Wild Nights With My Brother's Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 98

NICOLE

Mason opens the door to his apartment and I have to admit that he looks a little annoyed at seeing me. "What are you, Ma? I'm fine. You don't have to check up on me."

He starts toward the living room again. There's a whole mess before him. He's got empty cans of beer all over the coffee table, along with paper wrappers from burgers he ate. Plastic. Paper.

"What the fuck?" I can't help but say.

"Don't judge me," he says grumpily, putting a leg up on the couch. His eyes are on the TV. "I'm fine. I just need to feel myself live a little, alright? Haley was a clean freak. I could never do anything I wanted."

"And what you want is to...make a mess?"

"Sure. Why not?" he asks in a challenging tone.

I look around helplessly. "I've come to get a few things. I also wanted to see how you were doing."

"Just fine."

I wish he'd stop with this. I shake my head at him and head toward the room that used to be mine. It feels so...different. I walk in and I notice the change right away. Or maybe I'm the one who's changed?

I sit on the bed and look around. Suddenly, I feel so tired that I can't even get up and start packing. I have to go. Roman says he has that surprise. It's clear that Mason doesn't want me here.

So, why can't I move?

My brother opens the door suddenly and says, "Look, I'm sorry I was rude, I just—what's wrong?"

I didn't realize I was crying until now.

"Nikki, what happened?" He sits down next to me. "Why the hell are you crying? Is it because of me?"

I laugh through the tears and give his shoulder a shove. "No, you narcissistic asshole. It's something else. Something I was told today."

"What is it?"

I tell him how the appointment went and Mason runs a hand down his face. "Fuck, Nicole. Come here."

Mason puts an arm around me and rocks me a little while I cry. "I'm so sorry, sis. I could kill Dan right now. How could that fucker have done this to you? Prison isn't enough."

I don't say anything. I just let him hold me.

"Us Monroes seem to be having the shittiest year imaginable," he claims. "What's happening to us, huh? We've been a mess since Ma left us."

"Yeah," I agree with him, sniffling.

"I didn't even know you were going through this. I'm sorry. I know I can be self-absorbed. I'm really sorry."

"Yeah. You can be." I straighten my back to look at his face. "Are you sure you're fine? I'm worried about the mess you're making out there."

He slams his fist against his chest and grunts. "Just being a man. Nothing to worry about."

I laugh at his ridiculousness.

"I'm fine, though," he claims, shrugging. "I'm just glad I found out everything when I had to, you know? Would've been worse if I'd actually married her and ended up finding out about all this later. Plus, I'm seeing someone."

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