43
Brooks walks into the kitchen and takes a bottle of beer from the fridge. He’s been quiet since my family left.
“Thank you for today. My parents loved you.”
I sit down on the couch and remove my shoes. Brooks keeps his back to me, gulping down his beer. The silence is killing me. I can’t tell if he’s mad or not. I wait for him to say something, but he continues to drink slowly.
“Even Paige likes you, and she’s not easy to win over. Trust me,” I add, scrambling for something to say to fill the quiet.
He slowly turns to me with a hurt look in his eyes. “She seems to get along with Mark.”
“That’s only because he’s been around my family for a long time. I’m sorry he came. I had no idea.” I jump up from the couch and rush over to him, placing my hands on his waist. I pull him, making him turn, in an attempt to get him to look at me.
“Are you sure about that?” he asks accusingly, glaring down at me.
“Of course, I didn’t know.” I pull at his t-shirt, desperate to be close to him. “How could you even think that?”
“I find it a little hard to believe that you had this planned for months, you finally tell me only a couple of days before, and when I tell you that I’m busy, suddenly your ex-boyfriend is invited? Were you trying to punish me for having other plans?”
“I swear to you. I had no idea. Why would I want him here when I have you?”
“What about Luna?” He gently wraps his arms around my waist. Finally, the connection I’ve been craving. “Did she have anything to do with bringing him here? She hates me. She’s been trying to come between us since we first got together.” The hurt in his voice is heartbreaking.
“She was just as surprised as I was.”
“Really? And what about when she orchestrated dragging you out last night to hang out with Sam?” he asks, placing his head on my shoulder. His words catch me off guard. I didn’t think he knew about last night.
“It wasn’t like that. We ran out of drinks, and Sam just happened to be there. I tried to call you.” I massage the back of his head with my fingers.
“Mark just happened to come all the way here with your family, and Sam just happened to be at the same club that Luna just happened to drag you to? That’s a lot of coincidences,” he says, holding onto my waist a little tighter.
Brooks turns his face to my neck and starts to kiss me, sending tingles down my spine.
Still kissing me, he asks, “What happened in your bedroom with Mark?”
“Nothing,” I gasp, giving in to the sensations that are shooting through my skin. “He just wanted to talk. Nothing happened. I promise.”
“How could he be that close to you and not try to touch you?” He gently moves his lips over to my throat, licking and sucking my skin.
“It wasn’t like that with us, not like this,” I say breathlessly.
“That just sounds crazy to me. We’re arguing, and still, all I want to do is bend you over right here.
” He breathes into my neck. Even his seductive words result in my entire body filling with electric tingles.
He slides his hands around to the front of my jeans.
I moan, feeling his lips pull into a satisfied smile against my neck.
He dips his fingers underneath the denim, and I move my hands from his waist to my pants, desperate to take them off.
He chuckles into my neck, softly nipping at my skin.
I kick my jeans and panties off my feet.
I’m completely naked from the waist down.
He takes my hand, pushing it up against himself, showing me how hard I’ve made him and looks into my eyes.
“I love you,” I blurt out as he takes hold of my hips.
I gasp. I hadn’t meant for the words to sneak their way out.
They’ve been filling my mind for a while, but I didn’t want to say it until he said it first. I wait for his reply, but he doesn’t say anything.
I know that he heard me because his bright smile caused his dimples to appear on his cheeks.
Unable to bear the tension anymore, I grab for the waist of his pants, unbutton them and pull them down.
“Say it again,” he demands, turning me around and bending me over the kitchen bench. As he kisses my neck, I hear the tear of a condom wrapper.
“I love you.”
“Whoa, I needed that,” Brooks says. The buzz of the diner bustles around us as waitresses deliver meals and patrons eagerly devour their food on this busy Saturday night.
“After the workout we just had, I think we both needed some sustenance.” I reach across the table, taking his hand. His fingers link with mine as a goofy smile makes its way across his lips.
He wipes grease off his mouth with the back of his hand, then looks around to make sure no one can hear what he whispers next: “You were amazing.”
