AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Liv
Myphoneblaresfromthe nightstand and I fumble for it, hitting the green button just in time. I answer with a grunt, my eyes still half closed.
“Shit, did I wake you?” Vera says. Her voice is scratchy, and I can tell she’s been crying.
“What’s wrong?”
“I, um. I screwed up. Can I come over?”
“Of course. John should be at work.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
The call disconnects, and I groan when I see it’s just past seven in the morning. I’ve only been asleep for a few hours after my late shift. I crawl out of bed and get myself together in the bathroom. Vera is never this emotional, so I can only assume something happened with Garrett.
Being alone in the house is strange. I got so used to having Dylan and Garrett or Jordy around and now that they’re not here, it’s like I’m missing a foot. I’m learning to walk again though, and while it sucks and I miss them like crazy, it’s also liberating. Mark assures me he’s confident I can return to a normal life, but I’ve always got him on speed dial if I need him. It annoys me that they call it “normal.” Like Luke was some strange alien who pulled me away from reality. I wanted Luke to be my normal.
I’m on my second cup of coffee when Vera pulls into the driveway. The door opens, and she wraps her arms around me with a sob. My own tears form because I’ve never seen her this upset. I shut the door and follow her to the couch. She sinks into it, and I hand her a box of tissues.
“Thanks,” she mumbles and blows her nose. Her hair is in a messy knot on top of her head and she wears leggings and a baggy off the shoulder t-shirt. There’s a mascara stain near the collar, but she’s not wearing make-up. I’ve never known her to step out of her front door looking anything less than perfect.
“Talk to me,” I say.
She sucks in a deep breath and grabs another tissue.
“So, you know how Garrett and I are doing the long-distance thing since he’s coming back soon?”
I nod. That’s an enormous commitment for her. One I’m proud she made.
“I called him last night like I always do, and he didn’t answer. I called him a dozen times like a crazy person. And then a woman answered, and I panicked.”
My anger flairs as I contemplate the ways I can castrate a man, brother or not, but she holds up her hand. “Let me finish.”
I take a breath and nod.
“So, I got super drunk and texted Brando.”
My hand flies to my mouth. “Oh no…”
She nods with a grimace. “Of course, he was more than willing to make me forget my sorrows. We lasted two minutes before we went at it like rabbits. I forgot how great we were together.”
I drop my hand and rest it on my stomach. This won’t end well. “So, Garrett called me this morning while I was naked, wrapped up in Brando’s arms. Turns out he got called last minute on a mission and couldn’t bring his phone. His mom answered because she thought there was an emergency when his phone kept blowing up. She surprised him with a visit. He didn’t have time to tell me before he got called in.”
I reach out and squeeze her arm.
“I cheated on the sweetest guy on the planet, who treated me like a queen. God, he’s going to be devastated. I fucked it all up because I’m a selfish piece of shit.” Her tears fall again in fat drops, and she leans her head on my shoulder as I rub her arm. I hand her a wad of tissues and she sobs again.
“Do you know what this means?” I say once she’s calmed down again.
She nods. “I’m going to be alone forever.”
“No dummy. You’re in love with Garrett, you just got scared because you’re used to being hurt. Believe me, I get that.”
She leans back and meets my gaze, wiping away more tears. She searches my face for a moment, then sighs. “Shit.” She lets out a few more hiccupping sobs. “I have to tell him.”
I nod. “Yes, you do.”
“What if he hates me?”
