The Home-wrecker (The Goode Brothers)
The Home-wrecker: Chapter 49

My head is foggy, and the lights are too bright. As I peel my eyes open, I quickly clench them back together, blocking the buzzing fluorescent bulbs from stabbing my skull. Everything hurts, which means the drugs are wearing off.

But I’ve been in such a haze that I don’t want any more drugs.

My lips hurt as I peel my mouth open to grumble out a weak, “Briar?”

“I’m here.”

Her sweet voice fills my ears, and I let out a sigh. A straw is pressed against my lips, and I suck in ice-cold water, which might be the best drink I’ve ever had in my life. I feel it going all the way down, saturating my tired, aching body.

Squinting my eyes open, I stare at the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Blonde wisps of hair surround her head, making her glow like an angel. Shutting my mouth, I stay quiet as I just stare at her.

“Are you in pain?” she asks, touching my forehead.

I lie and shake my head. No more drugs.

If I so much as twitch my arm, searing hot pokers radiate up my entire arm and down my spine. I had no idea breaking your arm could hurt so much.

“You’re here,” I whisper.

“Of course I’m here,” she replies. “Caleb, I couldn’t leave you.”

“What about Sean?” I ask, my voice splintering like a tree in a storm.

Briar’s eyebrows pinch inward as she leans toward me. “Forget Sean,” she mutters coldly. “I was so wrong for staying with him as long as I did, but I was afraid. I was a coward. But he and I are done for good now. I will never speak to him again. I mean, look what he did to you.” She starts to cry, her nostrils flaring and her eyes tearing up.

“I don’t care,” I mutter. “I’m fine.”

“Caleb, you’re not fine,” she replies. “Your hand…” Her voice trails as she looks away, wiping tears from her cheek. “You’re going to lose your scholarship, and they don’t think you’ll be able to play college football anymore.”

Staring into her eyes, I wish I had the strength to move so I could wrap my arms around her. All I can manage is to lift my left arm to her face. Gently holding her chin, I force her to look at me. “I don’t give a fuck about football.”

“And your scholarship?”

“I’ll get a student loan. I don’t care, Briar. I really don’t.”

She presses her lips together as she grins at me. “I was afraid you’d never want to see me again.”

“Are you crazy?” I ask. “They could break every bone in my body, and it would be worth it just to wake up and see you sitting there.”

She starts to cry again. “Oh, Caleb.”

As she buries her face in my chest, I use my good arm to softly stroke her hair. My right arm still screams in pain, but it doesn’t matter.

A moment later, the door opens, and a nurse walks in. “That husband of yours is finally awake,” she says sweetly before dimming the lights.

“Husband?” I mumble.

Briar lifts her face and laughs. Then she glances at the nurse as if they have some inside joke I’m not privy to. “The only people allowed to stay in the room outside of visiting hours are parents and spouses.”

“So it’s a good thing y’all are married,” the nurse replies with a chuckle as she draws the curtains open, letting in the early morning light.

Briar bites her bottom lip, trying to hide her smile. “This angel lied for me so I could stay all night. I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”

“Thank you,” I say to the nurse as she comes over to check my vitals.

“I know love when I see it, and this girl was not leaving your side.”

My heart picks up speed in my chest, and I wonder if the nurse can see it on the monitor what hearing that does to me. Briar told me she loved me, and then she showed me. Honestly, there’s not an ounce of pain on this planet that could make me regret that.

“You’re a lifesaver…” I say, glancing at her name badge before adding, “Abigail.”

Present Day

It’s been a week since my father’s visit. I haven’t spoken to him since, and I don’t care to. Last I heard, he found a new lawyer who posted his bail, and his hearing has been moved up. Any chances of getting his charges dropped now are gone. The man can’t even help himself at this point.

Dean has hardly left his apartment. He’s putting distance between us because he thinks it’s what we need.

Abby started school again yesterday, and he at least came out in the morning to see her first day of school dress.

But as for us, things between us, I think it’s over. It feels like I’ve failed. And I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the heartbreak this has caused my family—all of us.

Briar is despondent. She drinks every night, crying alone in the bathtub, and there’s nothing I can do to fix this. If I tell her that I’ll get him back, she just argues that we can’t force him into this.

