“Holy fuck. I am so sorry.” I flung my seat belt off and pulled Charlotte into my arms. “Are you okay?”
She pushed away from me. “Just take me home. I want to go home.”
I heaved a sigh, raking a hand through my hair in frustration. “Fine.”
Charlotte
Tanner didn’t call or text me that night. No voicemails to say he was sorry. Though I was disappointed, I knew what he knew: he didn’t have anything to be sorry about. He was completely justified in everything he’d said. It was foolish to think I could be in a serious relationship with someone while I was on the run from my former life. It was unfair to give him my heart with stipulations. Love is all or nothing, not secrets and lies.
Could I go back to a life without him after he’d woven himself so intricately into my life? Every part of my new life had Tanner in it. Maybe this is why people on the run stayed on the run. Maybe Dad and I should’ve kept moving instead of trying to create a new home here. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.
I spent the remainder of the night typing out a text, trying to figure out a way to explain things to Tanner without telling him the truth.
I would tell you, but …
I can’t tell you what happened, but …
I want to tell you, but …
Nothing sounded good enough. None of it was what he wanted to hear. Maybe I could tell him. Maybe no harm would come to him if he knew the truth. Maybe I was just scared to tell him. Scared of Tanner seeing me in a less-than-perfect light.
Since the day I met him, Tanner has always looked at me in a special way no one else has. What if he heard the truth and never looked at me the same again? I couldn’t bear that.
If I don’t tell Tanner the truth, he won’t forgive me for it. If I tell him the truth, there’s a chance he won’t forgive me for it. Either way I sliced it, the end result was the same.
Twenty
Tanner
“What do you mean Merritt is coming home?”
“Merry’s coming to visit?” Khloe shrieked.
Mom sighed heavily. “She’s not coming for a visit. She’s coming back for good.”
“Yay! Merry and Chase are coming back!”
“No, baby. It’s just Merritt.”
“Why isn’t Chasey coming, too?”
I searched my mother’s eyes for an answer to Khloe’s question. What the hell is going on? They hadn’t been gone for more than a couple months.
“Kokomo, why don’t you go play in your room for a bit? I’m going to talk to your brother, and then I’ll be up to play with you.”
Khloe bounded out of the room and upstairs. She was such a good kid. After everything she’d been through, she always listened and always had a smile on her face. I’d have to do something special for her.
Mom spoke once Khloe was out of earshot. “I just got off the phone with Shelly. Merritt is already on a flight back here. She’s been drinking a lot.”
“Drinking? Why?”
“I don’t know. That girl’s been through hell and back. Truthfully, I don’t think she wanted to go to California.”
“No shit. I said that.”
“You did. You were right. She was trying to do the right thing for Chase, and I guess it was too much for her to handle. Especially with everything that happened with her mother before she left.” Mom covered her hand with mine. “She’s going to need you, Tanner.”
“Me?” What the fuck could I do?
“You were in a bad way after Dad died. Now look at you.” She moved her hand to my face. “You’ve come so far. I think you could help Merritt get through her issues.”
“Why can’t her selfish boyfriend come home and help her? He should put someone before himself for a change.”
“Chase is torn between following his dream and his love for Merritt. She needs to learn how to help herself. Chase doesn’t understand how to help her do that. I think you’d be able to get through to her.”
I nodded slowly. “I can bring her to TJ’s gym.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Not gonna lie, Mom. I’m glad she’s coming back. We need the help at work.”
“I agree, but we need to get her healthy first.”
* * *
As bad as I felt about Merritt being home, it was a huge relief having her back at work—even if she came in every day looking like a train wreck and smelling like a liquor store. I had a plan, but I knew she wouldn’t accept my help willingly. She was even more thick-headed than I was.
I walked up the concrete stairs to her apartment. Her car was parked out front, but there was no light coming through her window by the front door. I knocked and waited. Nothing.
“Merritt, it’s Tanner. Open the door if you’re in there.”
