𝐕𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐃 ❷

𝟐𝟔. ✭ 𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐘 ✭

"That house probably has like fifty bedrooms." The suspicious look on his face has me crossing my arms over my chest defensively.

"Right, but they're all in the same house. I just wanted my own space."

"If you want I can move out of here into one of the bedrooms in the house. Yah know, if that makes you more comfortable. I can sleep just about anywhere." He's so nice. Why does he have to be so nice? Maybe it's true what they say about southern hospitality and all. Pretty sure that doesn't apply to other people's homes but who's to say?

"No, Brooks. It's fine. Everything should be all clean and in order. Staff cleaned up the place this morning and restocked the fridge. If you need anything else, just uh, just let me or them know."

"I'll be fine but uh, one thing I could use is a pair of hair clippers. This whole dark and light hair thing is starting to look a little weird." He gestures to his hair. I hadn't even noticed the roots had grown out half an inch or so.

"Okay."

"You really aren't going to lose your damn mind, are you?"

"I told you, Monica and the kid are here." He just nods his head and looks away from me but I can tell there was something else he'd wanted to say. Probably because before knowing I had a kid I wouldn't have given it much thought about my temper. "Listen, I've already traumatized my own kid enough I don't need to do that to someone else's."

"What happened that day wasn't your fault, Torey."

"Wasn't it, though?"

"I should've been there." His features tighten and tense, it's a mask of guilt.

"You're right."

"What?" He shoots at me like he couldn't have heard me correctly.

"You should've been there with us. You would've given us a fighting chance but I'm glad you weren't." The thought of him sharing the same fate as I had makes an uneasiness roll through my stomach. "I'm glad you were far away. At least one of us is whole enough to have some kind of vengeance. I'm just..." Useless. "Anyway, I'm going to let you get to it." Because if I continue this line of thought process I'm likely to blow a gasket. I turn and begin my journey back into the house.

"Torey," I pause, back faced toward him, "it wasn't your fault."

"The whole thing, Brooks, the whole fucking thing is my fault. All of it. If I would've kept my hands to my-fucking-self, focused on my job instead of falling in love, Dani would be safe."

"Dani would be married to some old man who would treat her as breeding stock and nothing more. I wouldn't call that safe." I flinch at that. "One prison for another isn't freedom. You freed her in a sense, whether you want to believe that or not."

"I just want to fix it and I can't." There's a hand on my shoulder and it gives a comforting squeeze. "I can't because I'm fucking useless right now."

"You are healing and getting better for the day when your family comes home. That does not make you useless. It means that you are doing what's best for you and your family."

"Yeah, I guess." I pull away from him and walk out of the guest house not really caring to continue that conversation.

✩✩✩

I have turned into such a weak bitch.

Months of not being able to get proper physical activity have left me out of breath and in an immense amount of pain. Between training in intervals with Brooks and Boston every other day I'm left feeling like half the man I used to be in the strength department. It is fucking infuriating. Today is my day with Brooks who is looking me over like he doesn't want to continue.

"Stop looking at me like that. I am fine."

"You are over-exerting yourself. This is about getting you back to yourself not pushing you to the point you have to take a week off." I growl out at his rationalization. "Come on, let's call it a day."

"I can go for another round. I'm fine." I'm not. My vision is filled with bright-colored stars.

"Well I can't. So there's that."

"Bullshit." I take a heavy breath in. When I go to make a move on him I practically fall over. Fuck. Okay, maybe he was right. Nah, no. I'm fine. "I tripped."

"Right."

"Come on." I put my arms up and take several cleansing breaths that kind of help my vision. Kind of. "Don't be a pussy." Brooks makes a frustrated noise but he puts his arms back up. I throw a punch in his direction and immediately regret it. There's a searing feeling in my abdomen that I haven't felt in some time which has me choking on a groan, almost doubling over.

"Torey!" Arms are around me, helping me stand upright. I'd be in a heap on the floor if it wasn't for Brooks. "I knew I shouldn't have given in to you. You're so fucking stubborn. Stubborn and stupid." I can't help but laugh at that because he's not wrong.

"You enjoy giving in to me. Don't pretend you don't." I can hardly make out him shaking his head in disdain at me. "You can't resist me, can you?"

"It's good to know some things never change. That arrogant cockiness is still floating around in that personality of yours." Once I'm able to stand on my own he says, "alright let's make sure you didn't seriously hurt anything. When he goes to lift my shirt up I snatch his hand. "Tor?"

"Don't touch me there."

His brow furrows. "I just wanted to look you over and make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine. I'll be fine." He eyes me knowingly and I hate it. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"You know exactly what like."

"I have a favor to ask."

"What's that?"

"You remember a while back when you asked me to touch you?" I don't respond as my features turn into a mask of stone because yes, I remember that. That was back when I wasn't littered in scars. "Would you let me do that now?"

"No."

"I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I told you—"

"Torey please?" I don't know if I just have a thing for people begging or what but now there's a part of me that just might let him. "Please?"

Ah, fuck it.

"Fine. Make it quick." I lift up my shirt, exposing my entire abdomen to him. When his hand caresses one of the scars I study his features for any sign of disgust, there's none. He goes from one jagged line to the next, his touch softer than I would've imagined it to be. His fingers trace one particularly gnarly one that has me looking away from the action.

"You do know that these do not define you. They do not change anything about you, do not make you any less... attractive." He pulls his hand away which has me lowering my shirt and swallowing uncomfortably. "You know they change nothing to the people who really care about you, right? They're a part of you now. That's it." He lets out a cough and then clasps the back of his neck, not looking at me. "So yeah." 

"Brooks?"

"Hmm?" I study his face for a moment. There's vulnerability there, one that I'm wondering mirrors my own, because he'd picked up on my new found insecurity. He'd picked up on it and said words that I didn't even know I needed to hear. "Torey?"

"I— uh." I don't know what to say now that he's looking at me again. "Thank you." I'm finally able to find my words.

"Yeah, no problem." And with that, he walks away from me.

A/N:
Happy Friday!