Shameless(28)

“They’re all the rage,” I joke as I pose in my hot pink poofy house slippers. They’re made out of a furry material Izzy likes to pet. “You’re just jealous. You know you want a pair.”

He laughs. “Is it that obvious?”

“Big, tough guys always want hot pink house slippers.” I sit next to him, nudging him with my shoulder. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

It feels good to be talking to him again.

He nudges me back. “I was about to have a drink, but now I’m worried you’ll get me to confess all of my deep, dark secrets.” That’s when I notice the bottle of tequila on the coffee table and two shot glasses. He pours one and looks at me. “It’s been a f*cked-up day, and I was planning to get blasted. But not so tanked that I end up in my underwear on the neighbor’s lawn.”

“Meh, I’ve already seen you in your underwear.” I wave at him nonchalantly. “Nothing special going on there.” He barks out a laugh, and I giggle. “Okay, I’m lying. There’s a lot there.” I bulge my eyes meaningfully, and he looks down, still laughing, his cheeks turning the slightest tinge of pink.

I don’t know where my bravado is coming from, but for once, I don’t feel so dang uptight. I’m sure I’ll be embarrassed as hell tomorrow, but today has been so stressful, and I’m too tired to care. He’ll just have to deal with crazy Katherine.

“We’re back to boner jokes, I see.” He snickers.

“I can get a lot of mileage out of a good boner.” We look at each other and then crack up. “Okay, that sounded really bad. I’m shutting up now.”

“You’re a goof.” He pours two shots and holds one out to me.

After we toss them back, I slouch down on the couch. I close my eyes and let the alcohol seep through my veins.

He pours another round, and as I start to bring it to my lips, he nudges me again. “Sorry if I was kind of a dick this week. I know we don’t know each other well, but I swear I’m not always so moody.”

I can feel his eyes rake over me, but I can’t quite bring myself to look at him. “You weren’t a dick at all. You’re a really good guy. The best.” For some reason, those last few words sound breathy. I take a sip of my tequila, knowing I need to slow down or he’ll have to peel me off the floor in a little while. Kicking off my slippers, I tuck my legs underneath me.

“Are you cold?” He leans over the couch, giving me a whiff of his sexy woodsy scent, and tosses a fleece blanket over my shoulders.

“Thank you. I don’t know why I keep shivering.”

He sits back down on the couch and stares at the blank flat screen TV. “Today was a little traumatic. This is your body’s way of dealing with it.”

My mind feels fuzzy, like an empty chalkboard after all the words have been erased and there’s just a blur of white powder left.

I feel like I should try to come up with something to talk about, but honestly, just sitting here with him feels nice when my head has that post-hysteria throb behind my eyes.

Brady leans forward to pour another shot, and I take a moment to admire the way his shoulder muscles tug at his t-shirt, showcasing those sexy tattoos that decorate his arms.

I’ve never particularly liked tattoos, but I’d have to be blind to not see the appeal here. They scream of confidence. Of not giving a damn about what other people think. Of wanting to carve your own path in life. And I get that. I so get that.

He glances at me over his shoulder. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yup.” My whole body feels like I’m melting into the couch. Mmm. Tequila.

“Cal left me a message the night of the accident.” That statement hangs in the air, and my insides clench as I wait for him to continue. "I was exhausted. It had been a long day, and I didn’t want to argue with him, so I didn’t return his call. But now, not knowing what he wanted to tell me is agonizing.”

I struggle to swallow. “I’m so sorry.” I think about what he’s asking me. “Cal probably called to tell you about Mel’s pregnancy. He felt bad because he knew you were waiting for him to come home. He thought he’d be able to go to Boston for a few months to help your parents, but then Mel found out she was pregnant, and he couldn’t leave her. I offered to stay with her, but I don’t think he was comfortable not being here in case anything went wrong.”

“That’s understandable. I would never leave my pregnant wife either.”

See, there are good guys out there. “Exactly. So my guess is he probably wanted to give you an update.”

He takes a shot of the tequila, hissing afterward. “I was such a dick to Cal. I helped him pay for these business courses in Austin. I thought it would help him get focused. He was always a little flighty. Always had his head in the clouds. I was worried about him. That he’d wander through life without a plan. But when he didn’t come home, when he and Melissa eloped, I was so pissed. I just assumed everything he was doing here was a joke.”

I’m not sure what to say, so I don’t say anything. Finally, he shakes his head. “The irony is that I was telling a friend of mine to go for her dreams. To take chances. To do what she loved. And the whole time, I was being an * to Cal, pressuring him to figure out his shit.” A sad laugh leaves him. “I can think of a hundred other things he should have studied instead of business.”