"Why would I? This is over, Riley. I thought we had the start of something good here, but you're too hung up on feeling sorry for Nate. You're just like Aunt Kathy that way. You're both so busy trying to protect him that you can't live your own lives. It's completely ridiculous that she can't tell him she's dating. Four years, Riley. She's been hiding it for four years, all because she thinks he won't be okay with it." Brad shakes his head. "I'm not going to be part of it. I like you, Riley. I like you a lot, and I really wanted to get to know you, but not if you think I'm doing this to make Nate jealous. That pisses me off. I can't believe you'd even think that."
"I'm sorry," I mutter.
We don't talk for the rest of the drive, which gives me time to think about what he said. Brad's right. Nate is always feeling sorry for himself and I always go along with it, even when I disagree. I don't want to hurt Nate, but I also don't want to lose Brad. I've never felt this way about a guy and I don't want it to end.
"Don't go," I say when we arrive at the trailer.
"Riley, I'm sorry, but it's just not going to work. You're too worried about Nate, and I get that. I really do. I just can't be part of it. And I can't have you thinking I'm doing this for the wrong reasons."
"I don't. And I'm sorry I said all that stuff about making Nate jealous." I take my seatbelt off and turn to him. "I'm not ready for this to be over. Please. Don't go. Just come in for an hour or two. If you don't want to see me again after tonight, then fine. I just don't want us to end this way. With you angry at me."
"I'm not angry." He reaches over for my hand. "I'm frustrated. I came here to get away from shit and ended up stirring up trouble. I feel like I should just leave here but I don't know where I'd go."
"Then don't. Just come inside. Please?" I give him my sweetest smile.
He smiles back. "Damn, you're hard to resist with that smile. Okay, I'll stay but I don't want to talk about Nate."
"Deal. If I bring up his name, you can get up and leave."
Brad shuts off the car and we go inside. We sit on the couch and I turn the TV on.
"Anything you want to watch?" I ask, flipping through the channels.
He pulls something from the couch. An empty liquor bottle. "Yours?" he asks, holding it up.
"No." I snatch it from him and jump up to take it to the trash.
"Riley, I was kidding." He gets up and meets me by the garbage can.
When I open it up, I see two more bottles that weren't there this morning.
"Dammit," I say, feeling tears forming.
"What is it?"
I point to the empty bottles in the trash.
"That's all from this week?"
"No. Today." I wipe my eyes and walk away. "We're broke. Where did she even get the money to buy it?" I storm down the short hallway to her room and fling open the door.
"Riley, what are you doing?" I hear Brad say.
Opening her drawer, I take out the box where we keep cash for groceries, along with the checkbook we use for bills.
"It's gone," I say.
"What's gone?" Brad asks, standing in the doorway.
"She used all our grocery money." I open the checkbook. "And she didn't pay bills this month. She promised me she would, but she didn't."
I slam the box closed and shove it back in the drawer, then collapse on the floor, my lip quivering as I fight back tears.
Brad sits next to me and takes me in his arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't know things were so bad."
"Nobody does. I—" I take a deep breath, forcing myself to be strong and not cry. I'm so sick of crying about this. "I don't tell anyone."
"Not even Nate?"
"No. I can't. He'd just tell me to forget about her and move out. He doesn't care what happens to her. He says she's an adult and should be treated like one."
"In a way, he's right. You can't help her forever."
"Yeah, but I can't just leave her. I'm afraid she might—" I stop and take a breath. "I don't know what to do."
"You wouldn't have to leave town. You could get an apartment close by."
"I don't have the money. I keep giving it to her to pay bills, and whatever's left I use to buy groceries." I wipe the tears from my eyes. "I don't know what to do, Brad."
He holds me closer and kisses my head. "We're going to get out of here and forget about it. For now. We'll worry about it tomorrow. Right now we're going to continue our night. We're on a date, in case you forgot."
I sniffle and feel a smile forming. "I didn't forget. But I thought it ended when we were fighting."
"We weren't fighting. We just disagreed. It's okay to disagree." He stands up, taking me with him. "You got any snacks?"
"No, but we just ate. I'm not hungry."
"I am." He points to himself. "I'm big. I eat a lot. Let's go to the store."
"I can't. I don't have—" I don't want to say it. Just saying it makes me angry. How could she do this? How could she spend all our money and not pay a single bill?
"I'm buying," he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of my mom's room. I'm embarrassed Brad saw it. It's such a mess. She has dirty clothes everywhere and dirty dishes on the floor. But Brad didn't seem bothered by it. I'm not even sure he noticed. He was too focused on me, crumpled on the floor and trying not to cry.
We go to the grocery store and return with three sacks of food. It's way more than we can eat, but Brad insisted on having a variety. I know he only did this so there would be food in the cupboards, which is sweet, but not necessary. I've lived this way long enough to figure out how to survive.
We sit on the couch and watch movies until midnight, kissing and cuddling, but not doing any more than that. I wanted to, and the timing was right since my mom was gone, but Brad didn't make a move, so I didn't either. I think he's out to prove this isn't some short fling but something more. What that is, I'm not sure. I just know I want to keep seeing him.
Everything feels so right with him, while things with Nate have been feeling wrong. How did things change so quickly?
Chapter Fifteen
Nate
My mom knocks on my door. "Nate, are you up?"
"Not really." I shove the covers off my head and rub my eyes. "What time is it?"
"It's after ten." She opens the door. "How was your date last night?"
"It was okay." I sit up, yawning.
"Tell me about it." She comes over to my bed and sits down.
"Mom, I'm not telling you about my date."
"Just tell me what you did. Did you take her to dinner?"
"Yes." I roll my eyes, reminding myself to look for jobs today so I can move out as quickly as possible. My mom's great, but I can't live with her.
"Where'd you go?"
"To the brewery. Then she wanted dessert at this place downtown, so we went there and then came home." I lay down, covering my head with the sheet, hoping she'll get the signal to leave.