He pulled up in his drive, but not under the overhang, ordering, “Babe, stay in the truck.”
“Not on your fucking life,” she replied.
And she was out before he came to a full stop.
“Goddammit,” he muttered, cutting the ignition, throwing open his door and angling out after her.
She didn’t charge Brian.
No.
She waited for Rix to round the truck and then she came right to his side.
Right to his side.
Something moved in him.
Throat to groin.
That fissure was shifting.
It happened, not ever as strong as the first time back in Cali.
But in moments with Alex, it happened.
This time, though, for whatever reason, the feeling was not welcome.
That sensation was so unexpected, so huge, for a second, he could do nothing but lock down on it.
“Hey…uh, hey, Rix,” Brian called.
He turned to the man. “Hey, Bri.”
Rix using his nickname, Brian’s bearing shifted.
Relief.
Brian walked to them, his gaze darting to Alex.
Rix gave him the body language, so when Rix lifted his hand up to his chest, Brian clasped it. They held. But there was no chest bump or back pounding.
He let the guy go and stepped back.
Brian looked up at Rix.
“I went to that place you work. The new one. A woman there told me you were out of town. I’m only in town for a while, so I thought, what the hell? Stop by. See if you left yet.” He glanced to the truck. “Looks like you’re on your way.”
“Forgot the lanterns,” Rix told him.
Brian nodded and looked to Alex.
He also looked her up and down and visibly approved.
Watching him do it, Rix remembered that about the guy, the way he’d look over a woman, that way not being cool, this time, doing it to Alex, it was seriously not cool, but it was something Rix thought was about Brian being young.
Guess it wasn’t.
He ground his teeth.
Then he introduced, “Right, Brian, this is my woman, Alex. Al, this is Brian. An old bud from the crew.”
“Brian,” she said, not cold, but not warm either.
Brian instantly knew she knew, his demeanor changed again, and he dipped his chin to her. “Alex.” He then looked back to Rix. “You always got the best ones.”
“Not always.”
Brian flinched.
Memories were serving, and his latest one reminded him that Brian hadn’t exited the scene until Peri had done it.
Brian shook that off and said, “Listen, I know you’re out of here, but if you’re back in time, I leave Monday. Maybe we can go get a beer or something.”
“We aren’t back until Monday night,” Rix shared.
“Too bad,” Brian muttered.
He then said nothing else, and did nothing else, like ending this scenario and leaving.
God damn it.
“Okay, I know what you need, man,” Rix told him. “And I wish I could give it to you.” He sucked in a breath. “I just can’t.”
The color ran out of Brian’s face.
“Honest as fuck, I want that for you,” Rix said. “But you fucked up. And you fucking up meant I lost my legs.”
Brian’s face bleached out.
“People fuck up,” Rix went on. “You are far from the first to do it, Bri. And there have been much worse consequences. I know you’d go back to that day and do things differently. I know, ’cause you’re like me, it haunts you. But shit like this happens. And it happened to me, because of you.”
Brian gulped down a swallow, then nodded.
Then Rix gave it to him.
“I know that’s gotta be torture for you, but think about this shit, man. You’re coming to me to make it easier, and unless I work really hard at it, it never gets easy for me.”
“You’re right,” Brian forced out, the words rough. He cleared his throat. “This was a bad idea.”
He dipped his chin at Alex again and made a move to head to the car at the curb.
“I do want that for you,” Rix said.
Brian stopped and returned his attention to Rix.
“It doesn’t make me feel the slightest bit better you live with it. Different than me, but you do. I know you do. And that’s no balm, Bri.”
“I didn’t think… I never thought that, Rix. That you’d think that. You’re not that guy.”
“I got my house.” He jerked his head to his house. “I got a great job, pays more, honestly, than I ever thought I’d make.” He took Alex’s hand. “Got a beautiful woman.”
“Right, yeah,” Brian whispered.
“Shit happens. Bad shit happens. Seriously bad shit happens. Life goes on. We gotta do our best to do no harm and live it,” Rix finished.
“I…” Brian shook his head. “Rix, man, thanks for your time. I shouldn’t have… Anyway. You gave it, your time, and that’s always been you.”
Rix jutted his chin.
“Alex, nice to meet you,” he said to Alex.
Again, all she said was, “Brian.”
Brian took that hint and moved to his car.
Alex moved in closer to Rix.
Rix started to look down at her to see where she was at, but stopped when Brian called, “Rix?”