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My lips iaze to drift over his shoulder to where Brady was standing, his shoulder propped against the doorjao toe to toe with Brady I was happy, really and truly, for the first time in nearly a decade And I refused to allow him to ruin that forto happen anyway

"Hey, we need to talk," he called out

I groaned internally "Go wait in the car, Trav I’ll be there in a ave him a side-eye He asked that question every time alked out my front door

And, every time, I answered with, "Back seat"

Poor kid was lucky I didn’tin the front

"Aw, man," he complained and then took off toward my car

With all the enthusiasm of a snail, I walked over to Brady

"What’s up?" I asked, praying that Travis had been as good as I’d thought he’d been about keeping our little Porter secret

Brady shoved a hand into the pocket of his jeans "I want hiht this weekend"

My shoulders snapped back, and my body went on alert "What? No way!"

He cocked his head to the side "I’ht since he’s been back"

I crossed lared "Yeah, Brady Because he’s sick He wakes up two to three ti treatments and other medication We both know I’m better equipped to handle that than you are It’s best if he stays withthe day, but he’s coht my elbow and yanked me toward him "Then teachmy arm away "Don’t touch h the top of his hair and then cupped the back of his neck "Shit I’ enough, he lifted his gaze tome back a step

"I needwith ht And an hour and a half of that was spent asking when you were coet him"

Guilt settled heavily inhim from Porter

"It’s only been a week Be patient"

"It took him, like, ten aze to the ground "He’d seen me with Porter It was built-in trust"

"Jesus," he breathed, tipping his chin towardhis gaze, I found Travis frantically waving for me to come on

Suddenly, I felt like a heel

Travis didn’t want to leave Brady’s; he just wanted to go hoave Brady’s forearm a squeeze "I’ll talk to him Okay?"

"Yeah Sure I’ll see you tomorrow" He waved, and before I even had a chance to ht in the rooainst the pillow, s

It should be noted that, while bathroo, a bed definitely had itsthe ease in which Porter could trail his led cry escaped ue swirled overat his hair

"Not until you co sos

"I can’t, bab--oh God" What started as a whisperthem inside me

When Travis and I had arrived at the house, a set of nerves I’d never even considered had exploded withinon the porch for us But, while looking up at that two-story brick ho out of the car Hoas I supposed to walk into that house without feeling like an intruder?