I dip my head to the side in an attempt to hide my blushing cheeks.
“You weren’t bad yourself.” A soft giggle escapes my lips. “Could I tempt you into going back to your apartment for round two? Or are you not up for it?”
His devious dimples linger in his cheeks as his foot flirtatiously plays with the hem of my jeans leg.
Within seconds, Brooks has pulled me to my feet and is leading me towards the front counter to pay.
We wish Helen a good night, and Brooks swoops his arm around my shoulders as we step out onto the dark street.
The cool night air hits my face, and I nestle in closer to Brooks.
Bringing my arm around his body, I hook my thumb into the waist of his jeans as we walk side by side.
“Brooks!” A voice bellows through the busy street.
A man, not much older than Brooks, walks towards us.
His hair is spiked with too much product, and he is overdressed in his slacks and navy-blue collared shirt.
An entourage of scantily clad girls follows him as he quickens his step towards us.
Brooks remains frozen, and I’m unable to register the expression on his face.
He drops his arm from my shoulders before pushing my hand away from his waistband and takes a step forward to greet his friend.
“Chet. Good to see you, man.” Brooks leans forward, bringing one hand to meet Chet’s while the other swings around and pats Chet on the back. Their greeting gives off the illusion that they’re good friends, but if they’re so close, why have I never heard of him?
“You too, brother. What are you doing tonight?” Chet asks, looking around Brooks and past me, instantly causing me to feel like I’m invisible.
“Not much, not much,” Brooks repeats, as he brings a hand to run through his hair.
He locks eyes with one of the girls standing behind Chet.
Her wavy blonde hair flows down her bare shoulders, and her tanned skin glistens with a light dusting of glitter bronzer.
Her white silk dress clings to her curves, revealing her hard nipples.
Her cheeks blush as she looks back at Brooks, oblivious that I am standing here.
I guess I do fade into the background of the busy crowd with my ripped jeans and the grey sweater of Brooks’ that I grabbed off the back of the chair before we left the apartment.
I take a step closer to Brooks, in a poor attempt to let this group of strangers know that he is mine.
“Sweet. A few of us are heading back to Tucker’s for an after-party.
” He snorts back a chuckle as he throws both of his arms around the girls who have propped themselves on either side of him.
The blonde watches Brooks with hopeful eyes.
He hesitates, his eyes flicking back and forth between Chet and the passing crowd on the street.
I reach for his hand just as he pulls it up towards his chin and scratches it as if he’s attempting to solve quantum gravity.
He can’t be tempted to go with these people.
“Who’s your friend?” Chet asks, finally acknowledging my presence, although now I wish he hadn’t.
He licks his lips as his eyes take their time to look over every inch of my body.
I shudder and step behind Brooks, not wanting this creep’s eyes to linger any longer.
The girl under one of Chet’s arms flashes me a sympathetic look and her eyes warm as the edges of her lips pinch into an apologetic smile.
I wait for Brooks to proudly announce that I am his girlfriend, just like the way he announced to my entire family and Mark earlier.
“Nah, man. I’m wiped from last night. But I’ll catch you another time.” Brooks leans forward, taking Chet’s hand again.
“It won’t be a party without you, Brooks,” the blonde says with a sigh, sticking out her bottom lip in a pathetic pout. I reach for Brooks again and grip his t-shirt.
“Yeah, well. Next time.” He shrugs dismissively.
“Promise?” She smiles, her pout lifting into a seductively hungry grin.
“See you around. Come on, ladies. We’ve got a party to get to,” Chet says, pulling the girls under his arms to go with him. We watch Chet and his concubines turn the corner.
Only when they’re out of sight do I turn to him. “Why didn’t you introduce me?”
Brooks looks at me with a confused squint in his brow.
“Because Chet’s an arrogant sleaze.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and we begin to walk in the direction of the apartments again.
“Yeah, I picked up on that. But you could have told them I was your girlfriend. Is there a reason why you didn’t want them to know?”
