Bad Impressions (Revive Me #1) (24 page)

Not paying attention in my haste, I smacked right into a wall of hard muscle.

“Oops. Shit.”

I looked up to see Brad standing there on our porch.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded, recovering quickly from my embarrassment of clumsily smacking right into him. I heard Ollie chuckling behind me, but I ignored him.

“I’ll warm up the truck,” he said, brushing past us and making his way out to the road.

He tilted his chin at Brad, but Brad only scowled back at him.
Shit.

My brother had been looking to start making amends with Brad for the last week, but he’d been shot down at every attempt with Brad making it beyond clear that he had no intention of allowing Ollie back in.

I couldn’t really blame him, because Ollie
had
really screwed him over. He’d caused him to lose his job at the bar and he’d made him the most hated person in town.

But I couldn’t deny that peace between my brother and my boyfriend would’ve made things a lot easier. It would be a godsend. But pigs would fly before that happened.

“Well?” I pressed Brad. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m done with this.”

I rested my hands on my hips and glared up at him. “Done with what exactly?”

I knew full well what he was talking about, but I wasn’t exactly in the most accommodating mood when it came to any of the men in my life. Between Jake, Ollie and Brad, I’d had my fill of overly-controlling men and I’d lost my patience completely.

“This bullshit of yours.”

“Bullshit?”
How dare he?

“Yeah,
bullshit.
You’re being really immature about this. Moving out of my place? Barely letting me see you, because you supposedly suddenly need space? Come on, Soph.”

“Moving out of your place? We don’t
officially
live together, Brad. I was just staying there to avoid the shit storm that was Ollie at the time.”

He blinked with surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected me to lay it out like that.

He recovered himself quickly, his jaw setting into a hard line, his eyes fixed firmly on mine. That
pissed
look of his. “It was more than that. Don’t even try to deny it.”

I looked away and fiddled nervously with my scarf. He was right. I
couldn’t
deny it.

I hadn’t seen me staying with him as just a temporary refuge from my own place.

It really had been more.

It had been about the two of us being together, exploring our relationship on a deeper level. Our own private sanctuary where, once we’d closed that front door, the rest of the world had just faded away and there’d only been the two of us. Our love.

But I wasn’t prepared to admit to that. I needed to stand my ground.

I loved Brad with everything I had, but I wasn’t prepared to sacrifice my independence for that. I’d made that mistake with Jake and I refused to make it again here. It would break me down if I let that happen again and it would break
us
in return. I needed to know that Brad could let me breathe like I needed to. And the way things were between us, I couldn’t see the difference between his possessiveness borne out of love and the desire to protect me versus the need to control as part of some inherent alpha-male mentality.

“I’m gonna be late for work,” I told him, turning from him.

“Are you busy after your shift?”

“Why?”

“Because I’d like to pick you up after. If that’s okay with you?”

I stopped in my tracks. He was actually asking my permission.

Brad was normally the kind of guy who told you he was gonna do something. He didn’t ask first.

Yet, he wasn’t doing that now. He
wasn’t
taking control for once. He was putting the ball firmly in my court.

Interesting. Is this him trying to send me a message? Is he trying to tell me that he understands what all this is about?

“Brad, I—”

“There’s something I want to show you. The surprise I’d mentioned. It feels like ages ago now with all the shit that’s gone down since…with Jake and everything. I never got to show you. I want to tonight.”

“Okay,” I said, my back still to him. “I’m off at five.”

“I’ll be there, princess.”

I couldn’t help it. I grinned like a little schoolgirl at his sweet endearment.
Argh. This man melts me like butter. So frustrating when I need to be mad at him.

“Bye,” I said, quietly, trying my best to wipe the grin off my face, as I walked away.

At least I kept my back to him, because I had no such luck.

Chapter 30

~Sophie~

“Sorry we couldn’t meet up sooner, Soph. With Brad gone, it’s been hell at work. I’ve been pulling double shifts all over the place,” Tiff said in between sips of her latte.

I tucked my legs underneath me on one of the comfy chairs at
The Avid Reader
, happy to finally be spending some time with my best friend at long last. Well, even if it was just for fifteen minutes during my afternoon break. Tiff didn’t have longer than that as she was due at
Miller’s Tavern
anyway.

She looked happier than the last time I’d seen her when she’d told me about her and Ollie breaking it off. She was all doled up like her usual self. Her nails were done and her hair was primped beyond belief. Her clothes were as provocative as ever—a short-as-hell black mini-skirt paired with a navy-blue bustier top and a dark suede jacket. Yeah, she was exuding her usual confidence and overt sexuality. It was a good sign.

With all the craziness lately, between my drama with Brad, Jake and Ollie and Tiff’s current workaholic status, we hadn’t had the chance to talk, aside from a few text messages here and there where I’d checked in on her.

“What about Roy? Is he all trained up now?” I asked, taking a sip of my sugary sweet coffee.

The corner of her mouth turned up in a sly smirk and she blushed a little.

“Spill it.”

“What?” she asked, arching an eyebrow innocently.

“I saw your reaction when I mentioned his name.”

She laughed and shifted in her seat. “There might be a little something happening there,” she said, coyly.

“How little?” I winked at her suggestively. “Or, how
big
?”

