Korey's POV
I propped my chin on my left palm as I played with the label on my beer bottle with the other. We'd landed a few hours ago here in Los Angeles from Ireland after spending two weeks playing there, Scotland, and England. Two shows here in LA then back to Nashville for CMA Fest. I at least had most of the week off then. I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. Thankfully Brantley had kept his distance from me after I punched him. Helped that Chase or Ben was usually never too far from me so that helped. I'd been avoiding calling home to talk to Ashli.
I knew I was in for a beat down when I made it back to Nashville. She would read me like a book knowing something was going on. Then she would tell Frank, who would in turn tell Mama. He'd really yell at how much drinking I had been doing lately. Ben had fussed at me earlier today which is why I had snuck down to the quiet hotel bar all on my own. I gave the bartender a quick smile as he sat the shot of whiskey down in front of me. I toasted him then tossed it back wincing against the burn. I froze when I heard a voice behind me.
"Didn't Grandaddy Mac tell you it's no fun to drink whiskey alone baby sis?" a deep voice asked as they dropped down on the stool beside me. I turned with wide eyes to see my brother sitting there giving me a look. Frank flagged the bartender down for a beer before turning to hold his arms out for me. I leaned over wrapping my arms around his waist breathing in his familiar smell as my eyes watered. I buried my face in his chest as he hugged me tight my eyes welling with tears. "What's got you blue Mia?"
I sniffled at hearing him using the shortening of my middle name Amelia. He was the only one that was allowed to call me that. I pulled back wiping at my eyes shaking my head.
"What if I am not ready to talk about it?" I asked reaching for my beer as the bartender handed Frank's to him. I heard a low growl as I cut my eyes over at my brother who was now glowering at me.
"I'd say you have until you get back to Nashville," Frank warned. "I took a detour flight and layover on my way to Denver just so I could put my wife at ease that her sister in law was just fine. You've shut Ash out so I know that's something is wrong. Talk to me Mia. Whose ass do I need to beat?"
"No one's," I grumbled then gave him an evil smirk thinking about my fist plowing into Brantley's jaw. "I took care of it."
"Dammit Korey Amelia," Frank growled. I turned a fiery glare his way. "Explain."
"No," I argued as tears welled in my eyes. "I'm not ready and don't want to. I promise I will when I am. I thought there was a chance something might be there. But I was proved wrong okay. Let me work through it first please. I really don't want to spend what little time I have with you fighting."
"Fine," he grumbled shaking his head not accepting my answer but not wanting to fight with me either. "Well I know it's not Chase or BG's drummer Ben since you send Ashli selfies with them all the time. I didn't see any bodily damage. Cole seems too sweet for you. BG has got enough on his plate and they all are too damn old for you anyways."
"Jesus Frank," I said choking on a sip of beer rolling my eyes at him. "I'm almost twenty-six. Not twelve you dumbass. You were always overprotective but damn. It got worse after all that shit with Ethan."
"That cocksucking bastard," Frank rumbled deeply then snickered. "Stopped by to see Mama and Daddy last week on our way through to Texas. He was getting gas when I climbed off the bus to go in and get a drink. Jumped in his little prissy ass truck so fast he left the gas nozzle in and yanked it off. Sherriff paid him a visit."
"Yea well," I said with a laugh. "He actually checks the parking lot of Walmart to make sure Wade is nowhere in the vicinity when he's on days off. He was always terrified of y'all but that beating he got only made it worse."
We sat for a while drinking a few more beers while Frank caught me up on all that I had missed out on being on the road. I had thought about quitting and going home after everything with Brantley. I knew I had a job with Frank no questions. Okay I would after I answered a whole bunch of them. It had taken Ben an hour to talk me out of it. To not let him run me off when I was doing such a good job. I had finally listened.
I hugged and kiss Frank as he headed out to catch a cab to the airport and I made my way upstairs to my room. I opened my door glancing over to see it was midnight and I had a full day tomorrow. Even though I'd slept the entire flight here, I was drained. I had just traded my clothes for a long sleeve t-shirt and pajama shorts when a knock sounded at my door. I cracked open the door seeing PJ standing there and pulled it open leaning against it.
"What's up PJ?" I asked smothering a yawn. He had a serious look on his face. Ben closed the door to his room on the other side of mine and walked over. "What's going on?"
"Boss Lady," PJ said gruffly. "You have the spare keys to all our rooms, right?"
"Yea," I said giving them a wary look. They looked at each other before looking back at me. "They are in a folder in my room. Why?"
