I gave him a not-so-nice look.
As he turned to leave, I could have sworn the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Why did you stay with me?” I blurted.
He paused at the door and glanced back at me. “You were sleeping, you were safe, everyone was exhausted, and Bram wanted everybody to go home. Because my best friends are dumbasses, they refused to leave you. Bram was moments away from tossing them out of the house. To avoid all that, I offered to stay. It was obvious Bram wasn’t happy about it, but he couldn’t force me to leave without pissing my mom off.”
He’d stayed with me for Roe and Wyatt. Not because he wanted to. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I really shouldn’t. Yet I was still disappointed.
I’m such a problem to be handled.
“I’ll be right outside.” He left and closed the door behind him.
Moving slowly, I used the toilet and made my way over to the sink. The bathroom had more color than the bedroom and appeared newly renovated. The walls were sage green and the white tiles on the floor were hexagonal. The vanity was white oak with a solid white marble countertop and sink. I wondered if Bram’s wife, Vivian, had picked everything out.
I could only wash the hand that wasn’t bandaged. As I did, I made the mistake of glancing in the white-oak-framed mirror above the sink. My lip was split, but that was from when Donnie had hit me at the club’s barbecue. One side of my face, from my chin to just below my eye, was swollen and bruised and had tiny cuts. My neck was covered in purple and black blotches. After drying my hand, I lifted the baggy shirt to reveal my stomach. Ionly took a quick glance before I let my shirt drop back in place. The memories of every punch and kick kept popping up behind my eyes, making me wince and shake my head in an attempt to distort what my mind was forcing me to see.
“It’s just another fucking day,” I whispered with closed eyes.
Don’t cry.
“It’s just another—” My already hoarse voice cracked, and I had to stare up at the ceiling to help will away the tears that threatened to fall.
I couldn’t cry. Because once I started, I wouldn’t be able to stop. I was already fucking low. Probably the lowest I had ever been. I hadn’t expected to be here dealing with this anymore. So I could not cry. Not if I was going to pull myself up and make the climb I wasn’t sure I even wanted to make. A climb that would put me in a mental state of caring about tomorrow—of wanting to see it.
I closed my eyes again and took a minute to breathe. When I was calmer, I whispered one more time, “It’s just another fucking day.”
Once I was calm enough, I made my way out of the bathroom. Just as I stepped out, I saw Reid leaning against the wall next to the bathroom door and Bram once again sitting in his chair.
I wished Roe or Wyatt were here.
Reid pushed off the wall. “I can carry you.”
“I prefer to walk,” I said as I continued. It was at a snail’s pace, painful, and my legs felt like they’d give out at any second.
“Why are you choosing to do things the hard way?” Reid asked, following me and looking ready to catch me if I fell.
“I’m fine,” I insisted. I didn’t want to be something he had to deal with.
“You’re far from it,” he grumbled.
I stopped walking and turned to face him. “I don’t need your pity or to be a burden you take on for your friends.”
He looked stunned for a split second before he masked it with a blank expression I was just as skilled at. “Did you forget that I was the one who picked you up where your mother and her boyfriend left you bleeding after beating the shit out of you? You think I carried you out of that house out of pity?”
“And why were you at my house?” The last time we had seen each other that day, he had been pissed that I hadn’t spilled everything to Bram. I had ruined his big secret plan.
Reid didn’t respond. He just stood there with his jaw clenched.
“You—” I winced and brought my hand up to my throat. It was getting harder to talk again. “You were going to tell me to stay away.”
I knew I was right when his eyes dropped from mine.
“Had I not had the shit beaten out of me, I would have told you that I had already planned to,” I admitted. I would have had one more night of freedom with Roe and Wyatt before I cut ties.
Reid’s eyes returned to mine.
“Looks like you got what you wanted in the end. You’ve successfully pawned me and my problems off onto Bram. So please don’t feel any need to stay,” I said, and began my snail’s pace toward the bed again. I glanced at Bram, who had stood from his chair and was frowning at both of us. Looking away from him, I reached out for the foot of the bed. From there it was easier to return to the side I had been lying on. Bram moved out of the way so I could get by. It was sweet relief to sit down on the edge of the mattress. I set my hands on the tops of my knees and tried not to breathe in too deeply.
