He faced him. “Don’t worry. I’m still clean.”
“Just want to make sure.”
“I appreciate it. If you insist on waiting, get out of here so I can get dressed.”
Sawyer nodded. “Meet you outside.”
Hunter headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, brushed his teeth, threw on his clothes and slicked back his damp, shaggy blond hair. He appreciated what Sawyer was doing. A year ago when they signed the lease together, he’d made a pact with Sawyer that he would stay clean and sober, and he’d keptit. That was in the past, and it was a road he never wanted to travel again.
He locked the apartment and went outside, and it hit him how long he’d slept. Now that he was fully awake, he felt better than he had in two weeks. He also remembered how he’d fallen asleep.By listening to Britt.
Jumping on his bike, he followed his friend to the warehouse. Some of the words she’d said flashed in his mind. Something about playing it safe. Up until recently, that had never been his MO.
But as he approached the warehouse, more of what she’d said came back to mind.“But have you ever come to a point in your life where you know you need to do something different...”That definitely applied to him. His life was at a standstill, and he didn’t know how to change it.
He’d blown so many chances that he wasn’t sure he could.
Chapter 3
Daniel Branch loosened the knot on his black tie and looked at Brittany, then took a drink of the half lemonade half tea she’d given him shortly after he walked inside the house. Not only was the drink delicious, it was also his favorite beverage, and he appreciated her thoughtfulness. Thoughtfulness he didn’t deserve. But he was hoping to make up for the years he’d lost with her. And hopefully, someday, with Amy.If she’ll ever let me.
“Thanks for agreeing to stay here today.” Brittany tugged at the bottom of her white T-shirt. The graphic on the front was some kind of Japanese cartoon design he didn’t recognize. Manga, he thought she called it. Whatever it was, he’d seen her draw similar-looking things on her channel that rivaled the commercially sold stuff. His girl had talent, and lots of it. “I didn’t feel like going out today,” she said.
“No problem.” He shifted on one of two matching sage-green recliners.
Brittany was seated in the other one. He reminded himself that this was no longer his home and hadn’t been for over twenty years. The walls were still the same shade of beige they’d been when he and Amy bought the three-bedroom home back in the nineties, soon after they were married. At that time, the city of Allen was starting to boom, and they’d gotten it for a deal. She was a first-year teacher and he’d just started his mechanic job at a garage around the corner that was no longer in business and wasnow a nail salon. They didn’t have much money or experience. But they’d had a lot of love... and he’d squandered all of it.
“I’m sorry I haven’t asked you this yet, but is it weird to be here after all these years?” Brittany put her palms on her knees.
“A little.” More than that actually. There was nothing of him in this house anymore, other than her. He didn’t recognize any of the furniture, pictures, or knickknacks. His ex-wife had even changed out the country blue carpeting for wood flooring. This house was all hers now, and she’d made it her home.
He glanced at Brittany. She was rubbing her palms over her knees, something she did when she was a little girl and was upset or anxious about something.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Her head jerked up. “Talk about what?” She grabbed her glass and drained half of it in one gulp.
“Whatever’s bothering you. Is that why you didn’t want to go out and grab a bite to eat?”
“I didn’t feel like being around...” She sighed and set the drink back on a coaster on top of a square glass-topped end table. “People.”
“Ah.” He settled back in the recliner. At least she was being honest. She might not have inherited her art talent from him, but she did have his introversion. Especially compared to Amy, who never met a stranger. “I get it.”
“I don’t.” She stared at her lap, then gave the hem of her shirt one more tug. “Savannah’s getting married.”
Shortly after they started talking to each other a few months ago, Brittany had told him about her best friend. “That’s good, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Yeah... for her.” She looked at him. “She wants me to be in the wedding.”
“And you don’t want to?”
“I do. But whenever I think about everything that goes with it, I get nervous. And then I feel guilty. The wedding isn’t about me. It’s about Savannah and Justin.”
While he was glad she was sharing her troubles with him, he was already out of his depth. Their family had imploded when she was eight years old and Amy had filed for divorce. He hadn’t exactly been present during the prior years either. He’d missed a lot of time and a lot of milestones. “What does your mom say?”
“I haven’t told her.” A thick lock of curly hair had escaped her ponytail, and she shoved it behind her ear. “I know what she’d tell me anyway.”
“Do it?”
