Never Gonna Be Alone

Words You Can't Take Back

Brantley's POV

When I say I made it double-time away from the house back down to where the guys were it was no joke. Temptation is what that damn woman was and God knows I had enough complications in my life no need to add can't keep my hands to myself to it. I darted in the door making all their heads swing around. Ben stopped mid marinade of the steaks before he cracked up at the look on my face. Dad's eyes narrowed in concern.

"Dude," Ben snickered when I dropped down on one of the barstools. "What is up with you?"

"Man," I said dropping my head down onto the bar hitting my forehead against it repeatedly. I decided to unload since I was in the company of friends. Big mistake with this bunch. "I took the flowers up there like y'all advised." Lifting my head I narrowed my eyes at my baby brother as a realization hit. "Maggie was home since Ko didn't tell me she came back early." He snickered giving me a wink. "I laid them on the bed for her to find then remembered I needed some more clothes. I ran into her as I walked in the closet."

"What's the big deal?" Jesse asked trying to keep a laugh in as Ben leaned closer intent on where this conversation was going and Heaven help me....I blushed. "Mean...."

"I ran into her naked okay," I blurted out desperately wishing for a cigarette right about now. Dad threw his head back with a howl of laughter. PJ let out a snort while Kolby choked on a sip of his drink. My face grew redder. "Well, not all the way naked. There was sort of a towel there."

"And the big deal is," Ben said between laughs reaching for the seasoning he needed while my head jerked up. "It's not like it isn't anything you haven't seen before B. Should have just laid one on her. May have helped jog your memory."

"I am not kissing some stranger!" I growled shaking a fist at him even as the rest of them fell out laughing. "What the hell is so funny to all of y'all?"

"Wouldn't have been the first time," Jesse said through his snickers. "I mean back in the day..."

"And good money bets I wasn't sober at the time," I hissed through clenched teeth glaring at all of them pushing to my feet heading out to the back to smoke. I held my middle finger on my good hand as I walked. "Fuck all of y'all."

Stepping out into the cool night I grumbled under my breath while fumbling to light a cigarette about the morons I called my family and friends. This being stuck at the house was going to be hell if it meant I was having to put up with all of them like this. Inhaling a deep drag I listened to the quiet sounds in the night enjoying a few minutes of peace. There were going to be questions soon on how I was doing. When would I get back on the road? Aaron planned on posting a photo of me and PJ with a joke of our matching colored casts tomorrow.

Cursed my own damn hard head right now because it was so messed up. Even worse it was messing with my heart because won't lie, there was an instant pull towards Maggie any time she was near. Tonight was going to be torture. The couple of days she had been home, Maggie spent time anywhere but at the house if she could. Aaron told me she also was fine tuning an album she was almost done recording by going into Atlanta since it was closer.

Aggravation was the keyword for me right now. Here it was my life was seemingly going pretty well. Pulled myself out of the hole I once was in carving out what I was told was a great career. Family and friends there for me but there were so many missing fragments right now. The biggest one being the woman I was drawn to but no recollection of her. I wondered if Maggie would cave and tell me what everyone else wouldn't. Mama was the only one who gently advised me to spend some time with her but most of the reason I didn't was I felt so damn awkward which wasn't like me.

How did I play off the confident and cool BG they perceived me to be when I wasn't sure if I was him. A floral scent invading my nose before quiet footsteps sounded on the concrete near me. I lowered my cigarette taking the last drag focusing now on the woman standing a few feet from me with haunting uncertainty in her eyes. Her long hair was piled up in a messy bun without a trace of makeup on her face. Dark shadows were under her eyes that probably matched mine. Slim hands lifted to rub along her arms because of the chilly air. But the yellow and white flannel that she was wearing tied at her waist tugged at some kind of memory making me step closer to her.