Chapter 1 #2
His handsome face filled her phone screen just as he filled every room he entered.
Even through FaceTime, he commanded attention, all six foot five of him radiating authority.
Tonight, he wore his glasses instead of contacts, and something about the way they softened his sharp features made her stomach flutter.
The toothpick in his mouth caught her attention, it was between perfect teeth.
His dark eyes studied her through the screen, calculating and steady.
That was the thing about Brooks. He saw everything while giving away nothing, those eyes reading you.
The neat beard framed a jaw that could cut glass, and even in just the glow of whatever light he was sitting in, his brown skin looked like velvety chocolate.
Taylor tried to focus. This wasn’t the time to notice how fine her best friend’s brother was.
Nor even thinking of him in that way. He operated in a world she had never belonged to; a world her parents had spent their entire lives avoiding.
And here she was, needing exactly what that world could offer.
She swallowed hard, her voice quieter now.
“Tyree...”
∞∞∞
Brooks had just cut his engine off in the driveway when her name lit up his screen.
His thumb hovered over the answer button, years of deleting and re-saving her number flashing through his mind. He’d always told himself it was just a formality. No real reason to keep it. But now, seeing Taylor in bold letters on his phone, his pulse picked up in a way he wasn’t expecting.
“Speak.”
His tennis shoes hit the gravel as he stepped out of the truck. The smell of rain hung thick in the air, giving the night a chill he wasn’t in the mood for.
Then her voice came through, soft and uncertain—Taylor.
He froze halfway to his front door, keys hanging from his fingertips.
She’d never called him before. Not for a ride, not to say thanks, not even to be polite at Blake’s functions. She’d always kept her distance.
But now, her voice shook. And just like that, something shifted.
His whole body tuned in.
He was moving before he even realized it.
The door slammed shut behind him, engine roaring to life before she even finished explaining.
The rain finally broke. Fat drops slapped the windshield, but Brooks barely noticed. All he could hear was the strain in her voice. All he could feel was the sharp pull in his chest that came with it.
He hit FaceTime, needing to see for himself that she wasn’t hurt. That she wasn’t out there, stranded in the dark somewhere she didn’t belong.
She looked vulnerable in a way he hadn’t observed before .
He grinned before he could stop himself, caught off guard. He hoped she couldn’t see it. He didn’t want to spook her. But damn. She had always been pretty. But even in exhaustion, she was stunning.
“Tyree,” she muttered softly, the word trailing off. “I’m stranded at work and I, uhm, need our car picked up from impound.”
“Aight, what impound lot?”
“Wilson’s. Wilson’s on 6th,” she responded with a heavy sigh.
He noticed that her voice was low and tense, as if she was struggling to maintain composure.
“Aye, relax. I’ll handle it. I’ll be pulling up in like fifteen.”
He was relieved it wasn’t anything more serious. If it had been about Blake he’d be ready to flip Coupeville inside out.
“Ok, thank you so much. I’m in front of the hospital. I’ll be inside, just call and I’ll come out.”
“Aight,” he said.
“Brooks, please keep this between me and you. Please don’t tell Blake.”
“Fa sho, I got you. I’ll see you in a minute.”
He hung up and stared at the screen for a second longer. He’d been hearing about Tyree spiraling for months. Maybe years. Watching Taylor pretend everything was fine at cookouts and birthday parties, her smile never quite reaching her eyes.
Still, nothing pissed him off more than men who didn’t take care of their woman. Ungrateful niggas were the worst in his book. He couldn’t understand it. If you had love, trust, and softness, and you squandered that? You deserved whatever came next .
Brooks wasn’t some sucker for love, but he was raised by a man who taught him early, women were God’s gift to men. You took care of them. Period. That standard started with his sister and extended to any woman in his orbit.
That included her.
It hadn’t taken him long to get to her, he’d had a head start—and still pushed it, flying through the slick streets to get to her.
Brooks sent the text, p ulling up , but he never planned to wait outside.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle. He parked, killed the engine, and stepped out with ease. Heavy footfalls hit the pavement, a match for the weight he carried. It didn’t take him long to cross the lot and enter Coupeville City Memorial.
He didn’t ask for her at the front desk. He scanned the room until he found her.
