I Crave You - C.C. Wood Page 0,40

I got tired of sitting home alone at night and decided to do something to fill that emptiness? I've dated a few men that were nice, some not-so-nice, but none of them were ever..." I trailed off because I couldn't find the words I truly needed.

"The one?" J.J. asked.

"Yes. The one. I've looked for that person. I just haven't found him. And after the last guy, well, I needed a break from even looking."

"What do you mean, the last guy?" he asked. "Is there something I don't know about him? What did he do to you? I'll beat his ass if he hurt you."

I shook my head and laughed a little. "It's not that. I hurt him when I broke up with him. He loved me and I cared about him. But not enough to give up my dreams. That's how I knew it wasn't meant to be. If I truly loved him, I would have figured out a way to make it work when he asked me to move in with him. I don't want to ever be responsible for hurting someone like that again."

"So you stopped trying?"

"Yes. Just for a while. Until I meet someone who seems worth the risk." I cleared my throat because it suddenly felt tight. "Now, that's enough mushy stuff for today. I have the afternoon off and I intend to spend it in utter sloth mode by eating pizza and watching movies."

"All right. I'm heading back home." He paused. "And, for what it's worth, I think you and Brody would be great together. As long as you don't punish him the way you punished me when I made you mad in high school."

"Oh, really? And you think I won't punish you now?"

"Don't even think about it, Cameron—"

Before J.J. could continue, I said, "Good talk, brother. I'm sure I'll see you soon."

"Cam—"

I disconnected and tossed the phone on the couch beside me. Then I laughed. Maybe it was time for me to resurrect the punishment system for my dear, sweet brother. Clearly, he missed it.

An hour later, I was impatiently waiting for my pizza to arrive. Since I hadn't gotten the delicious lunch my mother had undoubtedly cooked, I was ravenous.

I bounded off the couch when the doorbell rang and hurried to the front door. When I opened the door, money in hand, and saw who was on the other side, I froze.

Brody stood on my front porch, extra large supreme pizza in hand. "Hey."

I recovered from the unexpected surprise. "New career?"

He grinned. "Maybe. This is a trial run."

I reached out to take the pizza from him but he tugged it back out of my reach.

"Nope. You still have to pay me."

"Here," I said, waving the money in my hand toward him.

Brody shook his head. "Payment is information."

"Information on what?" I asked, my stomach growling as the incredible cheesy aroma floated into the house.

"On why you left your parents' house in a snit today. J.J. was locked up tighter than a bank vault."

Suddenly, my appetite waned and I backed away from the front door. Brody took that as an invitation to come inside and brushed by me into the living room. I shut the door behind him and followed him into the kitchen.

He set the pizza on the counter and looked at me. "Plates?"

I walked around him to the pantry and pulled out two paper plates. It was my day off. I definitely didn't want to wash dishes.

I handed the plates to Brody and stuck my head in the fridge to grab two Cokes. Thoughts zipped through my brain so quickly that I couldn't catch a single one. I didn't want to get between Brody and J.J. and I was worried that an honest answer to his request would put me squarely in the center. At the same time, we definitely needed to talk

"Couch or table?" he asked.

I walked to the couch in the living room without a word and plopped down. Brody grabbed a handful of paper towels and brought them with the plates.

He sat on the opposite end of the couch, handed me a plate, and asked, "What happened?"

I stared down at my pizza, my stomach heavy rather than growling.

"That bad, huh?" Brody asked.

I finally looked up at him. "Not bad. I feel awkward talking to you about this."

"Why?" He took a huge bite of his pizza and stared at me as he chewed.

I had to laugh because his cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk's and there was no way I