She almost choked on her coffee. “This is new. You wanting to discuss cock. Brad is dirtying that prim and proper little mind of yours.”

“Prim and proper?” I scoffed. “I was never prim and proper, Tiff. Just—”

“Repressed?”

I rolled my eyes. “Maybe.”

There was no
maybe
about it. She was right. I was feeling a lot freer when it came to sex and everything.

Was it Brad’s influence? Perhaps. Or, maybe I was just changing on my own. Who really knew? Regardless, I liked who I was now. The real me. No holds barred and no holding back.

Okay, fine.
It
was
Brad’s influence—
our
influence from being together. It’d loosened me up a lot and given me the confidence I’d been missing.

She leaned back in her chair and sighed. “I don’t know about his cock, so you’ll have to use your imagination for now. But there may have been a couple of hot make-out sessions in the back room after a shift or two.”

I was a little surprised to hear that she hadn’t taken it any further with Roy.

Tiff always went in full steam ahead with any guy she was interested in.

It had to have something to do with my brother. I’d never known her to hold back before until he’d come into the picture. “Huh. Well…that’s good,” I responded, trying to sound enthused.

Clearly, I’d failed as she snapped, “Could you sound more bored?”

Snapping at me?
Another thing that was very unlike her.

“I’m just surprised, Tiff. That’s all.”

“Surprised?” she hissed, her eyes narrowing defensively.

“Yeah. You don’t usually hold back. Do you even like Roy?”

“Of course.”

“Then this is about Ollie?”

She slammed her coffee cup down on the table between us. “Why are you bringing him up? I told you before that it’s over between us. He dumped me, okay?
He
dumped
me
. I wasn’t good enough for him. You think I want to be reminded of that?”

“My brother doesn’t know
what
he wants in a woman. You know he’s all about work. He’s never really dated.”

“Well, he knows what he doesn’t want,” she muttered, folding her arms across her chest.

“Don’t let
him
change you. Don’t hold back with Roy. Living your life however the hell you want is one of the things I love most about you. I don’t want to see you lose that, because of my brother’s tendency to be a dickhead at times.”

Her expression softened then as she took in what I was saying. I guess she was remembering that I only had her best interests at heart. I wasn’t gonna judge her. God knew, I didn’t have the right to judge anyone, given all the bullshit I’d gone through with Jake
and
Brad
.

“It’s not that,” she said, quietly.

“What is it then?” I asked gently.

“I…I guess I’m still hung up on that douche bag brother of yours.”

Huh.
“Well, have you talked to him since…it ended?”

She huffed and picked up her coffee cup. “I’m not gonna say shit until he apologizes for the way he made me feel like a trashy whore.”

“I’ll talk to him,” I blurted out, before I could stop myself.
What?

She shook her head. “Uh uh. No. That would be humiliating.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “Please. I
can
be subtle, Tiff. I’ll just remind him of what he’s throwing away here. With Ollie, he gets so caught up in work. He’s a workaholic. Everything else disappears and fades into the abyss. He probably just needs a kick in the ass.”

“Subtle?”

I nodded. “I swear.”

“All right,” she conceded. “Okay. But I won’t hold my breath. He’s a stubborn bastard.”

“Yeah. All the men in my life are. That and controlling beyond belief.”

“You and Brad not doing so well?”

I shrugged. “I told you about the whole Jake fiasco, right?”

“Yeah. Finally.”

“Well, what if that happens again…with Brad?”

“Soph, Brad is nothing like him. And the guy worships you.”

“I know. It’s just…he
is
controlling and possessive. What if it escalates? I can’t…I won’t do that again. And, if I get any closer, I’m not sure I’ll be able to—”

“Walk away?”

“Yeah.”

She leaned forward and took my hands in hers, squeezing them to get my attention. “You’re just gun-shy, because of the whole Jake thing. Brad wants what’s best for you. And he’ll give it to you, Soph. I know it. I’ve seen him with you. All you have to do is ask. Tell him what you’re worried about. Actually
talk
to him. And as for not getting closer—pulling away by moving out of his place—that’s just you letting fear control you. You’ve gotta take the leap, babe. What you guys have—it’s worth it. Everyone wants it.
I
want it. It’s so fucking rare, you know? To connect the way you guys do.”

I nodded, unable to offer any actual words.

Wow. Talk about a hefty verbal slap across the face.

She was right.

I was just running scared.

It seemed that the whole Jake thing had affected me more than I’d actually allowed myself to admit and it’d manifested itself in my relationship with Brad.

Movement to the right caught my eye and I turned my head to see my boss and Brad’s mom, Kate, looking over at us.

Shit.

Had she heard us talking about Brad?

God, I hope not. That would just be plain awkward on so many levels.

Tiff snapped my attention back to
her
. “Talk to him, Soph.”

“Yeah,” I murmured, still deep in thought. “I will. Thanks.”

“No problem,” she said, smiling. “Now, no more guy talk. We have ten minutes left and it’s gonna be girl stuff all the way.”

We both laughed and left the boy drama behind, slipping into some much-needed, lighthearted banter that had nothing whatsoever to do with any of the men in our lives.

Chapter 31

~Brad~

I put the truck in park and fired up a smoke.

I’d just rolled the window down and taken my first drag, when the passenger door flew open, startling me to the point of almost making me drop my smoke.