Unique you

Chapter 33

"So you got engaged-over night?"

I glanced down at the large bit of bling I was sporting on my finger and tried to belatedly twirl the damn thing around.

I prevaricated as I pondered through a suitable response but nothing reasonable came to mind.

"Yeah, I guess I did," I muttered finally after an overlong silence.

"May I ask to whom?" Brett asked after an overlong pause of his own.

"No you may not," I all but snarled at him.

"Why are you angry at me?" Brett asked after another long bout of silence.

I sighed. This had all the makings of being another long car journey. I glanced behind to find Josh already emitting a his gentle snores. What was it with him and cars? 

"I'm just angry. Not really over you though," I said.

Brett chuckled a little at that but it sounded strained to my ears not at all like his usual smooth self. I looked at him uncertainly. "What's wrong?"

He glanced swiftly at me before turning his attention back to the road ahead. But he didn't respond only clenched his jaw tighter and focused on the drive ahead. I stared on for a while before I settled back in my seat to relax and unwind. The strain of the past few days was wearing me down.

I was so confused and uncertain. I felt a sudden longing to blurt out the whole truth to Brett of all people. The player Brett my confidante. That did not ring true somehow. Nor make a lot of sense. But it felt right.

I watched as he pulled the car into the drive to his home. We emerged from the car to cross over to my home. There parked in open car port was another car. The inspector awaiting our arrival?

I watched at the tall lanky older man got out of the car and ambled over to us in his slower country paced gait.

"Geoff Tanner the building inspector," he said to Brett who reached out a hand to shake his. I stood by the side and hsnded the keys over to Josh when he held out a hand for it. I declined to go in with them and instead went behind my home to sit on the old make shift swing that was simply a tire with a rope strung up and about a tree branch. I wasn't sure if it could support my weight but I didn't care. I sat there and lost myself in flickering thoughts that danced between recent events and the past.

I didn't know how long I sat there but then Brett was coming up towards me.

"We're done here. Josh and I was thinking about lunch. Will Rosie's do?" Brett named a local haunt and I nodded my head eagerly. Just being back home was working wonders with me. I was beginning to feel at peace. As if the chaos of the past few days didn't matter.

But that was the magic of being home. I tried not to toss a glance back towards the darken house as I climbed back into my car and pocketed the keys Brett tossed my way.

A couple of short turns later and we were pulling up in front of Rosie's.