AllFreeNovel
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Fuck.“How the hell did you get all wise and shit?”
“It’s a gift.” He waves to the bartender, who brings his card and receipt. He leaves a tip for almost double the bill, then stands, slipping his arms into his suit jacket.
We make our way to the exit. “You’ll figure things out with Liv. Just don’t wait too long or somebody else might swoop her up.”
I narrow my gaze. “Don’t fucking touch her.”
He grins. “That’s the spirit.”
Brody’s car is already waiting at the valet, mine right behind it. We hug and he pats my back a few times. “I’ll call you next week so my friend can meet you.”
I hold him a little longer than I usually do. “Thank you. I love you, brother.”
“Love you too, Lukey Bear. Call me if you and the jarheads need backup,” he says, and I nod. He steps away and slides into the driver’s seat before driving away.
Fox joins me as the valet attendant opens the doors for us. I tip him and we make our way back to the hotel. Brody was there for me when few people were. He may not be my blood, but he’ll always be my brother, no matter how much of a douche canoe he is.
When we get to our exit on the freeway, I keep going. Fox glances at me but doesn’t question it. I head towards the coast and thirty minutes later pull into the driveway of my childhood home. Fox whistles with appreciation as he steps out of the car and takes in the impressive entryway.
“I grew up here,” I say.
He nods and follows me inside. I pay for a housekeeping service to maintain the property. The family photos and personal items I didn’t get rid of sit in boxes in the garage. It’s now a model home. Sterile and lifeless. I did a few favors for my Hollywood friends and let them film a few movies here since nobody lives in it. The house is mine, but I’ll never sell it. It’s filled with too many memories. I flip on the lights and take in the open floor plan as memories fill my head. White sheets cover the furniture. Fake flowers sit in the entryway, where fresh bouquets once stood.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” I say.
Fox nods and settles onto the sheet covered couch. I climb the stairs and make my way to my parent’s room. It’s the only one in the house that I didn’t touch, and it’s off limits to the Reilly Tech guests Emilia and I let stay here. I press my thumb to the advanced security panel and the door clicks open. I pull the sheet off the dresser and stare at the wedding photo of my parents. My eyes water, but I clear my throat and open the top drawer. I grab the black velvet box and open it, revealing my mom’s engagement ring. The oval diamond in the middle is cubic zirconia, but the ones surrounding it and on the sides are authentic. My dad promised her that he’d replace the fake one with a real one when he could afford it, but when the time came, my mom declined. She didn’t care that it was fake because their love was real.
The last time I saw my dad before he died, he asked me to give it to my future wife someday. I forgot all about it until I kissed Liv for the first time on the beach in Coronado. When I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to hers, it was like the world sped on fast forward. All I could see was our future. This haunted house bursting at the seams with life and laughter again. Children that look like us playing with dogs and surrounded by family. I didn’t care that I’d only known her for a few weeks. She was the one. She still is.
Jordy told me I was letting my fear rule me. He was right. I just wasn’t ready to listen. Now that I’ve faced the reality of not having her, I know in my soul I can’t keep going on without her. Brody is right, too. Instead of pushing her away, I should have fought for her. Somehow, I’ll earn her forgiveness. It may be too late, but I have to try.
Fox appears in the open doorway. “We’re going to figure this out. I promise,” he says. I meet his gaze and I’m taken aback by the ferocity I find. We’ve only known each other for a few months, but a brother is a brother.
Fear creeps up my spine, but I do my best to shove it aside as I stuff the box in my pocket and close the dresser drawer. I follow Fox down the stairs. We lock the house and return to the hotel without a word.
