“I never said that I didn’t like it.”
The words escaped before Brooke could shove them back inside. Drew’s eyes widened, searching Brooke’s own.
“So, you’re saying that you liked our kiss?” Drew was clearly searching for answers. Brooke felt her heart shift even slightly more towards Drew. As if her heart was being pulled by a force outside of her control. She’d have an easier time fighting gravity than her own heart. Brooke wished she could run. But her home was flooded and she didn’t have the energy to run from Drew any longer.
“I did. I liked it very much,” Brooke answered.
“Then why pull away?”
“I. Well, I,” Brooke began to speak, but the rest of her words stopped lodged in her own throat.
“Why do you always shut me down when I get close?” Drew tried. There was so much searching in her eyes and longing in her tone that Brooke could feel her walls crumble.
“Because you scare me,” Brooke said simply. She sat at the kitchen counter. Neither of them broke eye contact. Both looking for something inside the other. An answer. A missing piece.
“Do you think we could talk that over a bit?”
Drew’s gentleness took her off guard. Brooke couldn’t offer more than a nod of her head. Drew smiled and sat on the seat next to hers. Brooke fought the urge to run. The feeling of dread sent overwhelm coursing through every nerve in her body. Brooke steeled herself. This wasn’t the kind of conversation thatwas casual for her. Everything inside of her felt too raw and exposed. A wound that had never closed. Drew rested a hand on Brooke’s arm. The gesture provided Brooke with a small level of comfort. She sucked in a breath and tried again.
“For some people love is a magical or comforting thing,” Brooke began.
“But not for you?” Drew offered.
“I want it to be. But no. For me love is scary. You give someone else the power to hurt you. And in theory that won’t happen because it’ll be true love. You’ll love that person and they’ll love you just as much. So they won’t leave you, or betray you, or hurt you,” Brooke paused long enough to meet Drew’s eyes.
“But humans are messy,” Drew smiled sadly.
“Exactly. Humans are messy and loving someone means allowing the likelihood of pain in. I’ve just seen the ups and downs within my own family. And honestly, why would I allow someone else to have that kind of power in my life? Why invite that kind of pain in?”
“I could say something cliche about love being worth it in the end. But the truth is that I don’t really have an answer. You’re not wrong, to love someone does mean opening yourself up to a certain amount of pain. We all get scars to carry through life. With the right person I think hopefully the pain is a little less.”
Drew met Brooke’s beautiful blue eyes and smiled.
“I would like for that to be true,” Brooke returned her smile.
“You’re never going to know if you’re too afraid to open your heart up to someone,” Drew chuckled. Brooke rolled her eyes and scoffed.
“So what is it about me that makes you nervous?” Drew asked. This time her tone caught the slightest hint of seriousness.
“You’re just too real.”
“I’m too real?” Drew questioned.
“Everything about you is so genuine. You’re too sweet, too wonderful, and frankly too gorgeous. I know if I let myself that I could fall for you, hard. For someone like me that’s a scary thought.”
Drew nodded her head understanding.
“I feel that way about you, too,” Drew insisted.
“You do?” Brooke questioned.
“I do,” Drew answered.
“But you were still willing to take a chance on me? That night in the car, you kissed me too,” Brooke searched Drew’sgorgeous hazel eyes, hoping to find the answers to all her questions.
“I felt like you were worth the fall,” Drew managed to say.
They were each leaning in so close that their lips were practically touching. Brooke could feel the electric shock coming from Drew’s lips to her own. Drew had said that Brooke was worth the fall. The question rang in Brooke’s mind. If she let herself fall, would Drew be there to catch her? Brooke leaned forward just enough for their lips to brush against each other. This time she was determined not to pull away first.
