Crushed (Torn #7)(19)

No, I deserved better.

I was done chasing shadows. It was high time I lived in the moment, captured it, embraced it with open arms. I was young and quite desirable, so why did I find the need to keep wasting my time with a man who only saw me as a spare, a side chick, or someone to drunk dial because he needed someone to sleep next to?

Brody would only treat me the way I allowed him to, and it was high time I cut that shit out. I was done being his go-to everything except the main thing.





Chapter Nine





Coming back home was bittersweet since our place was merely five minutes away from Carter’s, where Brody also lived. My short-lived bravado was being stretched and tested to its limits.

Alone in the house without Trista or any of the girls to distract myself, my feet were itching to trek towards the boys’ crib to entertain myself. Not with him in particular, but just to be surrounded by noise and people.

Taking my phone out, I decided to give him a call. Not Brody, no. Carter. Thankfully, he picked up after a few rings.

“It’s only been an hour since I saw you. I can’t believe you miss me already.”

“Ha, ha, glad you find me so amusing,” I said as I looked around, feeling restless. “Well, I was wondering if you were tired, ‘cause if you aren’t, I was hoping we could go somewhere to grab a bite? I know this is weird, and I also know we’re back home and don’t usually do one-on-one and shit, but feel a little bad for me. I’m home alone, and I f*uking hate it.”

“Trista won’t be home for another two weeks. Do you expect me to eat with you every day?” he asked in a no-nonsense, straightforward voice.

Considering what he had just said about Trista not coming home for another two weeks, I wondered how I was going to survive.

“Well, would it bother you if you did?” I retorted, maybe a little hopeful.

Carter cackled on the other end, making me groan in protest. “Amber, as much as I enjoy being around you, eating with you every day for the next two weeks would be overkill.”

“Well, damn, say it how it is, then.” I admitted I was a little hurt. Why was he being so mean all of a sudden?

“Hey, don’t take it that way.” His voice quickly mellowed out, erasing any trace of mockery. “Listen, why don’t you move in for a bit? As long as you promise to cook and feed us, I’d be more than happy to take you in.”

Wait, what the what?

“Uh… Are you f*uking with me right now? ‘Cause I’m hungry, and I promise you, now’s not the time to f*uk around, Carter.”

“No, I’m being serious. Besides, I don’t want to worry about you being all alone in that big house. It’s summer, anyway, so my house is where it’s at.”

I was rendered speechless. It was a total WTF moment for me. Where did I even begin? How could I even comprehend? Like, seriously.

“Pfft. I don’t know what to say…”

“I’m going to jump in the shower. I’ll swing by your place in like fifteen or twenty minutes. Sound good to you?”

“Wait, let me think about this. I need a moment. Maybe even a day—”

“No, you don’t,” he interrupted with a commanding voice. “Trust me, this will be good for you.” With that, he rudely hung up on me while I remained frozen atop my bed, wondering what in the world had just happened.

Was he right? Or was he out of his damn mind? How could he even fathom suggesting I live with him, Cooper, and Brody of all people? It was going to be chaotic. If things were different, I would most likely jump at the chance of living with and cooking for them, but f*uk, seeing Brody in a domestic setting? Just as Carter had said, it would be overkill.

I was pondering so hard I somehow didn’t realize the time had passed until I heard movement outside my door before it was drastically opened by an eager-faced Carter Mason.

With his hair still wet from his shower, typical cargo shorts on along with flip-flops and his wife-beater shirt, he was the poster boy of So-Cal surfer dudes.

“If you don’t have any essentials left to pack, I’ll just take your luggage from downstairs. Is that cool?”

I hadn’t even changed from my long flight. My hair still had some of the icing Trista had been feeding me from dessert when she was too drunk to realize where my mouth was located. I mean, I was a complete mess, and he simply expected me to just hop on board, looking like a slimy rat, and move in the same house as Brody?

“Did you tell Cooper or Brody about this? I mean, do they even agree with you?”

He merely shrugged, opening my door wider. “It’s my f*uking house, and I don’t ask anyone for rent, so I don’t think they’ll mind who I invite in. Besides, since when did you care, really? You and the girls practically lived there during last summer, so what’s the difference now? We all grew up together, and you’re one of us, so I don’t get why you’re acting this way.”

Glaring at him, I felt as though I had to take a moment to lay it out on him. I did have to admit, though, Carter had a point. We all had grown up together, and yes, as he had pointed out, as well, in a sense I was one of them. I was a part of their crew. Indeed, I surely was, so why did I feel so f*uking unsure about it?

“See, you don’t even have some smart comeback. Come on, let’s go,” he said hurriedly before raising his brow at me. “Unless, of course, you want me to carry you. I could do that, too.”