“You threatened—”
I slap a hand on his mouth and then move it away before he can kiss or lick it.
“What’s on your mind?” he asks after he drops a twenty onto the table and leads me outside. A twenty for a tip? Nice tip. Or maybe standard. Depends on the cost of the meal and all of the wine they shouldn’t have had.
“You don’t—”
“A penny for your thoughts.”
“My thoughts are worth more than a penny.”
“Do you want a twenty for them?” he asks.
“I want nothing from you.”
“Which is why I offered the penny.” He actually flips one toward me.
I could catch it, but I let it fall to the ground. When it stops spinning, I sigh. “Georgie. She’s on my mind.”
“Andrea told you about her?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck her and her big mouth.”
“I would’ve thought you would like a girl with a big mouth.”
He smirks, but his entire body hums with anger. “Liam’s the one you should be pissed at.”
“I am pissed at Liam. Thankfully, he’s backed off. No one’s acting like we’re together. I don’t even know what all he spread about me, but…”
“Trust me,” Brett says darkly. “I’ve done what I can for Georgie. Who do you think is paying for her care?”
“You are? But…”
“She’s scholarship, like you. She’s not like the rest of us.”
“Is that why you dumped her? You wanted to try someone from the other side of the tracks and got bored?”
“Georgie is a genius. She’s almost too smart. Her people skills are a little… They’re undeveloped or something. I don’t know. At first, that didn’t bother me, but eventually, I couldn’t ever tell what she was thinking or feeling, and she would never listen to me.”
“Not suck your pipe?”
He scowls. “Is everything about sex with you?”
“No.”
“I tried to really talk to her. I thought she would listen. She didn’t. She would always change the subject and not hear a word I said. Who would want to date someone like that?”
“How did Liam do such a number on her?” I ask.
“It’s called PTSD,” Brett says. “I don’t know what exactly he did to her, but her PTSD is so bad that she’s been committed. I don’t know if that happens often, but she has a lot of nightmares, I’m told, and when she wakes up… it’s not good. I’ve tried to go see her, but they won’t let her have any visitors. I feel terrible. Believe me. Liam… He’s an asshole. We’ve almost come to blows a few times, but he’s like me.”
“Not one to cross,” I mumble.
“No, but he knows about our vow, so he thinks there’s no chance you’ll be with any of us, which means you’re fair game. Take my advice. Don’t pull any of that shit on him that you do me.”
“Maybe if you wouldn’t pull shit on me—”