Stitches

“So you told Curtis, great, now he thinks that I drug her into it.” My mind began racing with thoughts of his disapproval. It hurt me bad enough when he disapproved of us the first time, I became livid.

Matt shook his head, “Curtis came looking for Brooklyn, I didn’t have the heart to tell him that we didn’t know where she was. Lola told him the story, and she should have. Curtis believed her and he said he wasn’t pissed at you anymore. He wants to help, Oli. Let him.”

That was the first time in my life Matt had been brotherly, we were always on that friend level. At this point the was more brotherly than Tom. Matt opened the van doors.

“Why should I? Give me one damn reason.” I said angrily throwing the luggage into the back.

“He’s her brother, Oli. Seriously, he needs to help her.”

My fists clenched in anger, then I sighed in defeat but never spoke. I went around the side of the vehicle and climbed inside. The smell of the van brought back memories of long tours spent missing home.

Matt and Lola climbed into the front seats. We sat in an awkward silence for a moment before Brooklyn clambered into the vehicle with Curtis on her heels.

Brooklyn slid in next to me, her hand rested on my knee comfortably. The look in her eyes told me that everything would be okay.

We dropped Curtis off on the way home. The apartment smelled exactly the way I had remembered; like cinnamon. Lola loved cinnamon candles, when I first moved in I constantly sneezed but now it’s nothing short of comforting.

I threw the luggage down in front of the closet door. Brooklyn laid down on the bed and sighed.

“Don’t be mad.” She whispered, her eyelids were closed and if I didn’t know better I’d think she was talking in her sleep.

I sighed and sat down on the opposite side of the bed. Her hand trailed up my spine, her touch soothed my racing heart.

“I’m not mad, Brooke. I’m annoyed, I don’t understand why he would be an asshole to me, not help you, and now he wants too. I just don’t get it.” I said all in one overwhelmed breath.

The bed shifted as she sat up. She straddled me from behind and rested her cheek on my back. I laid my hands on her smooth legs.

“I really think he wants to help. I know he hasn’t been…’nice’ about everything but Oli he’s trying.” She said.

I sighed, “I’m not giving him a second chance.”

“I gave you a second chance.” She whispered sweetly, but it bombarded my ears as the most spiteful words I’d ever heard.

At that moment I knew that I had no other choice than to listen to him. I had to take his “help”.