Brady Remington Landed Me in Jail(60)

"That's a lawyer," Brady said.

"How do you know?"

"I recognize him. Deputy Dog told me who Frank Stephens' lawyer was when I got arrested the first time. It's some big hotshot from the city. That's him."

"Why is my mother meeting with a lawyer?" Or maybe she had nothing to do with it?

I had a weird sensation Brady knew something more, but he wasn't sharing. "I don't think your mother is. I think Frank Stephens just met with his lawyer. We're at his house, remember?"

"Oh…right…" A flashback came to me when Kid, Brady, and I were little kids. We must've been in seventh grade and all three of us raced inside those doors. The last one inside was the loser. We were laughing, so carefree back then.

"You ready?" Brady asked softly.

"No." I started walking forward anyway.

While Brady rang the doorbell I felt my heartbeat through my toes. The silent wait was long and tense. I was going to explode in one second and completely calm the next instant. Then I was back to being numb until the door opened. I braced myself, but some stranger in another dark blue suit stood there.

"Is Leann Janke here?" Brady asked as he held my hand and rubbed his thumb over mine.

"Ms. Janke?" The guy gestured inside. "Please come in while I fetch her."

My heartbeat exploded. Sweat poured down my back. This was it. This was going to be it. He showed us to a waiting room that had two beige couches, a desk, and a fireplace in the center. Everything about it was formal, cold. Even the drapes seemed to tell us not to get comfortable; we were only there for a short while.

"You okay?"

I shook my head. "Before…" I wet my lips. "Before she comes in here, you need to know something."

Brady looked at me strangely, almost amused as he held both of my hands in between us. "Yes?"

"I…" He was so beautiful.

He spoke, "Look, Rayna. I did some thinking this afternoon and I want you to know…"

This was my moment. I was supposed to be able to stare at how beautiful and wondrous he was. How he could never be mine…

"I know you said before that you didn't want me, but I think it's a load of crap. I mean, obviously you do. You had sex with me. You don't do that unless there are feelings and I know you have them. I don't think you should freak about your mom knowing. It's not like she has a say about who you're with."

My mouth fell open. "What?"

"You're all nervous. Usually I can handle it, but I hate that it's because of me."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

He gestured between us. "You and me. It's why your mom's here, right? Viola got all pressed. I don't get her freak out, but she must've called your mom and told her. Why else would she be here?"

"My mother is not here about us. She has no say whatsoever in my life. She doesn't know about us and if she did, she wouldn't be here. She'd be at my house with my family, not at Frank Stephens' house."

"I didn't think about that." Brady slid his hands into his front pockets, leaned against the wall, and transitioned back into the confident bad boy. At least, he looked like it. Whatever had been troubling him was gone.

"Stop it. I don't need my badass best friend. I need my actual best friend. Stop the charade."

Brady straightened abruptly. A second later, he asked, "Your best friend?"

"You gave me a ride here to see my mom. I need my best friend beside me right now."

Brady hesitated.

I felt my heart stop once more. "You brought me here because you're my best friend, right?"

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Or did I lose my best friend the second we had sex?" It was the million dollar question. Maybe he didn't love me how I had thought. He'd never told me…

Brady answered, "I think that things are very confusing right now."

"Did you do this to be my best friend or because you want something more with me?" Why did this matter now anyway? Everything depended on what she was going to say.

He gauged my expression. "I did it because I care for you." A myriad of emotions flashed over his face. "Deep down, beneath everything, I am here because I am your best friend. I love you in that best friend way. I saw that you were upset about your mom and I wanted to help you. This is where you need to be."

My heart melted, all the way down past my knees. "Thanks."

Brady narrowed his eyes. "Thanks?"

"Thanks." I couldn't tell him how I really felt.

"Have I done something wrong?" He frowned and then his eyes shifted to look out the window.

On the contrary, he did everything right. "No, no. You say the right words when I shouldn't hear them."

Brady cursed underneath his breath. "Kid and Clarissa just pulled up outside. I don't want them interfering with this."

Nothing made sense, but my heart was breaking in that moment. I wanted to spill everything. He should know, but I nodded my head. "You should stop them."

As soon as he left, I collapsed on a couch and caught my face with my hands. I bent over my knees and dry heaved. I knew I was being dramatic, but it was so hard, so seriously hard. I didn't know how much more I could take, but I knew more was coming. We were just stepping into the storm.