I waited another minute, straining to hear any kind of noise or movement from inside the apartment. Finally, I turned around and trotted back down the stairs. She could be out with her best friend, Shelly. Then, a sinking feeling came over me. There was a party at the Beta fraternity tonight. Shelly’s boyfriend, Brody, was a member. Guess I’m going to a party tonight. There would be alcohol there. Lots of it. I needed to stay focused on finding Merritt. I needed to do this. I pulled my car keys out of my back pocket and got into my Mustang.
Ten minutes later, I was scanning the packed room inside the frat house. I spotted Derek playing at our usual pool table. It felt like forever since I’d seen him. He nodded as I approached.
“What’s up, man? Haven’t seen you in a minute.”
I nodded. “I know. Been busy.”
“Where’s Charlotte?”
“Not here.”
“Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise?”
I shot him a look and he held his hands up. I wasn’t about to explain that Charlotte and I were not on speaking terms. I’d texted her once in the past month and told her I missed her, and that I’d be here when she was ready to tell me the truth. She never responded.
I thought I could stand my ground and demand that she tell me her secret. I thought when faced with the choice, Charlotte would tell me instead of walking away. I thought I’d proven myself enough to her. Every day without her hurt a little more than the last. It was like a slow death. Death by a million little paper cuts.
“I’m here on business. Have you seen Merritt?”
Derek nodded toward the kitchen. “She just got here a few minutes ago. I didn’t see your brother. Is he back from Cali already?”
I shook my head. “He’s still there. I’ll be back in a few.”
I peered into the kitchen and found Merritt with her friend, Tina. She was holding a glass in her hand. Tina was the last person Merritt needed to be hanging out with.
“I came by your apartment before.”
“Why, what’s wrong? Is Chase okay?”
“He’s fine. I just spoke to him an hour ago.”
Merritt’s cheeks flushed. “Well, at least he’s talking to somebody.”
“What do you mean?”
“He hasn’t responded to any of my texts.”
I sighed. What was it with people ignoring the ones they loved? “He’s just having a hard time,” was all I could offer.
“So, it’s okay to ignore somebody when you’re having a hard time?”
“Hey, don’t kill the messenger.”
Before I could stop her, Merritt threw the shot back and held her glass out to Tina for a refill. I wanted to get her out of here, but I knew she wouldn’t stop until she learned on her own. I needed to take this slow. I nudged Tina with my elbow. “Watch her tonight.”
“I don’t need anybody to watch me!” Merritt yelled as I walked away. I shot her a knowing look before disappearing into the next room.
For the remainder of the night, I played pool with Derek and watched Merritt gulp down shot after shot. She would disappear into the kitchen to get a refill for Tina, but sneak one for herself. By the end of the night, her friends had caught on, but it was too late. Way too late.
/> As I walked over to where they were standing, I heard Tina and Shelly trying to convince her to leave. Merritt was putting up a fight.
She crossed her arms over her chest, swaying like she was standing on a boat. “I’m not leaving.”
The hell she wasn’t. In one swoop, I hoisted Merritt over my shoulder. Then, I turned toward the door. She was practically family, and I was going to take care of her.
TJ had been there to dust me off and set me straight. Hopefully, he could work his magic on her, too.
* * *
The next week was a boring blur. Work. Think about Charlotte. Train. Think about Charlotte. Sleep. Repeat. Life without Charlotte was killing me. The only thing to occupy me was keeping Merritt on the straight and narrow. I’d been driving her to and from the gym so she could train with TJ. I didn’t know if it was working, but at least she was focusing on something other than alcohol.
I woke up Sunday morning dreading the lazy day ahead of me. I needed something to do. Something different to break up the monotony. I reached for my phone and typed out a text to TJ:
Me: Who does your tattoos?
TJ: My buddy John. I’ll send you the link to his shop.
For the next hour, I lay in bed looking at pictures of tattoos until the smell of pancakes summoned me.
