Page 96 of Too Close To Home

Concern wrapped around an invitation.

“You don’t have to deal with it on your own.” Brodie stepped closer until there was barely any space left between them. “I can come back with you. We can talk. Or not talk.” He tipped his mouth into a smile. “Whatever you need.”

Jake stared at him.

Subtle as a fucking brick.

And once upon a time, he’d have said yes. Not to the talking. Never the talking. But Brodie was fit, available and knew exactly what Jake liked. There’d been plenty of nights when that had been reason enough.

It wasn’t anymore.

Hadn’t been for a while.

Jake caught Brodie by the wrist and pulled his hand away from his neck. “No.”

Brodie’s smile faded. “I’m trying to be there for you.”

“You’re trying to get me back into your bed.”

“Can’t I be doing both?”

At least that was honest.

Jake almost laughed. Instead, he put a hand on Brodie’s chest and moved him firmly out of the way. “If this were ever gonna be owt more than a shag, it would’ve happened by now.”

Brodie folded his arms. “It hasn’t happened because you don’t fucking let me in.”

“Exactly.”

Brodie frowned.

Jake sighed. “That’s what I’m telling you. I don’t want to let you in.”

That landed.

For the first time, some of the fight went out of Brodie’s face. Jake felt like a bastard for it, but better that than letting Brodie keep convincing himself there was a chance here.

They’d fucked. More than once. It’d been good.

That was all it had ever been.

And for reasons Jake really didn’t want to examine too closely, the idea of doing it again suddenly held even less appeal than it had yesterday.

Brodie went to say something else, but Pete popped his head out of the door and hollered out to him, “Brode, mate, got a lot of clearing up in here.”

Brodie took a vape, blew it out. “Be there in a sec.” Then he turned back to Jake. “Hang around. I’ll come home with you.”

“You’ve never come home with me.”

“Another thing we need to change.”

“Go back inside, Brodie.”

Brodie studied him a moment longer before taking another pull on the vape. “This will only get worse for you. You’re gonna need people.”

“I have people.”

“Not for everything.”