Page 132 of Three Pucking Ex's Brothers
Brett’s voice calls for me again, my soul shattering at the ache in his voice.
“You’re not going anywhere near her, asshole,” Russell bites out.
I hear them fighting, their heavy footfalls getting closer.
“Maybe if I talk to him?—”
“Are you insane?” Tommy says.
“No, I just?—”
“Let mygirlfriendbe the judge of that,” Brett yells, and tears fill my eyes.
I should have known this would happen.
But maybe Idid.I don’t know how he found out about me and Rush, and that in itself is a problem, but the truth of the matter is this would have happened anyway at some point, right?
How long did we think we could do this?
How long did we think we could keep something like this from him? From their parents?
Maybe I knew this would end in a disaster, and I refused to think about it. Maybe Abby was right, and this wasn’t about anything more than revenge.
Maybe what I feel doesn’t matter. I don’t want to break up a family.
I don’t want to cause anyone pain.
And listening to them fight outside…hearing Brett’s voice…
He’s in pain too.
He almost sounds…remorseful?
My heart aches because I know what I need to do. And I know they aren’t going to like it, but…I need to do this for me. To know for sure. To get the closure I need.
To avoid hurting everyone in the long run.
“You broke up with her!”
“Awww…is that what she told you?” Brett asks.
I move toward the door.
“Nora, no, stop!” Tommy cries out, but I ignore him. “Nora!”
I throw open the door, Tommy’s footsteps behind me. I don’t stop, though. I can’t.
“Stop!” I shout, laying my eyes on two half-dressed men and my ex, their hands at each other’s throats, and the sound of my voice makes everything stop.
They all turn to look at me. I stand there in my sweater and leggings, eyes rimmed with tears.
“Nora, we need to talk,” Brett says, his voice gruff.
Every instinct in my body says not to go with him, but…I trusted him once. Loved him once.
And perhaps a part of me still does love him. Perhaps part of me isn’t ready to let go yet. Perhaps I need closure so I can finally let him go. And I’m not going to get it here, in this hallway. I know that.
Brett is a private person.
