I smiled, even though he couldn’t see me.
“Because this time is different.”
chapter
twenty-five
aubrey
“take this stuff before I drop it,” Brooks huffed, shoving bags of Indian food into my hands after I opened the door to his knock.
“Well, hello to you, too,” I said, kicking the door closed and following my friend into the kitchen.
“What is all this stuff?” I asked, indicating the bags Brooks was dropping onto the table.
“Instead of watching a movie, I brought over my PS4. I have the new racing game, and I thought you’d be down to get your ass handed to you,” he joked.
I was nervous about talking to Brooks. He had always been very vocal with his Maxx-is-a-druggie-loser opinions. And they had only grown louder after Maxx had ended up in the hospital and I had ended up in front of a disciplinary panel.
Considering he had been the one to help me put together the pieces after I had fallen apart, how could I even begin to expect him to be okay with me not only forgiving but reuniting with the guy who had almost destroyed me?
But Brooks was in a good mood, which was a plus. I only hoped it made him less likely to hate me when I finally told him.
“Sounds great And I see you even went to my favorite Indian place,” I pointed out, opening one of the cartons of steaming rice.
“Of course. Like I’d ever come here empty-handed. I know better,” he said.
I snorted and grabbed a samosa from another carton.
“So, I have some big news,” Brooks announced, grinning.
My mouth was full, so I waved a hand for him to continue.
“I got into LU’s graduate program. So that means you’re stuck with me next year, babe.” Brooks grinned, and I felt a sinking in my stomach.
He looked so happy. And for a moment, I wished I could rewind to that less-complicated time when it was just Brooks and me, eating chips on my couch and watching horrible B movies. Before there was a Maxx.
I found myself wanting the easy simplicity he offered, just by being who he was.
“Maxx and I are back together,” I said without preamble. I hadn’t meant to say it like that, but the truth was burning a hole on my tongue. The words sort of tumbled out like vomit.
Way to be smooth, Aubrey.
Brooks blinked and frowned as though he hadn’t heard me correctly. “Excuse me?”
I took a deep breath and blew it out noisily. “Just don’t hate me, please. I don’t think I can take another round of Brooks Hamlin’s icy disapproval,” I said.
Brooks sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and looked at me as though I had sprouted an additional head. “Did you seriously just tell me that you’re with Maxx again? The guy you got kicked out of the counseling program for? The guy who loved his drugs more than I love shitty movies? That Maxx?” he asked, his voice turning hard and brittle.
I sat down across from him at the table. I started to pick at my nails in nervousness, but promptly stopped.
“He’s trying to change,” I started, but Brooks’s disbelieving laughter stopped me.
“Oh my God! Will you listen to yourself ? I swear I feel like I’m stuck in a goddamned time warp! Or at least a really bad Lifetime movie. Weren’t we having this conversation only a couple of months ago? Seriously?” Brooks laughed again, but his eyes told me there was nothing funny about the situation.
“Look, I’m telling you because you’re my friend and after everything that happened before... I didn’t want to lie to you.”
“Oh wow! Don’t I feel special!” Brooks sneered. “Do you want me to give you a round of applause for jumping back into bed with the guy who ruined you once already? How about I pat you on the back and sayWay to go for making the same mistake twice, buddy!”
