Page 82 of Obligation
Carissa: I promise to let you know by tomorrow morning.
He furrowed his brow and tilted his head, rereading her message. That was all she had to say? He’d expected something more. His unease intensified. If only he could figure out what was wrong, or rather, what was causing all this dread.
Garrett raced down the stairs like his ass was on fire. “Have you seen my keys?”
“Over there.” Bradley nodded at the wooden bowl on the kitchen counter.
Garrett dug through the items in the bowl, then held his keys up in triumph. “Thanks, man.” He headed for the front door.
“Where are you rushing off to? Is the house on fire or something?”
“Carissa’s,” he said and slipped his feet into a pair of Nike sandals.
That had Bradley’s attention. “Oh yeah? Everything alright?” He hoped his voice was calmer than his heart.
Garrett shrugged. “No idea. She sent me, Cory, and Tiff a message saying she needed to talk to us ASAP, but she wouldn’t tell us why.”
Bradley’s stomach sank. Was Carissa going to tell her brother and closest friends about his invitation to go to Texas with him? Was she about to ask for their advice? That was what girls usually did, right? He’d seek Jeremy’s advice when needing to make a big decision. Shifting on his feet, Bradley forced himself to remain calm. For all he knew, Carissa’s message had nothing to do with him.
“Anyway, I gotta go.” Garrett practically stormed out of the house, slamming the door closed behind him.
Bradley’s first inclination was to text Carissa, ask her what was going on and if she was okay. But maybe he wasn’t supposed to know she’d summoned her friends, and he didn’t want to unintentionally snitch on Garrett. Then again, Garrett hadn’t said anything about Bradley needing to keep his mouth shut.
Before he could send a message he would probably regret, the front door swung open, and Danny walked in. He looked like hell, and for a split-second, Bradley almost felt bad for the guy. That feeling quickly went away.
“Where is everyone?” Danny asked.
“Garrett just left. No idea where he went,” Bradley lied smoothly, not wanting to give Danny an excuse to go see Carissa. “And Jeremy’s in class.”
“When they get back, can you let them know I’m going to be gone for a few days?” Danny stood behind the living room chair, hands clutching the back of it.
“You can’t tell them yourself?” Bradley crossed his arms, his need to tell Danny off burning hotter with each passing moment. “I’m not a messenger service.”
Danny scowled and stood to his full height, which was the same height as Bradley. In that regard, they were evenly matched. Danny, however, had a hell of a lot more muscle than Bradley did, but he was positive he’d be able to hold his own in a fight.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Danny asked.
“You’re my problem,” Bradley said, letting his anger take control for once. “You’re an asshole, and you treat Carissa like shit. I have an issue with that.”
“Of course you do.” Danny snorted and moved around the chair until he stood face to face with Bradley. “Because you want her, don’t you?”
Bradley’s jaw tensed, and the vein in his temple throbbed. He refused to let Danny bait him. So, he remained stoic and silent.
“You want her, and you’re pissed that you can’t have her,” Danny said, a tone of gleefulness in his tone. “Well, too fucking bad. She’s mine.” He pointed at his chest to emphasize his words.
“Not anymore,” he said coolly. “Last I heard, you two broke up.”
Danny’s lips flattened into a thin, angry line, and he curled his hands into fists by his sides. Bradley was hyper-aware of every move Danny made, no matter how small, in preparation for a physical altercation. Danny was the type of guy to throw a sucker punch without warning.
“Right.” He nodded, his grin smug. “That’s why she’s going home with me this weekend, right? Because she’s not mine?”
Bradley’s anger reached its boiling point, and he dug his fingernails into his arms to stop himself from knocking Danny flat on his ass. No way was Carissa going home with Danny, not this weekend. Not when Bradley had invited her to go to Texas. Unless…
The dread and unease from earlier intensified, and suddenly, everything made so much more sense. No wonder Carissa hadn’t jumped at his offer—she already had plans to go home with Danny, and she was too ashamed or scared to tell Bradley the truth. That would also explain why she hadn’t said much in her message to him.
“Do us all a favor and don’t come back,” Bradley said. He shoved past Danny, knocking into his shoulder hard enough to jar Danny, and then Bradley stormed out of the house.
His body was tense as he jogged down the porch steps and across the lawn toward his car. He fully expected Danny to run after him, jump him from behind, but a quick glance over Bradley’s shoulder confirmed that he was alone.