"We need the one to BG's room," PJ told me and I felt my heart pounding. I tried to tell myself I didn't care why, but who was I kidding. "He's cut his phone off. Won't answer the door when I knock on it."
"I'm sure he's just trying to get some sleep," I muttered trying to reassure PJ with a smile. "Been a busy few weeks for all of us."
"Kor," Ben said laying a hand on my arm. He licked his lips, glanced at PJ, then spoke. "Today would have been their wedding anniversary. So yea, it's got us a little worried. Jesse saw him about nine when they got back from eating but that was it."
"Okay," I said softly nodding my head. I pushed the door open motioning for them to follow me. I walked over to the desk in the living area picking up the folder that had everyone's room numbers and extra keys. I dug through finding Brantley's chewing on my lip as I turned to hand it to PJ. He went to take it from me when Ben's hand covered mine. He gave me a look.
"Korey," Ben said shaking his head. "It needs to be you."
"The hell it does!" I snapped making Ben jump. "I am the last person he wants or needs to see. Last time he even got within five feet of me I tried to break his jaw. Now you want me to go and check on him. Umm..no."
"Just one second Princess,'' PJ growled crossing his arms as I glared over at him for using that damnable nickname. I couldn't stomach hearing it. I hadn't heard it in weeks and wanted to hear it whispered against my ear while I pretended it pissed me off. I opened my mouth to argue with PJ when Ben clamped a big hand over it shaking his head.
"Please Korey?" Ben pleaded with me. I could hear the desperation in his voice and see it in PJ's eyes. My eyes brimmed with tears as I slowly nodded my head. Ben lowered his hand then linked his fingers with mine as I trailed after PJ to the hall after grabbing my phone and key. The three of us walked down the quiet hall to the end. Ben leaned over kissing my forehead before turning to head back to his room. PJ studied me for a minute.
"Why me PJ?" I whispered staring at the closed door in front of me.
"Because honey," PJ answered squeezing my shoulder gently. "You've gotten under his skin more than he will admit. Something tells me that he will listen to you. I can't explain it, but I feel it. Why I rigged all those dares to push the two of you together. Plus, if I send you in there I have complete faith you will knock him on his ass if he tries to take your head off. I will be right next door if you need me."
I nodded stepping up to slide the key in the lock. I whispered a silent prayer unsure of what I was going to find. I knew better than to knock since the guys had already tried to. I eased into the darkened room shutting the door behind me quietly. I laid my phone and the keys on the coffee table in the living room area. One lamp was on by the bed. The sounds of the LA night traffic pulled me towards the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony. They had been left open making the balmy air flutter them around. I tip toed closer then eased one to the side stepping out. I looked right then left seeing a figure stretched out in the chaise lounge in the far corner. The glowing red of a cigarette is what kept me from overlooking him sitting there.
"Brantley," I said softly. His head turned my way before he shook it blowing a stream of smoke out. Any other time my mouth would have been watering at the sight of him sitting there hatless and shirtless in just his ripped jeans and bare feet.
"Korey," he said gruffly then lowered his head. "Please just leave me alone."
"I don't think that's what you need right now," I argued gently as I walked closer on my bare feet. He took another drag shaking his head then lifted the whiskey bottle that looked about half full up shaking it at me.
"Got all I need right here," he growled. I instantly saw red but clamped down my temper. I knew he was better than this. So, so much better than this. I stepped closer laying a gentle hand on his bare shoulder making him flinch. Damn, I didn't know my touch was that repulsive.
"That's not the way to go," I sighed as he stared ahead at the night sky. "You and I both know that. You are so much stronger than this."
"What do you know?" Brantley snapped refusing to look at me. "Ever had your heart broken?"
"Yes," I said quietly. "I was engaged a few years ago. Had been with Ethan through most of high school. Saw myself marrying no one but him. Then I went out on the road with Frank to spend some time with my big bro because he worked all the time then toured on his days off. Realized I had a knack for what I am doing now. When Frank got well known enough that he could quit working offshore and could tour full time, I moved to Tennessee because it was easier. Ethan was supposed to finish up school then move to be with me. I'd barely been gone two months before he called to tell me he had gotten someone else pregnant and was marrying her. I was devastated. So, while it's not the same as what you have gone through, I do understand the pain."
"PJ was right," Brantley said quietly after a minute. He sat the bottle down on the floor beside him to run a hand over his face then stubbed his cigarette out. "I saw the signs. I just refused to believe that she would walk away again. Thought because I had changed she would be happy. She wasn't. Now here I am again. Going down the same road as before."
"Then don't," I whispered and swallowed a gasp when a big hand lifted to sit on mine that was still on his shoulder. "Be better in spite of her if you need to be. I know more than you think or probably want me to since Ben felt the need to fill me in after..umm..."
