by Taylor Hart
Ziggy was silent.
“I messed that up. I …” Ty threw a hand up. “I’m the Brady mess-up.”
“That’s not true,” Ziggy pointed out. “You were on tour with Sloane Kent.”
Ty let out a loud, weird laugh. He turned and punched the wall again. “Yeah. Finally got it together to just have it fall apart again.” He squeezed his eyes shut.
Ziggy hated to see his brother like this. It didn’t surprise him, though, to see that Ty was finally falling apart. “It’s okay.”
“Don’t tell me that. Everyone needs to quit saying that. It’s not okay. It’s not okay!” Ty got up in Ziggy’s face. “Just hit me!” He pounded his chest again. “You deserve to hit me so bad!”
Ziggy wished he could change things. His heart ached, and he wondered what the future held in store for Ty and this illness. “I want to.”
The self-hatred on Ty’s face darkened.
Ziggy pulled a fist back, knowing that Ty needed intensity. “Look, I’ll do it if you really want.”
Ty winced, looking from Ziggy’s eyes to his fist. He cursed.
Ziggy put his fist down. “C’mon, let’s go.”
Ty leaned into the wall, tears running down his cheeks. “All I wanted was a chance to make Mom and Dad proud. You know I was in that stupid rehab place when Dad was in the hospital dying of cancer. And now I had a chance to make Mom proud …” He prepared to slam another punch into the wall.
Ziggy caught his fist. “Stop.”
Ty tried to break free, but Ziggy held firm.
“I’m not letting go, bro.” Ziggy grabbed his other arm and braced himself for a fight.
Ty yanked back, but he wasn’t strong enough. He flailed for a couple of seconds, cursing at him.
“I’m here, bro.” Ziggy held tighter. “I’m not leaving.”
Ty’s face contorted, and he yelled out, “No! No!”
Ziggy yelled back, “No!”
It finally seemed to get through to Ty. He stopped moving, staring at Ziggy.
“I’m not leaving,” Ziggy said. “You know when you push, I can push harder.”
“I don’t want to leave. I don’t want you to tell me it will be okay. I don’t want … I don’t want to do alternative treatment. I don’t want to do graffiti art just because you feel bad for me. I don’t want to be the one dying!” Ty yelled, tears on his face, and then he collapsed into Ziggy’s arms. “I don’t want to be the one who everyone rallies around … who doesn’t even deserve it!” The yelling melted into a torrent of sobs.
Ziggy held him.
Ty tried to resist, sobbing harder. “Don’t cry for me!”
It was too late; tears were falling from Ziggy’s eyes. All he wanted was to save his brother, to fix this. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been there, but somewhere, in the messy, awful sobs, Ty had started hugging him back.
Ziggy held his brother, crying and rocking him and remembering all the times that he’d held Ty as a kid.
“I’m scared,” Ty whispered.
“Me too,” Ziggy whispered back.
Ty exhaled and then sniffed. “I’m so sorry. For everything. For too much.”
Ziggy squeezed his eyes shut. “I forgive you.”
“You do?” Ty leaned back a bit, searching Ziggy’s face.
“Dad used to say, ‘Bradys never quit.’ But you remember what Mom says?”
Ty suddenly let out a light laugh. “Bradys always forgive.”
“Yep. We’re going to get through this. We will.”
Chapter 21
When Ty and Ziggy finally emerged from the bathroom, Sophia was waiting at the bar. She’d taken care of the damages like she’d told Ziggy she would, and she’d asked the owner for the number of the guy who’d had the altercation with Ty. She would call in the morning, or she would consult with Ziggy on what he wanted to do.
Her mind whirled with possible PR impact. Paul had been sullen next to her, going through his footage and editing it. “This is a buzzkill. I thought we were supposed to be doing cool stuff.”
“Shut up,” she’d told him, wishing he’d never come. “You’re the buzzkill.”
Now Ty stumbled into view. He stared forward, unseeing.
Ziggy was next to him. His eyes met hers, and he nodded to the front door.
