but I feel like there’s more to the story too.”

The waitress comes back and delivers everyone’s drinks, including my refill. If I stick with beer for the rest of the night, I should be fine.

“Well, Clara and I dated in secret for a while,” Cooper starts, “because she was afraid of what my sister’s reaction would be. I agreed because I was desperate just to have her and be with her, but then when it came time to tell everyone, she chickened out and basically told everyone she was just sleeping with me for sex, even though we were definitely in love.”

I run my hand through my hair, trying to put myself in Cooper’s shoes, the thought of being kept a secret makes my blood boil. That had to fucking suck.

“So how did you get back on track? What happened that fixed everything?”

“She owned up to her mistakes and told everyone close to us that she was in love with me in a very public declaration. My girl wooed me, and I am damn proud of that.”

Cash laughs. “It was quite the spectacle. She sent him gifts and shit before the grand display of affection.”

“Oh yeah! Remember when we pulled over that older woman and she shoved a giant purple dildo in our faces?” Luke adds.

“What? How did purple dildos just become involved?” Ethan is beyond confused sitting beside me, much like myself.

Cooper smacks the table and then points a finger at me. “That was Penny. Fuck, Brooks! You know Penny!”

“The old lady that was hitting on me while she was having a heart attack?”

“That’s the one!”

“She was instrumental in getting you and Clara back together?”

“She definitely played a part.”

---