Wild Nights With My Brother's Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 91

NICOLE

I find the apartment door unlocked.

Mason's standing in the kitchen, downing an entire bottle of wine. When he hears me approaching, he throws me a look over his shoulder that I can't read, at least not right away, and for several moments, I hesitate.

Did I come too soon? Should I have just driven off with Roman and let my brother stay here all by himself after what happened?

I won't even ask him if he's okay because I already know the answer to that.

He's not okay.

Mason slams the bottle down on the counter, then rubs his face. He looks so tired whereas he wasn't like this an hour ago when I was here.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say to you, Nicole," he informs me in a low voice.

"You don't have to say anything," I claim in the same tone. "I just want to spend some time with you. I don't want you to be alone right now." I pause. "I guess I also wanted to tell you I was sorry."

His eyes meet mine. "What for?"

I shrug. My throat is too tight all of a sudden, and I can't speak. He comes around the counter and I meet him halfway. Tears slide down my cheeks and I let them fall—I don't try to hold them back.

I feel so sorry for my brother. So damn sorry. I know he much he loved Haley and it's criminal that things ended this way and she turned out to be the person she is.

His chest moves, and I know he's crying. I cry harder. The last time I saw my brother cry was at our Ma's funeral.

We pull apart eventually and he carries the bottle of wine to the living room, where we both take turns drinking out of it. Fuck it. It's not like I have work tomorrow.

I don't have a job. And I won't be stopping by to collect my last paycheck from Sebastian either.

I'll leave it at that.

"So," Mason begins, breaking the silence in the living room, "you and Roman."

My face goes red, and I stare back at my brother with a mixture of empathy and shame for my actions. Mason knows better than anyone else how the whole mesh situation with Roman broke me.

And now, I strode in here with him hot on my heels.

It's embarrassing. But deep down, I don't feel as much shame as I should.

Mason raises a hand. "I don't want you to think I'm judging you. At the end of the day, you're free to do whatever you want, but you're my sister, dammit. It's my job to take care of you."

"I know," I say, placing my hand over his. "And I appreciate it, Mason. You don't know just how much I do."

He searches my eyes deeply. "You sure about him?"

I lower my eyes. "I can't stay away. I love him."

Mason falls silent, then sighs and takes a huge swig of the wine. I know my answer wasn't good enough because I didn't even tell him what he wanted to hear. What he asked. "He...he apologized for what he did, and I know it sounds crazy, but he's trying to show me that he changed. And then there was the whole situation with Haley, which he clarified."

"I've got a place," is all I say. I'd much rather keep it vague. The truth is I don't have a place to stay, and I don't know how the arrangement will be with Roman, considering he's married.

I saw Carmen's stuff in the bathroom. She stays there with him.

It sickened me for a bit.

We say our goodbyes, and I promise him that I'll come visit occasionally to figure out how he's doing, and then I head downstairs to where Roman is waiting.

His eyes are on me as I cross the road, and then I get in the car. I kind of want to explain to him that I don't have a place to stay, but I decide against it because I don't want it to seem like I'm begging for his help.

I'll figure this out on my own. Like I always do.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah," I reveal. "What about you?"

He's tense, and I notice it even in the way he turns the car on. Something happened, but I don't know exactly what it is. In any case, I don't ask. I just assume it has to do with this entire situation. It's not easy.

And, of course, there are still our own issues that need to be resolved.

"Just fine," he lies.

Without asking anything else, he starts the car and drives us both to his place.