Wow.I force a swallow, trying to wrap my head around the direction of this conversation because I was wrong. DrewhatesBrooks. My brother isn’t usually so nasty. And even though I’m aware that there are people who don’t like him, he’s never been so vicious about anyone in front of me.
Then again, I’ve never brought someone up from his world like this, either.
The urge to push back against his vitriol is strong because he’s so wrong about Brooks. It’s as if we don’t know the same man, and it makes no sense to me.
“I would appreciate it if you’d go into more detail,” I say as nicely as I can.
“How the hell did you meet this asshole on your sabbatical or whatever you’re calling it now?”
I stop in my tracks. “That’s not very nice, Andrew.”
“The world isn’t a nice place, but I thought you knew that.” He snorts haughtily, like I’m too naïve to see the truth of my position. “He’s a fucking narcissist, Audrey. Stay away from him.”
Narcissist? Brooks?I bite my tongue instead of pointing out that if either of them displays signs of a profound lack of empathy or apparent extreme self-importance in this situation, it’s not Brooks.
“That’s not been my experience with him,” I say slowly. “He’s a friend of Gray’s—Astrid’s boyfriend. We met randomly, and I assure you it wasn’t premeditated or whatever you’re thinking.”
“Like I believe that.”
“I don’t know what to tell you then.” I stop walking as my irritation grows. “What do you think happened? Do you think he went out of his way to meet me to screw with you?”
His lips smack together in displeasure, and I can imagine his jaw tensing on the other end of the phone. We’ve had our battles over the years, but I’ve never really stood up to him. It’s never been worth it—always easier to just let things go. And it might be easier this time, too, but I can’t just let him talk trash about Brooks like that. It’s unfair and it’s mean.
“He’s done worse, I’ll put it to you like that,” Drew says.
“You just tossed out the wordnarcissist, and if I’m applying it to this conversation, there’s one clear winner. And it’s not Brooks.”
He laughs angrily as my blood boils. “Look, Audrey, I know you try to see the good in everyone because you’re a sweetheart, but there’s nothing good in Brooks Dempsey, okay?”
I’m rooted to the ground in a stunned silence.When did my brother get so cold? And when did he start talking to me like I’m a child?
I lick my lips, and the wind dries them right away. I should hurry back to the cabin because time is ticking—Brooks will be here to get me any minute—but this feels important. For so many reasons.
“You’re wrong this time. Truly,” I say. “I’ve spent a lot of time with him recently and I?—”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Drew!” I gasp, shocked at his hateful tone. I’ve heard him speak to other people like this, but he’s never used this with me. It’s disorientating. I place a hand against my chest as ifthe pressure of my palm will somehow ease the tension settling against my ribs.
“Look, I gotta go. I have a lot of shit on my hands that I need to take care of. But you are not to see Dempsey again. Do you understand? I mean it.”
“No, I don’t understand. What you’re saying doesn’t match my experience and, while I appreciate your concern, I’m afraid you aren’t listening to me.”
“I’m not getting into this with you.”
There’s something about the way he says this—like I’m supposed to heed his demands because he doled them out—that rubs me the wrong way.
“In epistemology, direct evidence often outweighs personal testimony,” I say clearly. “Seeing something that you can verify usually carries more weight than hearing someone explain it.”
“This isn’t the time to be cute, Audrey.”
Okay, now I’m mad. “I’m sorry that you find reasoning and analysis cute.”
“Will you stop? This is ridiculous. What’s gotten into you?”
He sighs as if he’s disgusted with me. The sound ripples through my mind and dips into my heart, piercing it with a tiny jab. The fact that he could be disgusted with me over something like this makes me second-guess every interaction we’ve ever had. It also makes me wonder about his other interactions.
What did happen between him and Brooks?
