“Do those people lose the memory of who they are?”
“Usually not. There are lots of different kinds of brain injuries. Rarely do they lead to amnesia.” I hold out my arms. “Guess I’m just one of the fortunate ones.”
“So you’d rather have lost your memory than your motor skills?”
I belt out a gush of air, never having really looked at it like that, as an either/or situation. “Yes, of course. Hands down.”
“But you might only be saying that because you don’t know what you’re missing.”
“Seriously?” I ask, giving him a biting stare then tossing the wrench onto a pile of tools. “You too?”
He holds out his hands in apology. “I know, I know, we never talk about this shit. I just wish you could have seen the two of you together.”
I smirk. “Had a taste of what it was like earlier today.”
His jaw slackens and his eyebrows shoot up. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I nod, gloating. “Ripped off the Band-Aid, my friend.”
He slaps my shoulder blade. “You dog. Good for you.”
“I’m actually moving into her place. Or I think I am. I’m not sure.” I sit on a dirty stool and scrub a hand across my jaw. “I kind of left in a huff. Probably fucked it all up.”
“Wait. One thing at a time.” He pulls over a second grimy, grease-covered stool and sits. “First, it’s not her place, it’syourplace. You both own it, and you have every right to be there. Second, you did the deed and then stormed out? I’m confused.”
“We kind of had a fight. Well, maybe not a fight, but we definitely had words. She accused me of sleeping with her because I was on an adrenaline high from saving that guy’s life. Which may or may not have been entirely true. But I did walk in on her naked, so what the hell was I supposed to do? And then I may have pushed back a little too hard and told her she needs to figure her shit out and decide if she can be with me the way I am. And then I just up and left.”
He blows out a long, slow breath, seemingly unpacking everything I just told him. Maybe I’m laying too much on him.
“Sorry,” I say, rolling over to wipe a grease stain off the bumper. “I just don’t have anyone else to talk to about this shit.”
“Hey, it’s okay. You can talk to me. I just didn’t think you wanted to.”
“I don’t.” I pound a fist on my knee. “But I do. Fuck, I don’t know.”
He stands and turns to leave. “You know what, I’m here if you need to talk, but I won’t pressure you to do it.”
I nod. Then I stand as well and call to him before he’s out the door. “Carter, what do you think I should do?”
He leans against the heavy metal doorframe. “About what exactly?”
“About moving in.”
“Do youwantto move in?”
“Yeah. I guess. I mean, I ordered a sofa bed earlier because I told her I’d sleep in the spare room for now until we figure shit out. But that was before I pulled another dick move and walked out.” I gaze over at the car. “I’m pulling a lot of dick moves lately.” I look back at him. “Was I ever a prick before?”
“No, man. You’re just about the nicest guy I knew. But, hey, you have a lot going on. Nobody expects you to be perfect. Let me ask you a question. Was it good?”
I know exactly what he’s asking. Brief flashes of her creamy skin, her amazing breasts, and the way she looked when she came cycle through my mind. “It was fucking perfect.”
“Then, yes, you should move in. Go back over with your tail between your legs if you have to. Apologize. And then do better.”
“Do better how?”
“Trevor, do you want to give it a go with her? Not because you feel obligated to, but because you genuinely like her?”
“Yeah.”
