Hometown Love

Chapter Two - I'll be back

Picture of Brody Collins on the side >

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Chapter Two - I'll be back










"Brody Collins." I thought out loud as I looked at the guy standing in front of me. He was smirking and it was irritating but if I was completely honest, I was shocked and amused.


Sure, I remember the fact that he was way hotter than every other guy in school when I was little. But this was different. Brody could be now called the definition of sexy.


Not that I would ever say that to anyone.


"Am I so hot I left you speechless?" He asked cocking his head to one side and I rolled my eyes at him.


"Really?" I couldn't say it wasn't true because, let's face it, his handsomeness did leave me speechless, but only because I haven't seen him in years and I wasn't expecting to see here now either.


"So, you're back in town." Brody stated, ignoring my remark.


"Trying." I told him, motioning to the front of my car that was still fuming and crashed. "I had a little incident." I said shrugging and not wanting to admit what happened.


"What's happened?" Brody asked as if he could read my mind, already walking towards my car. "This looks ugly." He said, as if I didn't know it already.


I sighed. "Do you really need to know?" I asked him. From past history, I knew he would laugh and make fun of me. He was Brody, after all, my big brother's best friend and the manwhore slash bad boy from Shelbyville.


"If I'm going to fix it, then, yes, it'll be good to know." He answered me and I raised my eyebrows at him.


"What, are you saying you're the mechanic of town?" I placed my hands on my hips and lifted an eyebrow at him, which seemed to be funny for him, making him chuckle.


"That's exactly what I'm saying." He answered, leaving me surprised.


When I left town, the gossip running around was that 5 scouts were here to see him playing and at least 3 of them were going to offer him a scholarship to play football. So what the hell was he doing here, and working as the town's mechanic?


"What? Isn't my work as dignified as yours?" Brody asked, obviously seeing my shocked expression.


"I just thought you'd be playing football in a big team, that's all." I answered him stepping back. The look in his eyes was bitter and definitely intimidating.


"As you can see, I'm not." He snapped without looking at me and turned his attention to the car and its engine. "So, what happened?"


I sighed deeply and stared at the ground. "I was looking around and I hit a bull. End of story." For my surprise, Brody didn't laugh. Instead, he stared at me as if he was shocked and I rolled my eyes.


"Is he okay?" He asked after a few seconds.


"Yes, he got up and left." I answered him not too glad to talk about it. Then Brody shook his head and grinned, going back to the car.


I stood there behind him watching his work in the car. After a few minutes, he got up from his kneeled position and took his plaid shirt off and wrapped it around his hips.


I could only see his naked back but it was enough to make me wonder what it would feel like to touch him. He sure grew up in these years and with it he gained a lot of muscles too.


Snap out of it, I ordered myself and turned around, realizing how stupid I must have been looking staring at his back. He was a player and I knew that. Also, I've just broken up with my boyfriend so I shouldn't be ogling over other guys.


For a few minutes I kept looking around the crops and the road.


"Alright." Brody stood up again and breathed deeply. "I guess you'll be able to drive it to the shop. Then I'll finish the job." He told me and turned to look at me.


As expected, I couldn't help but stare at his completely worth drooling six pack abs. No one should be able to look this hot. "Happy with what you see?" Correction, scratch No one should be able to look this hot and replace to no one should be this infuriating. And his smirk was back.


"So, can I follow you to the shop?" I asked, changing the subject before he insisted on it and walked to the driver's door.


"Sure." He answered and jogged towards his blue Chevy, so I entered in my car and turned the engine on, driving behind Brody.


The car was making some weird noises but I chose to trust Brody this once and ignored it. The familiar places from my childhood started to appear in front of me. The market in the main street was just as I remembered and on the other side was Kent's Bar, where all the young citizens went to have fun.


Finally we arrived and I parked the car inside the workshop. When I got out, Brody was already outside waiting for me.


"How much is it going to cost?" I asked him so I could leave at least part of the money before he started.


"We'll see. You can pay later when it's ready." Brody answered without giving it much importance.


Looking around I could see that even though there was grease all over the place, it still looked tidy and somehow clean. On the wall there was a picture of Brody wearing his football uniform and with a ball in hands. He had a wide grin on his face and it made me remember how well he played.


"Do you want a ride home?" Brody asked taking me out of my thoughts.


"No, thanks." I answered him. "I could use some walk." I told him and smiled. "Thanks for rescuing me, anyways."


"Sure, you're welcome, princess." He nodded and I rolled my eyes then started turning around to leave. "Thea!" He called me back taking me by surprise. "I'll call you when I'm done." Brody said and grinned so I waved him goodbye and went out on the streets.


It was hot outside and even though I always hated how hot the weather of the town was, I didn't complain. It felt good to be here.


As I walked, the whole situation with Carl came back to my mind and I shook my head at the thought that I was ever stupid enough to date him. I've always known he was a douche but I never considered the fact that he would do something like that.


It was one thing to complain about me not being home enough. But it was something completely different to suggest we do a ménage a trois with one of his exes.


Thinking about it, not even my stupidest stories, the ones I wrote in high school, had such a twisted plot.


