Page 36 of Fighting for You
“Honestly, I don’t even care anymore. I have too much shit going on to have to babysit his sorry ass.” Hayes’ voice is elevated, and I’m not sure if Brooks can hear what he’s saying, but his face is slowly morphing into a silent rage—eyebrows slanted, molars clenching so tight the muscles feather at his jaw. I instinctively place my hand on his forearm to placate him.
“Okay, I’ll go over there. I’ll call you later,” I say quickly and hang up before Hayes says anything more.
Brooks and I are still caught in our stare off for a few seconds when his eyes slide to my hand on his arm. I didn’t realize I started stroking the soft skin there with my thumb. I pull it back and say, “I, uh, I need to go.”
“Does he always talk to you like that?” His voice is strained, like he’s holding back.
“Not usually,” I reply in almost a whisper. “He really only raises his voice after… after seeing our dad. That’s where I have to go. They don’t get along and had a fight, so I have to go check on him.” That seems to do the trick, and he visibly relaxes.
“Come on. I’ll take you.” He gets up and takes our plates to the sink.
“Oh, you don’t have to. I’ll get a rideshare. He’s all the way out in Southbury,” I say.
He scoffs and heads out of the kitchen, shaking his head.
“If you think I’m letting you get in a car with a stranger, you’re sorely mistaken,” he throws out over his shoulder as he steps over to his makeshift bed. He produces jeans from somewhere next to the couch and slips them on while making his way to the door. Stepping into his boots, he grabs a leather jacket from a coat closet and then turns to me, holding out a woman’s parka and my purse.
I still haven’t moved from my stool, having lost all train of thought as I watched him move around the space. His expectant look snaps me out of my daze, and I hurry over.
He must see the question on my face when I look at the parka because he says, “It’s my mom’s.”
To my surprise, Brooks holds out the jacket for me and helps me into it, then gently turns me around and zips it, his hands lingering right below my face. With his eyes on mine, I feel thefaintest brush of his thumb across my bottom lip. It’s so quick and light, I’m not entirely sure I didn’t imagine it.
“What did you mean by ‘not like that?’” he murmurs, his piercing blue eyes boring into me.
I take a breath and a step back, averting my eyes as I do. “I’m not looking for… a hookup. I’m not that girl. I know you like to have fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m just… not that. I’m looking for something more serious. Permanent.”
His lips thin as his head nods like he agrees with me, but I see the flash of hurt in his eyes. For a moment, it looks like he’s biting the inside of his cheek to hold back saying more. Then he’s turning away and out the door with a clipped, “Let’s go.”
By the time I’ve closed the door and taken the few steps off the porch, Brooks is straddling his motorcycle, holding out a black helmet toward me.
“We’re going on this?” I say, hoping my voice doesn’t betray my nerves. “Wait, is this what we rode back here last night? How?”
His smirk is back as he answers, “We got… creative. Trust me, you loved wrapping yourself around me.”
I roll my eyes and take the helmet, securing the strap under my chin. He chuckles and pulls the second helmet off the handle bars and slips it over his head.
“Climb on,” he says.
I hesitate, but then throw a leg over the bike behind him, trying to keep some space between our bodies. I flounder looking around for where to put my feet when he grabs my ankle and places it on a peg and then does the same with the other foot.
“You’re going to need to hold on to me, Freckles.” Thankful he can’t see my cheeks flush under the helmet, I gently place my hands on his sides. He grips each one and tugs it farther forward so I’m tucked in tight behind him, my body plastered to his.
The motorcycle rumbles to life underneath us. The sound sends a spark of excitement through me, concentrating low in my belly. Then with practiced ease, Brooks raises the kickstand, and we’re off. I squeeze my arms tighter around his torso, holding on, but trusting Brooks to keep me safe.
Chapter Fifteen
Brooks
Having Margot’s arms wrapped around me again felt just as good as last night, making me feel less empty than I have in ages. A part of me wanted to think her being sober this time meant she was squeezing me so tightly because she wanted to. The more rational side reminded me of the conversation we’d had right before she got the call from Hayes, squashing the thought altogether. It’s the motorcycle; her punishing grip was from fear and nothing else.
I spent the ride thinking way too hard about the way Hayes spoke to her. I’m still fuming over it. Not that it matters. I’m not her protector. I’m not heranything. She made it perfectly clear. She wants a relationship. A boyfriend. Probably a husband and babies. All things we both know I can’t give her. I’m not that kind of guy. I’m not sure why I keep trying to convince either of us otherwise.
I’m familiar with Southbury, so when she told me where her dad’s house is, I knew the area well enough to get us mostlythere. We pull onto the main street on the outskirts of town, and she directs me to the next turn. As I drive down the dirt road, I realize we’re on the other side of the property that houses The Pit. I’ve never been on this side of the lot, but it’s familiar enough from the treeline on the edge of the property.
The recognition brings me back to the moment at the hardware store when she mentioned The Pit. I never gave her an answer, and I never asked how she knew about it. I certainly didn’t bring it up to Hayes out of fear of him asking why I’d been around his sister long enough for her to even ask about it. But seeing how close we are as we pull up to her childhood home, I’m not sure how she wasn’t aware of the fighting ring in her dad’s backyard.
I cut the ignition in front of a run down farmhouse, push the kickstand down with my foot, and unhook my helmet. The second Margot’s hold slips away from me, the emptiness creeps back in. An emptiness I never registered until she came into my life. It’s making me question everything. But her words echo back to me,“I’m looking for something more serious. Permanent.”
