I didn’t hear any women, and that made me feel like an asshole because I was trying to see if any were here. But I also wasn’t about to go check just in case she wasn’t saying anything. It wasn’t my business, and I needed to worry about myself.
“Thanks for coming out with me,” one guy said. “I don’t know what the fuck to do about Trina.”
“It’s all good, man,” Brendan said, his voice thick, deep, and slightly slurred. “Trust me, I know all about being caught up in my own bullshit, although I’ve never been in a situation like that.”
There was a mutter of agreement.
“I know how hard it is trying to wrap your head around someone.”
“Yeah?” the guy said.
“You got someone?” a guy asked after Brendan spoke.
A moment of silence passed, and I felt my chest seize. I found myself moving away from the bedroom and bathroom and closer to the living room entry. I looked around the framework. Three big guys were all sitting down, their backs to me. Brendan made up the fourth guy in the room, leaning against the wall, his focus on the guy who I assumed had asked the question.
“I don’t have someone, but I sure as fuck want someone.”
“So go after her. You fucking know you could get anyone you wanted, you bastard.”
A round of laughter filled the living room from the other three guys.
“Nah, it’s not that easy, and she’s not like other girls. I’ve been holding back for a while, needing to figure out how the fuck I’m going to get her.”
“Damn, you sound like this is the real deal,” one of the other guys said.
“It is,” was Brendan’s reply.
“And how’s that gonna work? Kind of cramping the style to tell the girl you’re banging to shut up so your sister doesn’t hear.”
“Fuck you, Max. One, she’s not my fucking sister, and her being here won’t be a fucking problem. So shut the fuck up about that.”
My belly clenched at hearing that. God, if I had to hear him having sex with another woman…
I shook my head, not going to think about that.
A hot shower was exactly what I needed. Maybe it would clear my head, and help me relax and not think about Brendan with someone else.
Once in the bathroom, I undressed and stared at myself in the mirror. I could still hear them talking and wondered how in-depth Brendan was going about how he felt about his mystery girl. Knowing he wanted someone, had enough feelings for someone to make it “the real deal,” made me feel like throat-punching someone.
I looked at my body, at the fact I wasn’t beautiful in the classical sense, not in the way a guy like Brendan would probably go after. Truth was, I actually didn’t know what kind of girl Brendan went after. During high school and college, he never brought any girls home for us to meet, never even talked about anyone he was interested in.
I turned from my reflection and started the shower, stepped in, and let the hot water run down my back. I stood there for long minutes, not doing anything but inhaling the steam-filled air, trying to clear my mind, and trying to figure out a way to act like I was “normal.”
Once I got out of the shower and was dressed, I tried to hear if the guys were still here. I just heard silence, but my heart was beating loudly, the sound filling my head.
What would happen if I were just honest, just told him how I felt? How could that be wrong? What could possibly be bad about that?
Of course, that was easier said than done.
I left the bathroom and looked toward the living room. The light was on, but I didn’t hear anything. Fixing the towel that kept my wet hair in place atop my head, I headed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water before calling it a night.
I didn’t bother turning the light on and was glad I’d opted out of it when I heard noises right outside. Before I even could get what I came for out of the fridge, I looked out the kitchen window above the sink to see the three guys standing by a car, and Brendon in front of them. One of them was getting in the backseat while the other was climbing in the front. The driver, I presumed, was still talking with Brendan.
I couldn’t really hear what they said, just the deep timbre of Brendan’s voice as he replied to whatever his friend said.
He transfixed me. The way Brendan stood there with his muscular legs slightly apart, his big arms crossed over his chest, had me thinking pretty filthy thoughts. When the guy walked around the car and got in and Brendan turned, I should have taken that as a sign to get my ass out of the kitchen so I wasn’t caught being a creep. But when I saw Brendan looking right at me through the window, despite the lights being off, I was frozen.