She was slumped in a chair near the window, arms wrapped around herself, phone in her lap, eyes fixed on nothing.
Brooks paused a few steps away, letting the moment stretch. He didn’t speak right away. Just watched her, quietly, giving her a second to notice him.
When her eyes lifted and met his, he saw it.
The flicker.
The silent “thank God” that passed over her face, even if her lips didn’t move.
“Let's go,” he said, calm and final.
Taylor stood without a word. She grabbed her things, her body moving on its own. And when she reached him, something about the way she moved closer, easier, told him she wasn’t pretending tonight. He’d done the right thing.
They walked out together, but he stopped and grabbed her bags. She was already carrying enough.
“You good?” He asked, looking at her for a second too long before opening the passenger door. His eyes swept over her carefully, cataloging everything. The distance in her eyes. The way she held herself like she might break if someone asked her that question one more time.
“I’m fine.”
It was a lie. One she told so often, it barely registered anymore. Brooks knew better, but he let her have it for now. He’d seen her fine before, and this? This wasn’t that. The urge to pull her close, to shoulder whatever weight had her so lost, confused him.
That wasn’t who they were to each other.
“Let me get you home. Come on.”
Taylor slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door harder than necessary.
Brooks didn’t flinch. Just shook his head and inhaled deep. He was going to ignore it, but he couldn’t. He popped the door open again, leaning in just enough. His voice was calm, but his eyes weren’t.
“Don’t tear my shit up just ‘cause you mad at that nigga.”
He shut the door, and through the window, he caught her rolling her eyes. He smirked, but didn’t say another word. He understood she was frustrated but he wasn’t the reason for it.
“Sorry about your door,” she said as he climbed in. “I’m a little frustrated.”
“It’s all good.”
The first few minutes of the ride passed in silence. Taylor kept her eyes on the painted lines in the road, willing herself not to cry. Not here. Not in front of him. Or anybody.
The radio played lowly in the background. She took in how nice his vehicle was, but she didn’t expect anything less with him.
Brooks kept his focus on the road, but he was locked in. Every breath she took, every shift in her seat, every tap of her finger, he noticed.
She folded into herself—head against the window, tapping her thigh until she caught herself. Her perfume rose with every fidget, warm and gentle, trailing in the space between them.
“You don’t seem fine,” he said, voice cutting through the silence.
She exhaled, not turning to look at him.
“Well, then read the room.”
She paused, the reality of her riding in his personal vehicle hitting her.
“And why are you in your personal vehicle, Brooks?”
“The same reason you called my personal phone.”
Her stomach tightened. That wasn’t what she meant to ask, but it was exactly what she needed to hear.
He wasn’t trying to be professional. He was trying to there for her .
“I still need the car towed.”
“I know that, woman.”
“So why aren’t you in a tow truck?”
He laughed, slow and quiet. Like he'd been waiting for her to push just enough.
“If you must know, I decided to send my boy, Marco, to get your car. I figured I’d take care of you. Cool?”
She turned her head slowly, studying him.
He turned just enough to catch her gaze, steady, waiting for her to meet him there. Waiting for her to agree.
Her expression shifted.
“Cool,” she replied. Brooks nodded once, glancing back at the road. The slight smile that he caught caused him to shake his head. He hadn’t missed the way she shifted in her seat trying to process his words.
“Don’t do too much,” he said, voice smooth.
She was spiraling, and he could feel it. He didn’t like that one bit. He believed she was better than this. Deserved better than this.
She opened her mouth to say something but closed it quickly. She decided not to argue. Because she knew exactly what he meant. She wasn’t used to being handled, with care or with intention. She wasn’t used to being able to sit back and just be. She wasn’t used to a man like him.
Her own husband would never. Could never.
Brooks knew she was about to do way too much and make this a bigger deal than it had to be. She should’ve known he wasn’t about to send a stranger to come get his sister’s friend. He wasn’t that type of nigga.
Blake would have his damn head on a platter if she were to find out. And he had a feeling that the night was only gonna get rougher. She needed a friend, and he didn’t mind being her friend if only for the night.
“Taylor,” Brooks said finally, his deep voice careful, measured.
