Irreversible Damage (Irreparable 2)

“Ha-ha!” I send him an annoyed look. “You’re so funny.”

“Whoa!” He holds up his hands to ward me off. “Defensive this morning?”

“Sorry.” I frown when I realize I’m being a bit snippy. “I hate not being able to remember things.”

Tug laughs. “Once Mona’s born you’ll get your memory back.”

“Right.” I roll my eyes before glancing around. I still can’t remember what brought me in here. “And I’ll be so sleep-deprived I won’t remember anything anyway.”

“Well, at least you know what to expect when you get old now.” He looks like he’s waiting for me to guess. I have no idea what he’s getting at. I shake my head. “No memory and Depends. As long as you don’t forget to put the diaper on, you should stay dry.” He laughs, obviously amused with himself.

“Thanks. You’re so helpful, Tug.”

“I try.” He laughs for a bit, but then his expression turns serious. “I couldn’t help but notice that you looked less than thrilled about the guys coming over. You okay?”

I glance down the hall to make sure Brady’s not there. The last thing I need is for him to hear us. He’s already annoyed that I spoke to Tug. “I’m fine.”

Tug cocks his head to the side. He knows I’m full of shit.

“Nice try. I know you well enough to know that ‘I’m fine’ is code for ‘I’m not happy about it.’ What’s up?”

“I asked Brady about Davey’s drug problem,” I finally admit as I sit on the couch.

Tug sits down next to me. “What did he say?” He props his feet up on the coffee table. I bat them off, but he puts them back immediately, so I give up.

“He said Davey’s been clean for a while, and that he’s a good guy.” I sigh before I continue. “I know I shouldn’t judge him, but he makes me nervous.”

Tug removes his feet from the table and shifts to face me. He looks concerned. “Did he do something to you?”

“No. It’s nothing like that,” I tell him, and pat his knee. He seems to relax. It’s the same question Brady asked, which makes me think my concerns are warranted, though I know neither Brady nor Tug are going to tell me anything. “It just seems like he’s always one small incident away from snapping, like he’s pissed off at the world.”

“I think he is.” Tug smiles sympathetically. “He’s had a rough life.”

“I get that,” I say with a nod. “I just don’t get what Brady sees in him.”

“They were close in high school before Davey started using.” Tug frowns and puts his hand on mine. “I think Brady’s trying to give the guy a chance because he thinks he got one.”

I know he’s referring to me.

“Go easy on him, Tor.”

I smile. There’s definitely more to the story, but it’s not worth pushing. “I guess you’re right.”

“I’m always right.” He smirks, all concern fading away. “Well, except for that one time in second grade…no, wait. I was right then, too.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Your confidence knows no bounds, Tug.”

“Nope.” He’s ridiculous, but I love him. “So, what do you say, you want to grab some lunch?”

I’ve been waiting for this. “I’d rather eat dust bunnies out of the air vents than go to lunch with you, Tug.”

He gives me a wry smile. “Suit yourself, but I should warn you, dust bunnies are rather dry and seriously lacking in protein.”

I roll my eyes. “Wait here. I’ll go grab my purse.”

Once in my room, I pick up my purse from the dresser. When I glance down inside, I see a tissue. I pull it out. In black Sharpie it says, I love waking you up. xoB

Blush heats my cheeks. I’ll never grow tired of Brady’s tissue notes. They started out as a joke after I hurled a tissue at him in a fit of anger. Now they represent how far we’ve come.