She nudged Paul. “We’re going. But don’t film.”
“Contract.” Paul started recording, mumbling other things about how horrible this venture was.
Ziggy yanked the camera out of his hand and threw it to the ground, then stomped it to pieces. He threw his hands up. “Oops.”
Sophia would have laughed at Paul’s expression if this whole thing wasn’t so bad.
Twenty minutes later, they were back at the haunted mansion, and Ziggy was helping Ty to bed. On the way back, nobody had spoken. She could tell Ziggy had been emotional; his eyes were glassy, and she could feel it. More than anything, this whole encounter proved to her that Ziggy was right. She did know him.
She waited by the fireplace, her boots and coat still on. Paul had gone to bed without a word, for which she was grateful.
Ziggy joined her, sitting with a huff. Their eyes met, and their shared heartache for Ty passed between them.
She took his hand. “It finally hit him?”
“In a big way. The dude is punishing himself for everything, thinking that he deserves to die. Then he was ticked off and scared.”
She listened as Ziggy went through the whole encounter in the bathroom. She snuggled closer to him, wiping his tears as he cried for Ty, leaning into his shoulder and joining in the tears. “You’re a good brother.”
“No,” he said, easily dismissing it.
“Yes.” She gently put her hand on his face and kissed him. “You are. I’m so sorry.” She rubbed circles into his back soothingly.
Ziggy pulled back and pulled out his phone. “I got to text the bros. They are going crazy not hearing from us.”
“Wait, I have to tell you something.” She didn’t know if this was the right time, but she felt like she should say it.
“Okay.” He put his phone down and turned to face her. “What’s up?”
“Well …” She couldn’t believe she was actually saying this. “I wanted you to know that I love you too.”
A small smile played at his lips. “Soph …”
“I do.” She pushed against his shoulder.
“Say it again,” he said in a whisper.
She shoved him again. “Stop.”
“Hey,” he said, putting an arm around her. “I’m happy. I just want to know what made you feel like telling me.”
Pulling back, she stared into his Aquaman eyes. “Because I know I said we couldn’t just dive, but you were right—it’s always been us.”
He nodded, his eyes misting with tears.
“I know exactly who Ziggy Brady is. The kind of guy who would do anything for his family. The kind of guy who forgives.” Strength surged through her. “Forgives something that is really hard to forgive.”
He wiped at her tears. “Yeah, it is.”
Their eyes held, and she thought of earlier and laughed. “The kind of guy who freaks out over ghosts.”
“I did not freak out.”
“Screams like a girl.”
He cracked up. “Maybe one girly scream.”
She got serious. “I love you. The you now. The you then. The you always.”
“Forever.” He took her hand, and their kiss was sweet and full of everything that Ziggy had been right about—them. Always them.
She sniffed and grinned up at him. “Okay, now you can text them.”
He pulled out his phone.
“What did you tell them?” she asked when he finished.
“The truth. He freaked out in a bathroom in a bar after he got in a fight.”
She watched as Ziggy’s phone exploded with texts.
He shut it off and ran a hand over his face. “I don’t know what to do. I mean, I don’t th
ink Ty’s going to finish this. I don’t know what to do with the press we’ve started and this whole project. Ty’s a mess right now.”
“It’ll be okay.” She took his hand again.
Ziggy snorted and didn’t look convinced. “I’m glad you’re here.”
She grinned at Ziggy. Even though this whole thing was horrible, it felt good to be facing it together. “Me too.”
Ziggy picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, letting out a breath and leaning back. “I need you, Soph.”
She leaned into him, putting her head against his shoulder. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
They sat like that for a long time, and she wished she could do something. Anything.
“What do you think would help him?” she asked after a bit.
“The only thing that used to get his mind out of his head like this was writing, but we know how he feels about that.”
Abruptly, an idea popped into her head, and she sat up. She smiled at Ziggy.
“What?”
“Call Sloane Kent.”
He looked confused. “Why? He said he didn’t want to do an album.”
