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I shrug regretfully.
“Come on, let’s go inside. You stink. You can take a shower, and I’ll make you something to deal with that hangover.”
Once I’m in the shower, I scrub my skin raw, trying to rid myself of last night’s memories. The only one I want to hold on to is the one of Tori sliding out of that wetsuit and climbing on top of me. She blew my mind last night. She fucked me knowing I was going to leave her. She left her mark so I would never forget her. And I won’t. That girl has ruined me, like she hoped she would. I can never be with anyone else. Just thinking about her breath in my ear, screaming my name when she climaxed, makes me want to go to her.
I can’t, though. Harrison’s announcement made things impossible. When my mother finds out what happened, she is going to rage. If she learns I have feelings for Tori she’ll do something drastic, maybe even to hurt Tori. I can’t risk it. I switch the water to cold and let it cascade down my body until I’m nearly frozen.
Emerging into the kitchen, I feel somewhat human again, but my head still hurts and my heart is still broken.
Rodrigo slams a glass of something green on the table in front of me. My stomach flinches at the thought of drinking it, and I think I might throw up.
“Have a seat and drink this.”
I lean over the glass to smell its contents, which makes me gag. “I can’t drink that.”
“Don’t be a pussy. Plug your nose and down it. You’ll thank me later.” Rodrigo leaves me alone with the glass of hell.
I man up and do as he says. It’s just as repulsive as I thought it would be.
Chapter 26
Tori
I’m a little late getting to the Bean. Harrison is leaning against his car with two cups of coffee in hand. He gestures to me with one of them as I pull into the spot next to him.
I’m nervous to be around him after everything that happened, and I walk toward him with my head down.
“Hey, chin up.”
I look up at him, and the warm smile on his face eases my nerves. Only now, I see the bruises from last night. His left eye is nearly closed and his right cheek doesn’t look much better.
Harrison must notice my expression because he says, “Yeah, Brady did a number on me, but I’ll be fine.”
“Oh.” What else can I say? I feel bad about it, but Harrison chose to egg Brady on last night.
He hands me a cup and smiles. “Mocha, double shot, your favorite.”
I smile back and take the cup. He suggests we take a walk on the beach. I agree, and we walk toward the water side by side. There’s an awkward silence lingering between us as I gulp down my mocha, savoring each swallow until it’s gone.
I stop him just before we get to the sand, take off my flip-flops, and toss my coffee cup into the trash bin. I hold my flip-flops in my hand and we continue walking.
Harrison and I stroll along the water’s edge for a while without uttering a single word. I smile watching a little boy dump water over the top of his sister's sand castle. She chases him up the beach, throwing sand at him.
I don’t want to bombard Harrison, but I want answers. What do I ask? Will he even be honest with me? As I debate with myself, he breaks the silence.
“Do you believe me now that Brady is dangerous?”
I instantly flash red. That’s why he wanted to see me. To prove that Brady is some reckless, uncaring bad boy who will chew me up and spit me out. He doesn’t know Brady like I do, and I’m livid he thinks he does. Brady might have broken my heart, but it wasn’t because he doesn’t love me. It’s because he doesn’t love himself.
I stop and send an angry look his way before I let him have it. “What happened to Vanessa was a horrible accident. You can’t fucking blame Brady for that. No one is suffering more than he is, so lay the hell off.” I bite down hard on my lip.
“It’s not the accident that makes him reckless, Tori.”
“Stop saying that! He’s not reckless! He’s heartbroken and he’s crushed, but he’s not reckless,” I shout. "Since we’re on the subject, if I'd died on that jet ski last night, would it have been your fault? Wasn’t that reckless?" Harrison had apologized, and I know he never intended to hurt me, but how dare him act like a complete hypocrite.
“Did he tell you about the money?” Harrison asks bluntly. Apparently, he’s not going to discuss his faults.
Remembering the fight the two of them had, I was curious. Harrison told Brady to shove his money, and I'd wanted to ask Brady about it last night but hadn't. Mostly because I knew he wouldn’t tell me.