The guy suggests a mènage. The girl breaks up with the boy, leaves the apartment, drives to her hometown and hits a bull. The End.


I laughed at my own misery and continued walking down the street to my old house. It was right in the end of it and when I reached the front lawn I sighed, already smelling the scent of vanilla in the air.


Mom was baking cookies.


I have texted her from the gas station telling I was coming but I doubted she read the text. Danika Jones hated technology.


I walked to the front door and without caring to knock, I opened it, already knowing it wouldn't be locked. "I'm home!" I announced in a tone sufficiently loud for my mom to hear from the kitchen.


It was a matter of seconds until I saw her running through the living room wearing an apron and holding a spoon. "Oh, dear Buda, look who's here!" My mom squealed dropping the spoon on the ground and wrapping me in a bear hug. I haven't seen her in a year since she went to New Jersey to visit me.


I laughed and hugged her back, closing my eyes. "Hi, mom." I greeted her as she stepped back to look at me while still holding my arms.


"You're so pale and so skinny, Thea. Haven't you been eating anything?" Mom asked looking completely worried in a wicked way.


I chuckled and shook my head. "I'm fine and healthy, promise." I assured her.


"I can't believe you're here." She said, hugging me once again. "Why haven't you warned me you were coming?" Mom asked and I rolled my eyes.


"It was last minute. I didn't know I was coming before yesterday." I answered her and didn't mind explaining.


"Where's your bag? How long are you staying?" She asked and I almost slapped my forehead.


"Damn, I completely forgot." I muttered to myself. "I had an incident with the car and I had to leave it in the mechanic shop. I forgot the bags there." I told my mom, who didn't look a bit worried.


"We can get it later." She shrugged and I decided to let it go. I'd pass by later and get it. "Now, come to the kitchen and eat some cookies. Your brother will be here soon." Mom said already rushing to the kitchen and pulling me with her.


I entered the small room and looked around. There was a square table with four chairs and a lot of herbs all over the place. My mom was some kind of new age hippie and an admirer of the nature so it made sense the place was full of vegetables and fruits.


A few minutes later, I was eating my second cookie and flavoring the vanilla taste, when I heard the door in the front closing with a bump.


"Danika?" I recognized the voice of Brody and turned my head in the direction of the door.


"In the kitchen, honey." My mom answered and I heard his steps on the hardwood floor till he was standing by the door.


"You forgot your bags in the trunk." Brody said directing to me and I got up from my chair.


"I did." I told him and bit my lip. "I'll just stop by later and get them." I said and he raised an eyebrow.


"It's already here." He motioned to the living room. "I put them in the front." I couldn't say I wasn't surprised by his gentleness but I was still thankful for that, even though he did get on my nerves most of the time.


"Thanks." I told him and saw a side of his mouth lift in a small one-sided smile. "Do you want a cookie?" I asked him turning my head to the cookies on the table.


"Sure." He answered and looked at my mom who was by my side. "Danika's cookies are the best." Brody stated and my mom laughed, offering him the tray of cookies. "Thanks." He said, grabbing one and taking a bite.


I heard him moaning and couldn't hide a small chuckle, remembering how he used to come here with Percy and eat everything in the shelving. Of course they were still teenagers and growing but things didn't seem to have changed much.


"I should go now." Brody stated after finishing his cookie and after giving my mom a hug and a kiss, he waved me goodbye and left.


"This kid is a treasure." Mom whispered to me as if she was telling me a secret and I had to laugh. I wasn't sure if we were talking about the same guy. Because the Brody I know, my brother's best friend, was the biggest player in town and didn't care about anything other than his dick.


"Mom, where's the hammer?" I heard another familiar voice and my heart skipped a beat, so I walked to where the voice was coming and when I saw him looking up at me, I smiled.


"Hey, big bro." I waved at him, completely shocked.


He was wearing overalls, which made me confused. His hair was longer than I remembered but was still golden brown. His eyes, blue like the ocean, had the same sparks I used to admire. What was most different, though, was his body, that now was bigger and much more muscled.


"Thea?" Percy asked, already walking towards me with a big grin on his face. "Is that you, lil sis?" He asked me and I nodded, extending my arms to him.


"Flesh and bone." I answered him and before I knew his arms were pulling me closer and lifting me up.


My brother hugged me in a way I could barely breathe and held me up for more than a minute. Only then I realized how much I missed him and the way he always acted like my biggest fan.


"You can put me down now." I told him weakly and heard him chuckle before putting me on the ground again.


"You're much prettier than I remembered, T." Percy held my arm while looking up and down at me. I smiled at his compliment, knowing it was the best he could come out with and punched him on the arm.


"And you are tougher than I remembered, big bro." I said back and he flexed the muscles in his arm, faking a tough expression that made me laugh. "Alright, no need to brag." I warned him though I, myself, was impressed at how much he grew up.


"Too late." Percy answered and shook his head. My mom soon joined us and we ended up in a group hug, an old family tradition.


And between all the crazy stuff happening in my life, I felt like coming home was the best choice I've made in a long time. For now I wouldn't care about Carl or my deadline with the publisher. I would just enjoy my family and relieve old memories. After all, I really needed some time to myself. And this was the perfect escape.

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