"I've done a bang up job of pushing everyone away that's for damn sure," Brantley grumbled finally lifting his head to look at me. My heart hurt at the red rimmed green eyes that met mine. "God Korey, I know that I hurt you. The sight of the hurt and tears in your eyes has been what has been keeping me up at night. Not Amber leaving, but knowing I hurt you. I deserved that shot to the jaw. Hell I don't deserve you standing here right now. I'll be honest, the best thing you could do is stay away from me."
"What if I don't want to?" I asked shaking my head feeling my eyes well with tears.
"You should," he gasped blinking his bleary eyes. "Lord knows you should. But dammit I will be selfish and say I don't want you to." A tear slipped down my cheek when both big hands gripped my hips pulling me closer and he rested his head on my stomach. My heart pounded in my chest when I felt a shuddering sigh ripple through him as I laid my hands on the top of his head. "I am better than this. I know that. Just hadn't wanted to be that way. Dammit Princess, I want to be better for you. If I had met you in a different time in my life, you wouldn't have seen this. For that I am sorry."
I stood there stock still for a minute trying to get the grip of my emotions. Then I took a step back reaching down to gently pull Brantley's hands off my waist then laced my fingers with his as he looked up at me. I stepped back pulling him to his feet slowly. He towered over me looking down at me in question. There were a thousand questions to ask. A million things to talk about but none of that was important right now. I leaned down grabbing the bottle of whiskey then turned to head back into his room with him trailing behind me.
I made my way through the dark room to the open bathroom door sitting the bottle down on the counter before switching the light on. Both of us blinked adjusting to the harsh light. I lifted my eyes meeting Brantley's intense green gaze. I slipped my hand out of his before reaching over for the glass bottle passing it to him. He looked at the bottle in his hand, at the sink, then lifted his eyes to meet mine in the mirror before stepping closer to the sink. With a wobbly hand, he lifted the bottle to turn it up.
His hand was shaking so bad my heart was breaking. I stepped closer laying one hand in the middle of the guns on his back then resting the other on top of his right hand. I willed him all the strength I could as the bottle turned over and the smell of whiskey filled the room as the amber liquor swirled down the drain. He flicked the water on to wash it away as his shoulders slumped. I picked up the bottle as I leaned my head against his arm.
"I'll take care of this," I said softly. "Why don't you get a shower okay?"
I turned to head out of the bathroom when a hand gripped my arm gently as a head lowered close to mine.
"I know I have no right to ask Princess," Brantley murmured against my hair as shiver traced down my spine. "But will you please stay? I don't want to be alone."
"Okay," I whispered then ducked out of the bathroom shutting the door behind me. I heard the water switch on letting out the breath I had been holding. I walked to the trashcan by the door tossing the whiskey bottle in it then sitting down heavily on the couch. I leaned over picking up my phone to send PJ a text knowing the poor man was probably going out of his mind. I told him that he was fine for the night and going to get some sleep. That I would check in first thing in the morning. I sat there lost in my thoughts when the bathroom door opened, and Brantley walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist steam billowing around him.
He walked over to his suitcase in the corner tugging out a black pair of shorts before disappearing again. When he walked back out a second later I pushed to my feet looking at him as he switched the bathroom light off. Without a word I walked around to the opposite of the bed sitting my phone down on the night stand as Brantley pulled the covers back. I switched off the lamp beside me plunging the room into darkness other than the moonlight streaming in. We both laid down on our sides facing each other. I could see the fatigue around his eyes as well as shadows. Neither of us said anything for a while. Then the one thing that as eating at me slipped out.
"I won't be your crutch on this," I said softly as his eyes widened in surprise. "Don't do this for me. Do it for you."
"You're not," Brantley answered quietly. He slid his hand over lacing his fingers with mine as my heart pounded in my chest. "Just gave me a reason to fight. I know it's all on me to do this. No one else."
"Okay," I nodded then chewed on my lip. "Can I say this?"
"What's that?" he asked with a soft chuckle. "You have seen me pretty damn low darlin. Say what you need to."
"Your lawyer got her new address?" I asked. Okay, so the irate Southern Belle was peaking out. "I really want to punch her face in for breaking your heart. Again."
"Only if I get to pay a visit to the ex-fiancé," Brantley said with a sleepy smile. "Good night Princess."
"Night," I whispered letting my eyes closed. I pretended to be asleep a little bit later when I felt an arm wrap around me pulling me into a warm chest. I needed it just as much as he did, just had been to afraid to ask for it.