The Build Up (69)

My face heated with anger for my brother. “Todd told me about the guy at work, but I had no idea it was over a case this major.” I wanted to punch a wall, find this Kyle dude and dust him up. Ari squeezed my hand.

“Well, it is.” Kim continued, turning to address the rest of the family. “I want you all to go home and get some rest. Todd’s going to stay here overnight. Make sure nothing else is wrong. We will meet with the social worker to get him some help. Weigh our options. Not to mention, I need to call our attorney and the insurance company. It’s all such a mess. Mom, can you take the kids home with you and Daddy Des? They’re still at soccer practice.”

My mother nodded and then kissed Kim on her forehead. “Of course. We can keep the kids for as long as you need us to. We will work it out.” My mother looked at me and Ari, our hands still intertwined. I couldn’t let her go. I feared if I did, I’d pass out on the hospital floor.

“Ari, can you please look after my PJ? Make sure he gets home, okay? Get something to eat? I can tell by the way he’s shaking that he hasn’t eaten.”

Ari nodded her head. “Yes, Eloise. I can.”

Mom put her hand on Ari’s cheek. “Thank you, my sweet Ari.”

I looked at Ari. “Ari, it’s cool. I can drive. Trust me, I’m fine.”

Ari’s lips turned up into a smirk. “Didn’t Eloise ask me to make sure you were okay? Then I’m going to make sure you’re okay. Besides, I have a new car, remember? I’ll whip us up some dinner at home.”

I looked at Ari, repeating the word. “Home?” The word sounded both familiar and foreign from my lips. But when Ari said home, it felt warm. Safe.

Ari shrugged. “Sure. Unless you don’t want to.”

I looked over at my mom, attending to Kim, who smiled gently in my direction. I think it would give my mom some peace knowing I was in Ari’s hands.

“Yeah. Let’s go home.”



Chapter Twenty-Five


Ari


I leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Porter push arroz con pollo around on his plate.

“Not hungry?” I asked, gently, removing his plate and wrapping it with plastic wrap to place in the fridge. The situation with Todd had him worried; he was never one without an appetite. His glass of water was untouched, and his eyes were blank and empty.

“No,” he said, squeaking out the word in a gravelly voice.

Finally, after several minutes of silence, he continued. “It looked great, Ari. But... I can’t eat.”

“Do you want something stronger than water? I mean, I hate to ask but...” My voice trailed off. That was probably a dumb thing to ask. Given the circumstances.

Porter sat up straight, his hands folded in his lap. “Can I get some black coffee? That’s about as strong as I can handle right now.”

I nodded, quickly placing a single serve pod of coffee in the machine, which brewed within minutes. Porter stared down at the inky cup of espresso in front of him. I watched as his lips blew and he gingerly took the hot cup to his lips. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting the warmth of the hot elixir soothe him.

Finally able to move my feet, I sat next to him, rubbing his shoulder. “Better?”

He rolled his neck, leaning into the feel of my hands. “Yeah. Thanks. And thanks for coming today. It’s crazy. You’re the first person I called. I couldn’t have faced that without you.”

I felt my heart crack open. “I was just out with Bella, at the cosmetics store. You don’t have to thank me, Porter. I’m your friend.”

Porter turned and looked at me. “We’re more than friends, Ari. We’re...just more than that. You know that.”

My lips tightened. “I know. Partners-in-design, too.” I playfully punched his arm. Trying to defuse tense situations with humor was not my strongest attribute.

Porter didn’t smile. He reached up and twirled my hair between his fingers. “I love your hair like this.”

I frowned with a raised brow. “Messy? Kinky?”

Porter shook his head, his bottom lip edged between his teeth. “No. Just free. It reminds me of...” His voice trailed off. “The last time we...”

“Oh.” I felt my chest and neck burn with the thought of us together. The closer his hands moved, his fingers inches from my cheek, the more I could feel my pussy tighten from the memory.

I coughed, moving my head slowly, trying not to think of my body’s reactions.

Porter let the curl unravel out of his fingers. “I’m a terrible brother. A terrible son. My dad would be so pissed. I’m my brother’s keeper, he would say. I should have been there for Todd. The signs were there, but I made excuses. I thought, hey, he works a lot. Or you know, he needs a break. He’s just unwinding. No, Todd is an alcoholic. We should have intervened years ago. Like, right after my dad died. He was sixteen years old, drinking Johnny Walker Black from my granddaddy’s study like it was nothing.”

I put my hand on Porter’s thigh, muscular and firm even in well-worn sweats. “You can’t torture yourself. Sometimes, things like this are hard to pinpoint.”

Porter put his face in his hands. I could see tears drop through his fingers and onto the kitchen island. When he lifted his head, Porter’s nose was red, and his eyes were bloodshot.