"There's nothing terrible about me but you don't want my money when you actually need it. When I could make a difference. Don't you see? You could focus on the things you do best rather than wasting your time on sales pitches and pacifying investors," she said. "Yeah, it makes total sense to keep me out of it."
I wanted to bash my head against the steering wheel. "Can we hold this discussion for later? None of this is about the distillery. Not at all. I want to talk about everything, but the next ten minutes isn't enough time to take it all apart."
She jerked a shoulder up, nodded. "I think it makes sense for me to go home now."
"Not a problem. We can talk more tonight, after I touch base with Nate. I'll drop you at home and then head to my meeting."
"I didn't mean my father's house," she said. "I meant it makes sense for me to go home to New York. I can manage anything that needs to be done from there. There's no reason for me to stay any longer than I already have."
"You're sure about that? Because I can think of several reasons for you to stay," I replied.
"You would say that," she mused. "You believe you belong here. You think this is a fine little pasta salad world. I, on the other hand, am long overdue for my exit. I stayed all these years and I killed myself to keep my father comfortable and honor his wishes, and what am I supposed to do now? Live in the house my family has been in since before electricity and indoor plumbing? Raise a kid with you when you don't trust me around your business? Why would I do that to myself? Why would I keep punishing myself that way? The Cove is a far cry from where I belong. If you can't see that, you haven't been paying attention."
"Brooke, I love you but I think you're angry and overwhelmed about a million other things and I don't know where to start with you when I haveminutesto talk."
"And now I'm the irrational, emotional woman," she said. "How charming and predictable. I've always enjoyed being the villain in your story. Please be sure to keep that resentment going when I'm gone. The town needs some drama."
"You're being ridiculous," I said flatly. "You're also discounting all the relationships you've formed in Talbott's Cove. People care about you.Icare about you."
"As great as that is, I'm the one who is pregnant and alone and living in a town where I don't belong," she argued. "I can't plan my life around you and a business you're hell-bent on launching in spite of the money I can provide."
I pulled into the driveway, killed the engine. "I don't have the time to explain to you the fifty ways you're wrong about all that, but I'll be back later and we're having this conversation."
She reached for the door handle. "No. We're not."
"Brooke—"
"Do the smart thing, Jed. Go to your meeting. Dazzle them with your ideas and your appropriately edgy vibe. Win them over and gain their trust. Take their money and build an empire on a pile of apple cores. Focus on that and I'll focus on myself, just as I always have. I'm going back to my empire, the one where I'm not your princess."
She slammed the door and I was out of the vehicle, chasing after her. I was going to be late and I didn't give a damn. I caught her elbow, yanked her back toward me. "You were never my princess," I roared. "Never once my princess. That girl belonged to everyone else. You"—I lifted my hands to her face, cupped her jaw—"you belonged to me." Her chin wobbled as her eyes filled. "It doesn't matter where you are. You're always mine."
"You don't even trust me enough to—"
"I trust you with everything, Brooke.Everything. I trust you with my life, my baby, my whole fucking world. Do you want to take over the finance side of my business? It's yours. But you're not giving me a penny. It doesn't matter whether this money is pocket change for you or I'm a fool for refusing it. You're done saving people, sweetheart. You're done sacrificing and stepping aside to make room for everyone else's needs. You're done resenting people for taking and taking and taking from you. So long as I'm in your life, you're done."
Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at me. "I'm going. I'm leaving."
I pressed my lips to hers in a hard, biting kiss that refused to say goodbye.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Brooke
Bear Market: a steady, self-sustaining reduction in the market value of stocks and other market securities.
Brooke:Who is running the breakup pool?
Annette:What?
Brooke:The pool. I'm sure someone was taking bets on when things would fall apart with me and JJ, and who'd be the one to fuck it all up, and I'd like to congratulate the person who bet on me and today.
Annette:What happened, honey?
Annette:No, forget that. Where are you?
Annette:I'm walking out the door, so tell me where you are unless you want Jackson patrolling the streets for you.
Brooke:I'm at Dad's house. The door is open.
