I find him leaning against the bar with a long neck in his hands. His baseball cap is pulled low over his eyes as he hangs his head. Tension ripples off him in thick, painfully angry waves. I join him nervously. "You here for a specific reason, Gracie?" The tone of his voice is sharp and commanding.
"So he does speak!" I grin and sit down on the empty barstool beside him. The slightest tug on the corner of his lips brings the slightest glimmer of hope back.
"I assume from the lack of angry calls from Mom that you didn't tell her anything." He looks surprised, but he shouldn’t be. I would never snitch on him. Not really.
"So, you did get my messages," I point out before flagging down the bartender and ordering a beer. When one is quickly slid in front of me, we both lift our bottles, gulping. Awkward silence covers us like the most miserable, scratchy blanket.
Our relationship has never been awkward. Yes, we have had our fair share of fights—mainly due to his overprotective nature, but things have never been this bad. I'm still not even sure how we got here, to this standstill.
"Look. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry you found out the way you did, and I'm sorry you disapprove of it." I sigh and down the rest of my bottle. He stays silent, his eyes focused on the mystery drink splattered across the bar-top.
Taking a much-needed deep breath, I collect my footing and shove the empty bottle towards the bartender and step down from the stool. If he wants to play it like this, then we will. I'm not getting down on my knees to beg him for his forgiveness. This is my life.
As I readjust my purse on my shoulder and whip around, more than ready to get the hell out of this situation, he calls out my name. "Sit. Please," Oakley begs, lifting his head for the first time and bringing his eyes up to meet mine. The hurt in his eyes is enough for me to set aside my own feelings and repair what I broke between us. I nod and sit back down. I place a hand over his where it rests on the dingy countertop.
"Talk to me, Lee. Let's figure this out."
He pulls his hat off with his free hand and rakes his fingers through his hair. He shakes his head once and slips the hat back on before smoothing out his overgrown beard.
"I'm sorry for the things I said to you. I was an awful brother and you didn't deserve any of that."
"Damn right, I didn't deserve it," I tease and lightly bump my shoulder against his. A small dimple appears on his right cheek as a smile starts to take over his features, lighting up his face. "Next time though, it won't be me you'll be dealing with. It will be Mom," I threaten.
His smile drops and is replaced with a shaky grimace as his eyes bulge. Grinning wide at his newfound distress, I give myself a mental pat on the back. "You're evil, Gray," he says with a click of his tongue. Our laughter brings a warmth to my chest that I've been missing this entire week.
"Can you promise me something, though?" I ask when our laughter dies down. The dreaded question now hangs in the air, darkening the mood slightly.
"Anything," he promises without hesitation.
"Fix things with Tyler. For me, for Ava, and for you. We both know you need to go home," I say gently, my hand squeezing his tightly. He sighs deeply, staring at me with regretful eyes as my words sink into him.
"I will." He swallows with a tight grimace. "This has been by far one of the hardest weeks of my life. This isn't what I wanted."
"It isn't what any of us wanted. Which is all the more reason to fix this."
"I promise I will fix this. Okay? Just trust me," he says, his signature confidence instantly convinces me that he's serious as it finally makes its glorious return. Everyone knows that a confident Hutton is a force to be reckoned with.
"I love you, big brother," I murmur into his shoulder, soaking up this moment for as long as I can.
"I love you too, little sister," he replies, placing a kiss on the top of my head and resting his cheek where his lips were just seconds ago.
Maybe I was too easy on him, and perhaps I forgave him too quickly after all of the things he said to me. But the only thing I'm sure about right now is that no matter how much we go through together, it will always be us against the world.