Page 40 of Without You

Brody

Johnny, Chad, and I are helping Katie move into the apartment above my garage today. Three nights ago, we sat on my patio and shared a meal and I resisted the urge to offer her a sweatshirt or ask her to stay a while longer and have a bonfire. She was cold. I could see the goose bumps and her shivering. But she said she needed to go home and I didn’t want to push my luck. We’d had a great night together and I know, deep down in my soul I know, it won’t be the last. That’s why I didn’t push for more that night.

“You really think it’ll work to have her live so close?” Chad asks as we walk up to Katie’s parents’ house.

“Yup.”

“Really? What if she brings home a date?”

“That won’t happen,” I say confidently. I mean, I don’t think it’ll happen. She surely knows how I feel about her and I’m about ninety-five percent positive she feels the same way.

“Oh, yeah? You don’t think she’s gonna date?”

“Nope.”

“Or is it that you don’t think she’s gonna date anyone but you?”

“Shit, Chad. Drop it, will ya?”

“Nope,” he says with a grin. “I won’t. What’s your plan here? Because I’m about to tell you something. If she starts dating someone else, you’re not going to handle it well.”

“My plan? My plan is to not let that happen,” I say, just as confidently.

“Oh, really?”

Johnny laughs then slaps me on the back. “Good luck, man. If it all goes to hell, don’t come cryin’ to us.”

“Y’all are so supportive.”

“I know,” Chad says.

Katie walks out of the house carrying an arm full of clothes that are on hangers and stumbles right in front of me. I grab her, clothes smashed between us, and keep her steady. “You good?”

“Yeah. It’s that lip in the sidewalk. Daddy keeps saying he’s going to get it fixed.”

“But he’s been busy being naked,” I add.

“Come again?” Johnny asks, laughing. “Your dad likes to be naked? My kind of man!” He charges past us and walks right into the house without knocking. “Yo! Katie’s dad! You free balling?” he hollers and Katie’s eyes grow wide, Chad laughs, and I have no words.

“Oh my gosh. He did not just say that to my father!”

“Oh yeah, he did.”

She steps away and looks up at me. “This is your fault, you know? Because you said that in front of him. You know Johnny. No way would he be able to let something like that go.”

I shrug. “Sorry. Something tells me your dad won’t give a shit, though.”

She rolls her eyes and sighs heavily. “That’s actually very true. He won’t care at all. He’ll probably invite Johnny to join him. Damn hippy.”

Chuckling, I give her a friendly hug. “Come on, let’s get this load into your car then we’ll help get the rest.”

“Sounds good.”

It takes us just one trip because we could fit all her clothes and other belongings into our vehicles. Since her furniture is in a storage shed, there’s not a lot for us to move and it goes quickly. Johnny and Chad stopped giving me grief about Katie living in my apartment and we worked together to help Katie get everything put away where she wanted it.

“Thank you for your help. I can’t tell you what it means to me.”

Johnny drapes his arm over her shoulder. “No big deal. Anything for Brody’s girl.”

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