“Don’t.” Taylor’s voice came out sharper than intended. “I know how this goes. You’ll run straight to Blake with whatever I say, and I don’t need that right now. I just want to get home, shower, and sleep.”
He glanced at her, brows furrowing at her snapping at him and at the lack of trust. He could keep her secrets. He could be her confidante. She was treating him like he was some gossiping ass dude.
“That’s what you think of me? After all these years of knowing me? I gave you my word.”
“I don’t know what to think anymore,” she muttered, voice faint now, but still weighed down. “About anybody or anything.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them, heavy with a truth that had less to do with Brooks and everything to do with how broken her world had become. She’d spent years hiding her husband’s mess. Tonight, she didn’t have the energy to fake it or deal alone.
Brooks didn’t say anything else. He just drove.
A few quiet minutes later, he eased into the lot of Deeda’s All-Night Diner. Taylor blinked, confused.
Her stomach growled. It was already after seven. She hadn’t eaten since lunch. She should’ve been home hours ago. Her entire day had been wrecked.
“You ate already?” He asked.
“No.”
“I didn’t think so. Don’t fight me.”
He cut the engine but didn’t move.
Then he turned to her.
“Listen, I ain’t your brother. I ain’t your friend. I’m your Uber and ear tonight. Whatever you say stays between us. If you even wanna say anything, cool. If not, cool, no pressure from me. ”
Taylor studied his profile, trying to gauge his sincerity. After another second, he got out of the car and came around to open her door.
“I can’t.” She shook her head, turning to look up at him. “I appreciate it, but...”
“But what?” Brooks crouched a little so they were eye level. His tone was relaxed, but there was steel underneath. “You gonna sit and suffer in silence? Thinking about him sitting in a holding cell? That’s exactly where his drunk ass belongs.”
The words were blunt, but his delivery wasn’t. He was serving truth, not judgment.
“Sometimes you need somebody who ain’t invested in your image,” he added. “Somebody who can just listen. I can do that. I don’t give a fuck about dude.”
Taylor’s mouth trembled. She dropped her eyes, voice cracking.
“I’m so exhausted, Brooks.”
She sniffed, shaking her head at herself, unraveling in real time.
“All of this showing up and getting nothing back.Pretending everything is peachy when it’s not. I’m always the one holding it together. I’m worn thin. I’m embarrassed. I feel stupid for letting him break me down like this. I’m too old for this mess,” she rambled off looking away again, ashamed.
He reached for her hand and pulled her from the car, “I know. Come on, let’s get some food first and then we’ll handle the rest.”
Taylor wiped her eyes and nodded slowly. They stepped inside the diner and the smell of coffee clung to the air. Not warm. Not inviting. Just familiar. And suddenly, Taylor was somewhere else .
It was 7:10 in the morning and still barely light out when she pulled into the high school parking lot, gospel music low on the radio, her edges still trying to lay right under her hoodie. Her breath fogged the cold window as she reached for her bag in the back seat.
She hadn’t even cut the engine before he appeared.
Tyree leaned against her car like he belonged there, hood pulled low, with that same boyish grin he wore every Sunday when he mouthed the words to praise and worship instead of singing them.
Backpack slung over one shoulder.
Two cups of coffee in a drink tray balanced on his palm.
“You stalking me now?” She called out, stepping out of the car with a half smile.
He shrugged. “Nah, I’m just here to make sure my future wife ain’t walking into school empty-handed.”
“Boy, stop,” she said, laughing as she glanced around.
He held one of the cups out to her.
“Dunkin for my pumpkin.”
“Why are you so cute?” She asked, finally making it completely out.
“I’m tryna make you Mrs. Martin. Gotta keep it cute.”
She took the cup, trying to hide the grin pulling at her lips.
He stepped closer, not caring who was watching.
“Thank you, for my Dunkin. So you believe what they say?
“I don’t know about all that, but I know I’m always gonna take care of you.” he said, like it was nothing.
Then he kissed her forehead, slow and sure .
“Always.”
And she believed him.
No backup plan.
Just love.
The bell above the door jingled, pulling her from her reminiscing and she was back in reality, aware of why she was hurting so much. They’d been told for years that they were ordained, meant to be, and that this was God’s will. It wasn’t feeling like that anymore.