Merritt was cooking breakfast with Khloe’s help. I watched in horror as Khloe attempted to flip a pancake, flinging batter everywhere.
At the dining room table, Mom was surrounded by her usual stack of paperwork. Dark circles framed her dull eyes, and her hair was tossed into a messy ponytail. She only got dressed to go to work. On the weekends, she remained wrapped in her robe. Here I was complaining about my boring life—meanwhile, Mom was taking care of the house, the bills, the business, and Khloe, all by herself. I needed to get my head out of my ass and figure out a way to help her. She deserved more of my time and attention.
After we ate, I pulled Merritt into the kitchen. “We need to figure out how to help Mom with the shop. It would kill her if we had to sell it.”
Merritt grinned. “Don’t worry, little brother. I’ve got an idea. And it’s going to help you get Charlotte back, too.”
Ten minutes later, Merritt and I were in the car on the way to the gym. My heart pounded in my throat as she dialed Charlotte’s number. Would Charlotte go for this? If she did, it would force her to see me every day. Maybe that would melt her reservations.
Charlotte
“Are you going to answer it? You’re watching it like it’s a bomb.”
“I don’t recognize the number.”
“Maybe Tanner got smart and is calling you from a different phone.” Mallory winked as she stuffed another Dorito into her mouth.
“I’ll just see if the person leaves a voicemail.”
Mallory snatched my phone off the table and slid her orange thumb across the screen.
My jaw dropped as she handed my phone to me with a smirk.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Charlotte. It’s Merritt.”
My stomach dropped. Why was she calling me? Was Tanner okay? Something had to be wrong if she was calling me.
“Uh, hi, Merritt. What’s up? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything is fine.”
Fine? Why was she calling if everything was fine?
“I’m calling because I have a business proposition for you.”
My confused facial expression made Mallory scoot next to me so she could hear what was being said.
Merritt went on to explain how rough things had been for the Brooks since Tim’s death. Their business was struggling. I bit my tongue, though I wanted to tell her how she hadn’t helped matters much when she and Chase left for California. She was reaching out for help. My help. She wanted me to help Beverly in the office since I had experience running my dad’s bakery. Part of me knew Tanner most likely had something to do with this, but I couldn’t say no if Beverly really needed my help.
I told her I’d do it.
Mallory was smiling when I ended the call. “I’ll give it to him. Tanner’s a smart little shit.”
“He wouldn’t use his mother’s strife to his advantage. That just doesn’t seem like something he’d do.”
“Maybe not, but either way—he’s going to win you over like he always does. You might as well call him now and make up with him.”
I shot her a look but said nothing. I hadn’t told her that Tanner was the one who walked away from me this time. Technically, I’d pushed him away, but still … he’d put his foot down and wasn’t budging. Now, I’d have to face him every day. Could my heart handle this?
Twenty-one
Charlotte
Merritt and Tanner got out of the car and walked toward the shop. Beverly sat beside me at the counter, so I tried my best to remain outwardly calm. On the inside, I was anything but. My heart had dropped into my stomach that was sloshing around like a turbulent sea. I’d barely gotten any sleep last night, knowing I’d see Tanner for the first time in over a month. Would he ignore me? Would he be happy to see me? I sucked in a breath as he stepped through the door.
Merritt spoke first. “Morning, ladies.”
“Good morning!” Oh, God. That was too cheerful. It’s seven o’clock in the morning. Tone it down, Thompson.
“Your hair looks great curled like that.” Merritt hit Tanner in the arm. “Doesn’t her hair look nice?”
Tanner barely looked at me as he grabbed a water bottle out of the mini -fridge. “Her hair always looks nice.”
Beverly’s and Merritt’s eyes were on us, and I could feel my cheeks turning pink. I didn’t know where to look. I didn’t know what to do with my hands.
