Riptide Love ( by Melissa Lopez

raked his hand through his hair before replacing it. “Still waiting on the what for.”
    “You know I slept with a lot of women, not caring about their pasts…” About them. De hadn’t remained among those women. He should’ve had the balls and told her so. Stood up to Miller. His shoulders slumped in remorse.
    “Did you go and get yourself a life sentence?” Miller straightened.
    “Hell no. I’m clean.” He shook his head. The one lesson he’d paid careful attention to was Big M’s talks on safe sex. Until that protection he’d used with De had failed. “Christ, mate, let me get through this… You have to know…I didn’t know who she was…”
    M arched an eyebrow.
    “Denae…”
    “I’ve been patient long enough.” M folded his arms across his chest. “Get this over with.”
    “Denae had a baby….”
    “She say it was mine? Because if she did, she’s lying.”
    “Christ, no. Miller, I have a son. I swear to Christ I didn’t know who she was…when…” He couldn’t breathe through the tightness. “I didn’t know she was your woman…I’d never have…”
    Again, he felt ten years old. Besides him mum, Miller was the only person he’d never wanted to let down. Or hurt. Shame washed through him. He trembled with it and guilt. If the situation had been reversed—he knew in his soul—Miller would have come to him. Big M was the better man. Had been the better man since they’d been boys.
    “I’m bloody sorry.”
    His older brother gazed off across the landscape. A rapid tic pulsed in his clenched jaw.
    As silent moments passed, Ethan’s heart hammered until he couldn’t take it any longer. “M, say something.” Or kick my bloody arse. Eh, he deserved a beating from his brother.
    “What the fuck do you want me to say?”
    His own teeth clenched as a clog worked its way up his throat. Oh, Christ. “I’m bloody sorry, mate.”
    “A sorry and five dollars will buy you a bucket of piss.” Miller walked off, his back stiff.
    “M, I swear to Christ I didn’t know De was Denae. I swear.”
    Full on, Miller turned around. Anger radiated from him. “You bloody well knew what you’d done. You fucking knew when you sat at the pub with me… You had a dozen opportunities to speak up.” He knotted his fists. “I can get past the fact you fucked Denae. Life happens. I can forgive that. That’s what you want to hear, isn’t it?” Miller advanced.
    Ethan forced himself to stay put.
    “But, I cannot, will not…” M pressed two fingers into his chest. “… ever forget that it took over three bloody years for you to tell me what had happened.” Miller shuddered, alerting him to the fact he’d slipped from anger to fury.
    “Miller…” Alarm bells buzzed in his ears. He’d never said when he’d hooked up with De. Or how old Nate was.
    “And you, mate , better be bloody glad Travis called me and warned me what the fuck was coming.”
    Ethan groaned. Oh, Christ.
    “I’ve had the day to cool off.” His brother stepped away from him. “Otherwise. I’d probably have broken your bloody jaw.” Then he headed toward the house.
    Ethan had been dismissed. He’d rather face a great white than this. The brother he’d looked up to, admired beyond all others was shunning him. Christ knew he deserved it. Christ knew his brother was the better man. His breathing turned rough. Fuck! His chest heaved. He’d rather have M kick his arse. “Wait.” He had to warn Miller that De and Nate were inside.
    “What?” M glanced back, tight-lipped.
    “De and Nate, they’re inside with Mum.”
    “My problem isn’t with them.”
    With no other choice left to him, Ethan followed him. Inside, Miller stepped into the living room and removed his hat. “Denae, good to see you.”
    Ethan eyed the white knuckles M clasped his hat with.
    “G’day, Miller.” De’s lower lip trembled but she stilled it.
    “I hear I’m an uncle.”
    “Yes. Yes you are.” She offered up a weak smile. “This is