Page 39 of Restored Dreams

Brut’s head pops up, and he stares down at me. “Probably not.” He stands quickly, reaching for his shorts on the floor from our disrobing the night before. I roll to my stomach, watching him tug on his shorts as I hold the sheet to my chest. I prop up on one elbow as Brut calls his son’s number.

“Hey,” he snaps too sharply for a greeting, and I understand his frustration, but his son must need him. “Hank?”

I draw up to my knees, observing the concern on Brut’s face. His eyes meet mine and hold as he listens a minute. His free hand wipes down his face and then combs back through his hair. His hand pauses on the back of his neck.

“Why the fuck did he do that?”

Brut nods as if understanding the explanation for whatever happened.

“He was arrested?” Panic fills his face. I stumble up to my feet, struggling with the long sheet before holding it around me like a dress.

“But you bailed him out? Thank fuck.”

Brut listens again.

“I can be there in a few hours. I’ll leave now.” His eyes leap to mine, and I nod, knowing whatever it is, he has to go.

“Hank, I owe you so big, man. Thank you.”

He pauses a second, chuckling without humor at something his brother said.

“Yeah, yeah. See you in a few.”

As he clicks off his phone, I rush to Brut. “What happened?”

“Chopper got in a bar fight. Fucking punk,” Brut hisses, swiping down his face again and tossing his phone on the bed.

“He was in jail?”

“Hank got him out.” He pauses a second, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling. “Look, Lil, I hate to do this—”

“Go. Of course, you have to go.”

His hands come to my upper arms, stroking without thinking. “You know I don’t want to leave too soon.”

“It’s only a few hours earlier than it would have happened.”

Brut stiffens, his fingers stop rubbing and dig into my arms. “What does that mean?”

“I just mean, we’d be separating soon anyway, right? You need to go, Brut. We aren’t important right now. Chopper is.”

“You’re important to me,” Brut stresses, but I can’t have this discussion with him. The week has been wonderful. A dream come true. A second chance with the one who got away, but I need to call it what it is. Brut and I can never be together.

“You’re special to me, too.”

“Special,” Brut snaps. “Special? Why the fuck do I feel like you’re about to tell me we can be friends?”

“Isn’t that what we’ve been? Friends with benefits. One week only.”

“Lily, you know it’s more than that.” He sighs, clutching at my arms and dragging me closer to him.

“I don’t think we should discuss this now. Chopper needs you.” Brut’s eyes drift back and forth between mine as if he’s looking for something.

“That’s it, isn’t it? It’s him. He’s always going to be between us.” Brut shakes his head, pursing his lips as he releases me. I grasp the sheet at my chest.

“It’s never been him, Brut, and you know that. I don’t fault that child for being born. It wasn’t his mistake.”

“No,” Brut heaves. “It was mine. I did it. I fucked up.”