Page 184 of Defend Me

“I need to talk to my son.”

It was silent, then I heard the front door slam. Knowing he was going to come to the room, I buried my face in Tilian’s stomach. He stroked his fingers through my hair and didn’t stop, even when there was a knock on the door.

I was tired, but I had to do this. Using the back of my hand to wipe away the tears that had escaped, I got to my feet.

“I’ll be back.”

Chapter 49

“I have been bent and broken, but— I hope— into a better shape.”

Brooks

With the one I should’ve turned to all along

As I walked out of the room, I stared at the floor. I was tempted to crawl in bed and put a blanket over my head instead. Better yet, I might hold my head underwater until the bubbles stop.

When it buzzed, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and saw texts in our group chat.

Tilian:You’re Brooks fucking Elrod. Chin up.

Kai:Get your shit together.

Sen:Cheering you on from the stands.

Linc:I have no fucking idea what’s happening, but go Brooks?

West:Can I get some praise too?

Kai:No.

Sen:No.

Tilian:No?

Linc:You’re literally in my lap right now.

I laughed through the tightness in my chest. It took effort, but I raised my gaze and held myself higher on the way to the kitchen. As soon as I did it, the position was easy. It was natural for me, but it felt different now. Better.

My dad was standing in front of the island with his hands on it. He watched me and it was impossible to decipher what was in his expression. Despite what I’d overhead between him and my mom, I was afraid to face this situation. At this point, I had no idea what to expect.

I thought about sitting, but it made me feel like a scolded child, so I matched his position on the other side of the island. Crossing my ankles, I gripped the edge of the counter to hold myself together.

“Brooks.”

Gritting my teeth, I looked at him. It made me feel torn. In front of me, I saw my dad, but things had changed so much in a short time. When my mom was in his place, she might as well have been a stranger. Right now, he was in this gray zone that could go either way.

“Let’s just get it over with,” I suggested. “Shit can’t get any worse today.”

“We’re not doing that. We’re going to sit and talk like adults.”

“Oh.”

When I started to sit in a barstool, he shook his head and grabbed two beers from the fridge. After he opened them, he jerked his chin toward the patio.

“I’m not going to ask how you have these,” he said as he passed one to me.

“Probably a good idea.”

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