Tug (Irreparable 3)

“Fine!” she groans. “Go, but we aren’t bailing your dumb asses out of jail.”

“Ah, come on, sis. You know you will.” I hug her, and she shoves me.

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Tori says, and we all laugh.

Harrison tries not to laugh, and says, “We’ll be on our best behavior.”

I rub the bottom of my nose. “Dude, you have some brown shit, right there.”

“Whatever — you’re just pissed you lost the girl you love and the rest of us aren’t joining you in your misery.”

The girls gasp. Liv steps between us. I take a breath and turn my back on Harrison. He’s right — I am pissed that I lost Tori, but he’s still a brown-nosing kiss-ass.

“If the planning is done, we should get going. Rodrigo has to go to Mexico City, and I told him we’d cover at the Center for him,” Liv says, pushing Harrison toward the door. I know she’s rushing him out of here before I beat his ass, which I’m seriously considering doing.

“I’m ready,” he tells her and heads outside.

Tori says goodbye to Harrison and Liv, but I don’t turn around. Once they’re gone, the room is quiet, other than the shallow sounds of breathing. Tori and I haven’t been alone in a room together in quite some time. The tension is stifling. I wish she would leave, but she doesn’t. I can’t, because I have some work-related things to discuss with Brady.

Finally she says, “Brady should be back soon. He took Andrew to the Center this morning.”

I turn to face her. “Good, then you should be rid of me in no time.”

“I’m not trying to get rid of you.”

Her pale baby-blues gloss over with tears. It wasn’t my intention to hurt her, but it’s so fucking hard to be near her and not kiss her and beg her to be with me.

“You don’t have to pretend. I get it. I don’t like being around you, either.”

My unfeeling words hit her, causing her tears to spill over. My eyes stay on one of those tears as it drips to the tiled floor.

She wipes her cheeks and says, “Are we ever going to move on and be friends again?”

“I’ve already made my feelings clear.” I try to sound unaffected by her crying, but my effort is unsuccessful, and my voice softens. “I can’t be friends with you.”

“I hate this.”

I hate this, too. I hate that she left me, and now I’m supposed to feel sympathy because she’s sad. “Don’t, okay? It’s bad enough that I have to be a witness to your happiness when I’m miserable.”

I’m relieved when my nephew’s giggles and footsteps enter the kitchen. Seconds later, he runs across the floor and jumps into my arms. I hug him, and I don’t want to let go. He’s one of the reasons I pretend. He deserves happiness after his selfish bitch of a mother bailed on him. Before Tori, Brady sure knew how to pick them.

“What’s up, buddy?” I ask, and set him down. “How was your week? How’s school?”

“School’s good.”

From the corner of my eye, I watch Brady kiss Tori, and she leaves. I look down at Drew. “Just good, huh? You got any girlfriends?”

His disgusted face is priceless. “Eww, Uncle Tug. Girls are gross.”

I laugh and rub the top of his sun-streaked brown hair. “You won’t always feel

that way.”

“I keep telling him that,” Brady adds. “All right, kiddo, Uncle Tug and I have some work to do. Can you go hang out in your room for a bit?”

“Sure, Daddy,” he whines, squeaking his sneakers across the floor as he leaves.

Once Brady and I have finished discussing business, he stares at me. By the look on his face, he wants to talk about Tori.