“Then tell him to do it for you.” She gazed up at him in determination. “For all of you. Your brothers. Your mom. This could be everything he wants to say.”
Ziggy pulled up his phone, going to Sloane’s number. “I like it.”
Chapter 22
Ziggy waited at the bottom of the stairs of the haunted mansion, feeling jittery.
Sophia walked toward him from the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee out. “Here.”
“Thanks.” He took the mug, then put his arm around her. “How come it feels like this is how it always should have been, you right here with me?”
Smiling, she leaned in, going on her tiptoes. “It does, doesn’t it?”
He met her lips and felt the love and tenderness there that he needed. With a surge of warmth, he wanted to make things official with this woman, but now was not the time. They needed to sort through a bunch of family mess.
“Anything from upstairs?” she asked.
He shook his head, sipping the coffee. “Nope.” He’d called Sloane last night and explained everything. Sloane had been more than willing to come and chat with Ty this morning. “I don’t think any of us really understood him. He was different than the rest of us. Not that being different excuses his behavior. But I never really understood or tried to understand.”
Soph squeezed his arm. “Until now.”
He nodded, and the guilt lessened a bit. “I don’t think any of us really understood his need to be in his head and sort things out. Strike that—Mom does, but the rest of us couldn’t.” If he’d just tried harder to be closer to Ty …
“Have you called your mom yet?” Soph asked quietly.
“Are you kidding? The woman harasses me. I called her last night, knew she’d want to know.” He lifted his brows. “To pray.”
“Praying is a good thing.” She took his hand. “Maybe we should pray.”
He hesitated. “The truth is, I’ve been kind of holding a grudge with the guy upstairs.”
“O-kay.”
“After we didn’t work out, after my dad died, I just … and then Ty.”
She leaned into him. “My mom always says that God’s timing is always right. We have to trust that.”
He blinked and grinned down at her. “He brought you back to me.”
“And you to me,” she murmured.
Certainty pulsed through him. “I’ll pray.”
She bowed her head.
“Dear Lord … Thank you. Thank you for bringing Soph back. I need her.” His voice broke, again.
She sniffed, leaning into him even more.
“Please, Lord, help my brother. Help him figure out what path he needs to walk to help him. Please help us to help him.” He felt like maybe God did care, even in the face of all this pain. “Amen.”
She wiped her face. “Amen.”
They waited another half hour before Sloane appeared at the top of the stairs and started down.
Ziggy couldn’t see Ty. “Thanks for coming,” he said, even as dread threatened to creep in.
Sloane nodded. “Ty’s going to spend a few days with me.”
“What?” Even in his confusion, Ziggy sagged in relief.
The edges of Sloane’s lips turned up. “If you can skip the graffiti art?”
Ziggy let out a light laugh. “Ty agreed to stay?”
“Yep. I’m glad you called. I’ve wanted to help, and this will be something I can do.”
Emotion clogged Ziggy’s throat. “I can’t tell you what this means to me and my family.”
“I have five brothers, you know.” Sloane put his hand on Ziggy’s shoulder.
The moment went quiet between them.
Sloane blinked. “I’m happy to help with this. In fact, I spoke with Hunter James and Montana Cruz this morning. If it’s okay with Ty, we’re going to put this album out and donate some of our songs as well. All proceeds will go to finding a cure for ALS.”
Ziggy let out a laugh of relief. “Thanks.”
Sloane nodded and turned for the door. “Ty said he’d have you drop him off in that eyesore of an RV later.”
Ziggy shook his head, hating that thing. “Okay.”
“He’ll meet you in Puerto Rico for the wedding, but I’ll keep him until then.”
“Keep me?” Ty called, descending the stairs.
Relieved to see Ty looking normal, Ziggy grinned up at him.
“Nobody keeps me.” Ty slapped Ziggy on the shoulder and smiled at Soph. “I’m telling you, Sloane. Until you have taken an RV trip through Wyoming, you haven’t lived.”
They all laughed.
