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23.

"Hey," Dave greeted him at the door. "Come on in."

As Bradley entered the house he had spent so much time in, he was hit hard by melancholy, so hard that it made him stop and take a breath.

"Thought we could sit outside. Kari's picking up the boys at school and they have karate today," he tossed over his shoulder as they walked through the kitchen and out the side door. "You want some water or anything? Iced tea?"

It was all very awkward and forced and it was that knowledge that struck him most of all. They'd always shared an easy rapport. It was as though in the matter of a few months, they had become strangers.

"No thanks. I'm fine."

They settled on the deck at the patio table in strained silence and for the first time since he had arrived, Bradley got a good look at him.

His appearance was haggard and worn, as if he had aged twenty years in six months, a few new grays in his hair, lines that had deepened around his mouth.

It's been hard on him, too.

Kari's voice reverberated in his ears. He didn't know what he had expected from the invitation to talk; Dave, defensive, maybe, bordering on cocky. Perhaps he had asked him over to gloat that he'd been right all along about Stefani and about the assumption that their relationship would blow up was in fact, correct.

It was the baggage he carried, the ability to be defensive, to be ready to protect his family at all costs, with him to their conversation and he half-expected Dave to launch into an "I told you so," argument that he had been subject to many times over the years.

But his friend only studied him, arms crossed over his chest, squaring and relaxing his jaw as though he had no idea where to begin.

"This is hard for me, man," he admitted gruffly. "We've never even had an argument. Not really."

Bradley wanted to point out that the root of the entire problem lie completely into his inappropriate and horrendous treatment of his girlfriend but instead he kept quiet, waiting for Dave to say more.

"You've been through a lot over the years and I've been around for it. Lots of shit. And I guess I was afraid you'd fall into old patterns again if you dated someone with that kind of lifestyle... money. My wife told me I was being ridiculous but I just didn't want to see you taking steps backwards. Not when you'd come so far."

"I appreciate it that you were worried but it wasn't your decision." He had found his voice, "and you know you just could've said that, right? Because concern, I can understand. You and Kari, you guys picked my ass off the ground more times than I could count and I'll always be grateful to you both for that." His brow furrowed, "but what I won't accept is what you said to Stefani. How you spoke to her at Lea's party. You know if I, or anyone else for that matter, had said something even remotely similar about Kari, you would've decked them, no questions asked."

Dave had the good sense to look completely ashamed and he bent his head in humility. "I know, man, and I'm so sorry. There's absolutely no excuse for what I said to her, none. And I wanted to call and apologize a thousand times. But I was too much of a fucking coward. Thought you wouldn't want to speak to me."

"I didn't," he replied, crossing his hands over the back of his head. "Say whatever you want about me. Hell, most of it is probably true." He met Dave's eyes, "but no one's allowed to ever be downright belligerent to someone I love."

Dave looked down at the surface of the table, tracking tiny droplets of water from the rain the night before. "I was wrong about her."

The other man's admittance made him pause. "Yeah?"