“I told you why. Can’t you just drop it?”
“Was it because of that girl? Were you out with them last night?”
“Oh, here we go again,” Brooks sighs, dropping his arm from around my shoulders. He quickens his pace, bringing him at least three strides ahead of me. I struggle to keep up as we turn down the street and enter the parking lot to our apartment building.
“Not ‘here we go again’. You flat-out ignored me in front of them, and when Chet asked who I was, you changed the subject. Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”
“Fuck this. Abi, I’m not doing this with you. I told you why I didn’t introduce you to Chet. Why the fuck does it matter? With the way you were pathetically clinging onto me, I’m sure they got the message.”
Brooks’ words are like daggers piercing my chest. I follow him through the courtyard like a puppy. Desperate for him to turn around and take back every hurtful word.
“I didn’t mean to.”
“No, you never do.” His voice rises with each syllable. “You just can’t let this insecurity of yours go. As soon as there’s another girl around, you change into someone I don’t recognise. If you don’t trust me by now, then I don’t know what the fuck we’re even doing.”
“I do trust you, Brooks. I love you. You know how much I love you. All I’m asking is that you be the same person towards me in front of other people as you are when we’re alone. I just want you to be proud to call me your girlfriend.”
“You know what I want, Abigail? I want you to shut up, for once. Fuck! I liked it more when you didn’t say every stupid word that came into your head.
I am proud to call you my girlfriend. Or have you forgotten earlier today when I announced it to your whole fucking family?
You’re the one who won’t let go of your jealous hang-ups and let us be happy. ”
A door slams on the second floor. I glance up to see Luna and Sam looking down at us from the balcony’s edge.
“Everything ok?” Sam’s voice echoes through the courtyard.
“Great. Prince Sam to the rescue,” Brooks mutters under his breath, then calls up, “Everything’s fine, mate.”
Luna’s eyes fill with a burning rage. She takes a step towards the stairs, but Sam reaches for her arm.
“Abi, everything ok?” Sam repeats his question, ignoring Brooks’ glaring eyes.
The humiliation at the fact that Luna and Sam have heard our fight freezes me in place.
I don’t know how much they heard, but there’s so much that could have been taken out of context and by the look in Luna’s eyes, I can tell she’s already made her own assumptions about what is going on.
“Abi, are you coming or not?” Brooks asks, his hand reaching out to mine.
“We’re ok. I’m ok,” I reply, looking at Sam as I accept Brooks’ hand.
He subtly nods his head and settles a warning glare on Brooks.
The two lock eyes for a moment in a silent challenge.
Luna looks towards Sam and rests her hand on his chest, and shakes her head.
I watch them as I walk towards Brooks’ apartment until I lose sight of them behind the palm trees.
Brooks locks the door behind him as I take a seat on the edge of the bed.
“Look, I’m sorry. You just. I don’t know what else to do to get through your head how important you are to me.”
“No, I’m sorry. You’re right. I do get jealous. I just can’t stand the way other girls look at you.”
He sits next to me, looking back at me with sincere eyes. “But I’m not looking at them. You are the only one I want.”
His hands rest on my thighs, immediately causing a deep shiver of pleasure to run through my body.
He smiles, knowing exactly what he’s doing.
His fingers effortlessly unbutton my jeans as I lift my hips from the bed to allow him to pull them from my body, taking my panties with them.
He brings his hands to the inside of my knees, spreading them.
He kisses my inner thigh, and a sudden gasp burns my lungs as he pushes his fingers deep inside me without warning.
I slide off the bed, pushing myself up on my knees in front of him.
I move my hands to unbutton his pants. I was upset over nothing.
I need to let my jealousy go, or I’m going to ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
He wants to be with me. He’s chosen to be here with me.
Not that girl. Not Harper. Me. His hand finds its way to the back of my head, grabbing onto my hair.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
He gently guides my head towards his lap.
“Tell me you love me,” he says, as I’m about to take him in my mouth.
“I love you.”
He lets out a deep moan as he softly pushes my mouth over his erection.