If that was true, then Brent was responsible. Not wholly responsible. Not even equally responsible.
But it was a mess they’d both gotten into together, and if that meant Rose was in trouble now, he had to help her.
“Come inside,” Brent said, regretting it the moment the words were out. He didn’t want her to come inside. He wanted her to go away so he could curl up on the couch with Riley again.
But that was selfish, and he couldn’t quite bring himself to turn her away. Despite what she’d done.
Rose sniffed, nodding against Brent’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Brent murmured. It wasn’t okay, but there was no point in saying that. It’d just have to be okay.
“I’ll… put some coffee on,” Riley said after a moment.
“Can you get a blanket, too? She’s cold.”
“Of course.” Riley patted Brent’s shoulder on his way past. “Anything you need.”
That was why Riley was a keeper. Even faced with Brent’s ex, he was being kind.
“It’s gonna be okay,” Brent promised Rose. He backed off, taking her hand and tugging her inside. “Whatever’s happened, it’s all gonna be okay.”
Rose followed him into the kitchen, where Riley pulled a chair out from the table and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, tucking it into her lap with all the gentleness and sympathy of a man who’d dealt with his share of broken hearts.
Brent remembered him doing almost exactly the same thing for him just eight days ago. It was amazing how far they’d both come in that time, but it wasn’t as though it was coming out of nowhere, either.
Riley had always been the one. Brent should have seen that before now.
“Thanks, man,” Brent murmured, touching Riley’s arm.
“No problem. Do you want me to get out of the way, or…?”
“Stay?” Brent asked. “Please. I don’t know if I can cope with this on my own.”
Riley smiled a small, tired smile at him. “You can, but I’ll stay anyway,” he said.
Brent breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you. Seriously. I’ll make this up to you.”
“It’s okay,” Riley said. “This is what friends are for.”
Brent wasn’t sure that justanyfriend would put up with quite this much crap, but Riley was special. Riley had always been special.
Keeping him was the best thing Brent could imagine doing with his life.
As soon as he dealt with whatever Rose’s problem was, he intended to tell him that.