But that’s just not good enough for me. I know when to accept defeat, but this is so much more than that. This is my family. And I can’t lose my family.

Abby has asked about Dean every day since, but we just cover it up with him being busy, having to work, or needing rest. If this truly is the end, and he moves out, then will she forget him? Do I want her to?

Lying in bed, Briar is sleeping beside me, and I’m scrolling through Instagram again, looking for a distraction from the mess that is my own life.

And there he is—Theo Virgil.

He’s on tour, playing on a stage in some historic-looking venue with huge rustic chandeliers in what looks like some old speakeasy. The place appears packed, filled to the brim with people.

Let’s do this, Austin, it says in the caption.

My eyes nearly bug out of my head. I quickly glance at the date, realizing a moment too late that my brother’s show was tonight.

I don’t know why, but I immediately fly out of my bed. Briar doesn’t move as I run into our closet and grab the first pair of jeans I see. I’m not even sure what I’m doing. This is crazy. I’ve already missed the show, but that doesn’t matter because he’s here.

Isaac is in Austin, just a few miles away. I can’t just go to sleep knowing that.

In a frenzy, I slip on my shoes and tiptoe down the stairs. I’m in my SUV and driving down the road, still without a plan. I don’t need a plan. I just need to try.

It takes me about thirty minutes to get to the venue. Checking the time stamp on his last story, he started his set about an hour ago. It’s not likely he’s still playing, but if I’m lucky, I can try to catch him coming out.

Quickly, I park across the street and run toward the brick building squeezed into one of Austin’s more quaint and artistic districts. The vibes here are young and hip, with coffee shops and vintage clothing stores around the corner.

By the time I reach the building, it’s clear the show has ended, and very few stragglers are still coming out of the venue. I look around for a back entrance or a place where the artists might come and go. On the side of the building, there’s a tall fence to keep people from getting to the doorway in the back, but I know this has to be it.

A small black van is parked near the exit, and there are people coming and going, packing boxes and equipment into the trunk.

I check every face, looking for the familiar one, the one who shares my DNA. The eyes of my baby-face little brother. The sweet kid who once cried to our mother for hours after I kicked over an anthill.

My skin is buzzing, and my heart is pounding. He’s here. Isaac is here.

As I watch the band members and roadies come and go, a few girls congregate around me. They’re giggling and taking pics, clearly fans of Theo and just hoping for a glimpse.

Suddenly, as I stand there waiting for my brother, I get a feeling of regret washing through me.

What am I doing?

This is his life. His escape. His safe space. And I’m here infiltrating it like I have some claim to every aspect of his life just because he’s my brother.

Isaac doesn’t owe me a damn thing, and Theo Virgil might as well be a stranger to me.

Just because my life is a mess doesn’t mean I need to bring any of that into his. He’s safer with distance. I’m always so concerned about keeping everyone safe, but this is one instance when walking away is how I protect him.

Before I’m spotted, I quickly back away from the fence. Pulling the cap farther down on my head, I shove my hands in my pockets and turn to make my way back to my car.

This was stupid. I’m an asshole for even coming here.

“Theo! Theo! Over here!” The girls cheer excitedly, flashes illuminating the night sky as they take photo after photo.

And I can’t help myself. I have to at least look. I need to lay my eyes on him, even if that’s all I do.

So I turn.

His head is tilted down, with a cowboy hat hiding most of his face. The brightness of his smile stops me in my tracks. He approaches the fence line, beaming at the women. With shoulder-length brown hair and a rugged blue jean jacket, he looks like a star. He looks like he was made for this.

“Hey there,” he says in a Southern drawl with a mixture of confidence and shyness. I smile to myself as I watch him interact with his fans.

They gush over how much they love his songs, and he blushes in return, thanking them for coming.

As I watch from across the street, I try to find traces of my little brother inside this country music star. He’s there. In the dimples in his cheeks. The way he fidgets with his hair. The way he looks right into their eyes when they’re talking to him.

For a moment, I’m at peace. I don’t need anything from him to feel better. He doesn’t need to acknowledge me or let me in. He’s happy. And I refuse to ruin that.

So, with that, I turn away from him and head toward my car.

I only make it three steps before I hear his voice call…

“Caleb?”