“Have a great day, guys!” Merritt walked out of the front office and into the garage, Tanner close behind. As he turned away from me, I noticed a bandage on his arm sticking out of his sleeve. What happened?
“Well, that wasn’t too bad, was it?” Beverly asked, a knowing smile on her face.
I let out the breath I’d been holding. “I suppose it could’ve been worse.”
Tanner
My ears strained to hear what she was saying. It was almost closing time, and Charlotte was talking to Merritt on the other side of the garage. We hadn’t spoken all day. Not since the awkward encounter when I’d arrived this morning. That was fucking painful.
“’Bye, little bro.” Merritt walked out the door, leaving me and Charlotte alone in the garage.
Charlotte had to walk past me to leave. My heart pounded faster with every step she took. Should I pretend like I don’t see her? Should I say something?
“What happened to your arm?”
I stood and rolled my sleeve higher to show her what I’d done. TJ’s tattoo artist was talented. I told him I wanted a tattoo of my father’s tombstone. He added clustered roses on either side to complete it. I loved it.
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Oh my God! You got a tattoo?” She stepped closer, and my entire body hummed with excitement. I wanted to reach out and run my fingers through her hair. To gently caress her cheek. My gaze involuntarily dropped to her lips. How I missed kissing those perfectly puckered lips. Sweat beaded along the back of my neck.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
“You’re beautiful.”
She took a step back as the pink of her cheeks deepened. “You don’t mind me being here?”
“My mom needs the help. I appreciate you doing this for her.”
“She’s not the only one I’m doing it for.”
I set my hand free, reaching out to twirl a golden strand of her hair. “Thank you.”
The heated look in Charlotte’s eyes cast flames throughout my entire body. All she needed to do was tell me. Then, my lips would be on hers. My hands would be undressing her, feeling every inch of her soft, bare skin. I’d be able to taste her hot, aching sweetness, and plunge myself into her depths. But not if she couldn’t tell me. Not if she couldn’t give all of herself to me.
/> My love for her outweighed the secrets she kept. That was never the question. I was all in. I was wholeheartedly hers for eternity. But I had to know that she felt the same. I’d done everything I could to prove my love. Now, it was Charlotte’s turn to give me what I needed. Charlotte had to prove herself.
Charlotte
I walked into the bar, alone. How far I’ve come. Mallory was babysitting her cousins tonight, and Merritt had asked me out for a girls’ night. I could sit home and daydream about Tanner for another night, or I could make new friends and dance. It wasn’t a hard choice.
Merritt waved me over as soon as she spotted me. “Hey, Charlotte! I’m so glad you came!”
“Thanks for inviting me.” I waved to her friends.
“Charlotte, this is Shelly.” I recognized her as the bouncy redhead who I’d always seen with Merritt.
Shelly stuck her hand out. “I’m the incomparable best friend.”
A tall girl with short, black hair rolled her eyes and extended her tattooed arm toward me. “Incomparable, my ass. I’m Tina. I’m the bitchy friend.”
I shook her hand as my eyes roved over her colorful ink. “Your tattoos are beautiful.”
“Thanks. You have any?” An eyebrow arched as she searched my bare skin.
I shook my head. “I’m not a fan of needles.”
“Shame. You have the perfect pale skin for ink.”
Shelly’s face scrunched. “Did you just call the girl pale?”
“I said she had the perfect skin for tattoos. It was a compliment.”
A pretty blond stepped forward and put her arm around my shoulders. “My sister is the queen of backhanded compliments. Don’t pay her any mind. I’m Kenzie.”
“It’s nice to meet another blond around here.” I returned her genuine smile.
“We don’t know where she came from,” Tina said. “I’m pretty sure she’s the milkman’s daughter.”
Kenzie’s middle finger shot up and Tina grinned.
We danced in a circle for a good hour, laughing the entire time. Winter was on its way out, and it seemed like everyone was celebrating the city finally thawing.
The Other Brother (The Collision Series) Page 18