“I'm equal opportunity, Sean.” She raised an eyebrow, and Sean flexed his toes against the concrete.
The guys said their goodbyes and mosied back to their cars. Kelty gave her one last hug and followed Sean, leaving her, Andrea, and Brett standing on the sidewalk.
Andrea held out her hand. “Keys, please. I think I'll take first shift.”
“I didn't list you as a driver on the—”
“Oh, give me the keys, Penny. If we get in a wreck, we'll just shift spots.”
“I don’t think that’s a thing,” Penny muttered as she handed the key ring over. She waited for Andrea to round the hood before looking up.
Brett's hands were shoved in his pockets, and his shoulders were tense. “Brett, I can't thank you en—”
“Stop.” He shook his head and the muscles in his jaw worked.
Penny didn't know what to say. She couldn't make it better, and she didn't know what the other options were. “Brett . . .” her throat clenched so tight, no words could come out. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands until her nails bit into her palms.
Brett stood like a statue, his brow furrowed. His eyes fixed on the logo of the side of the truck.
Penny’s eyes welled with tears, and the only words that tumbled from her lips were, “Can you forgive me?” She wanted him to say yes, to tell her that he understood and that she could take all the time she needed. But Brett didn't answer, and Penny's chest felt like a Coke bottle with a Mentos dropped into it.
With a shaky hand, she reached for her door handle and escaped inside the truck. “Go.”
Andrea didn't ask questions, she just started the truck and lurched away from the curb as Penny started to shatter.
_____
Brett tried to draw a breath and nearly choked. He watched the truck turn the corner then disappear from sight, and it felt like a steel beam had landed across his chest.He needed to get inside.Kick a wall, break something.
It was moments like this where that black demon inside of him no longer whispered.
You can make this all go away.
Just forget for once.
You don't have a problem anymore, so why are you making yourself suffer?
Brett gasped for air as he clomped up the steps and threw his door open, then slammed it closed behind him. His apartment already felt like an empty shell.She was gone.Penny had packed up her things, his friends had loaded them in the back of her truck, and she’d driven away with no plans to come back.
Of course a part of him was holding out hope that she'd change her mind. She hadn't said this was forever. But she also hadn't said it wasn't, and that possibility was the one that got all the airtime.
Brett leaned over the sink and turned on the faucet, then cupped his hands and lifted them, splashing water over his face. He'd known it would end like this from the very beginning, and yet he still jumped in with both feet. He splashed another handful of water over his face, then froze when he heard a knock at the door.
He turned off the tap and reached for the towel next to the sink. It still smelled a little like Penny's lemongrass hand lotion.Who would be coming to his door right now?
Brett thought about ignoring it and retreating to his bedroom, but another knock came, this time more forceful. If this was someone selling Stampeder tickets, he was going to—
His breath caught as he flung the door open and saw Tyler, Sean, Suraj, Country, and Fly huddled together like they were posing for a Christmas card. He glanced down at the pillows they clutched in their arms. “What the hell is this?” He asked, his voice raw.
“You didn't think we were going to leave after that, did you?” Tyler asked, motioning for him to move out of the way. Brett stepped back and they filed into his living room, swinging sleeping bags underneath the pillows
“You guys, I don't—”
Sean held up a hand. “Shut your damn mouth, Bouchard.”
Country kicked off his boots, and Tyler hung his coat on the hooks. “We're staying the night.”
Tyler nodded. “We have wings and nachos coming at noon and then barbecue coming for dinner.” He turned to Fly. “Do you have that ice cream?”