Sloane looked skeptical. “See you in a bit.”
Ty went to the front door. “Sounds good, and thanks.”
Nodding, Sloane waved. “Bye now.”
Ziggy held his breath, wondering what Ty would say. He appeared to be back to his “living, not dying” self.
Ty turned, and their eyes connected. “So you call my old boss and tell him about my bar fight and breakdown?”
Ziggy hesitated. “I’m sorry.”
Ty grinned, opening his arm. “Thanks.” Ty crushed him into a hug, then did the same to Sophia. Tears were in his eyes. “You two belong together, you know that?”
Ziggy grinned at him, draping his arm back over her shoulders. “We know.”
Ty pointed to Soph. “You know she likes romantic stuff, man. Do you think you can handle that? I mean, you have an amazing proposal worked out, right?”
Ziggy glared at him. “Shut up.”
Ty and Soph laughed.
A surge of gratitude warmed Ziggy’s heart. He held Soph’s hand, thinking that God had answered so many prayers he hadn’t known he’d prayed.
Ty cocked an eyebrow. “Hey, I think I know what the title of my song will be called on the No Regrets album.”
“What’s that?” Ziggy asked.
“‘Unearned Forgiveness.’”
Soph blinked.
Ziggy grunted, holding back his emotions.
A huge smile crossed Ty’s face, and he held out his fist. “No regrets!”
Ziggy and Soph put their fists in and said, “No regrets!”
Chapter 23
Five Days Later
Sophia sat by their tree, the one with “Ziggy and Sophia Forever” carved into it. She waited, slightly irritated that Ziggy wasn’t here yet. Closing her coat tighter, she checked her phone and texted him. Where are you?
When he’d asked her to meet for lunch at “their” spot, she’d agreed, thinking it would be a good way to be done with all the old past feelings about “the spot.” Now, she was regretting it. They were flying to Puerto Rico the next day for Dax’s wedding. Dax kept saying it was a small affair, but Ziggy would tell her every day about all of the people he kept inviting. Although she was looking forward to it, she was also trying to get a
project done at work. Not to mention it was freezing.
She stared at her phone again, forcing herself not to text him again.
Suddenly, a noise overhead drew her attention. It was a little plane. She wondered what that plane was doing. It wasn’t like any airplanes ever came out this way.
A flash of color caught her eye: a little banner streamed behind the plane, saying, “Will you marry me, Soph?”
Her vision swam with tears, and she covered her mouth and laughed. “Ziggy,” she whispered.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
With a jolt, she swiveled around to see him. She had no idea how he could appear so quickly. “How?”
His grin widened. “I hid behind a tree over there.” He pointed farther down the river. “I knew that only one tree would matter.”
More tears fell down her cheeks. “I …”
He put up a hand and did a circle-up gesture. Out of nowhere, a whole slew of people came out of the trees farther down: her mother and father, who waved at her; Ziggy’s mom; Ty, Ocean, and Boston; a bunch of her friends from work … She noted the hulking guys walking in a row toward them. The ones who were on the Storm line with Ziggy; Travis Nelson, Nate Decker, Knox Reid.
Her heart raced. “Ziggy.”
He moved toward her, pulling out a ring. No box. He was just holding it out. “It’s the one I used to use. The one I used to take from Mom’s jewelry box for the practice weddings in the barn.”
A burst of pure happiness rushed through her. “The butterfly ring?”
He laughed and dropped down on one knee in front of her. “Don’t do a ghost freak-out on me yet. Let me propose.”
She giggled and couldn’t believe how happy she was. How right this all felt.
“Sophia Charles, I’ve loved you forever.” He winked at her, and she saw tears in his eyes.
Everyone finally reached them, but they kept a respectful distance.
“I want you. I’ve wanted you pretty much my whole life.” Ziggy’s grin widened. “And I love you. I love you so much. Will you be my wife?”
Unable to hold back her excitement, she jumped into his arms. “Yes.”
With a peal of laughter, he picked her up, kissing her on the way.