“It was. My mom felt awful,” Brooke insisted.
“There’s no reason for her to feel bad.”
“I know but... This wasn’t the way that she would have wanted you and Frank to come back into each other’s lives,” Brook offered.
“Frank felt really bad as well,” Brooke added.
Drew’s stomach soured suddenly.
“Yeah, I’m sure Frank is beside himself,” Drew groaned. The comment was out before Drew had the chance to consider it.
“Drew, I know things with your dad are complicated. But Frank did feel really bad. Maybe now that the shock is out of the way we could try again. Who knows maybe you and Frank could even make up after all of these years.”
“No,” Drew snarled the word out through gritted teeth. The shock that showed on Brooke’s face had Drew immediately regretting her words.
“I’m not interested in hearing my dad out. I don’t care where he’s been or when he came back. I refuse to feel bad forsaying that because at the end of the day Frank left me first,” Drew softened her words as much as she was able.
“You’re not even a little curious about what he’s like now?” Brooke asked.
“Absolutely not. He could have stayed. He chose to leave. Now I’m choosing to let him stay gone.”
All Drew could do was hope that Brooke would hear her out and understand where she was coming from.
“Okay. It’s obviously your decision. I just think maybe you could hear him out instead of staying mad after this many years.”
Drew took a step away as if she’d been struck by Brooke. She thought it might have hurt less if Brooke had just hit her.
“You’re certainly welcome to your opinions.”
“I’m not trying to fight with you,” Brooke pleaded.
“But you aren’t trying to support me either.”
Drew could feel her insides threatening to explode. Overwhelm and anxiety churned her stomach. She knew that her tone was bordering on harsh. Drew wanted to pull back, she just wasn’t sure how.
“I want to support you. I just think there’s another way to look at this.”
“Maybe for you there’s another way to look at it. But Frank didn’t leave you. He left me. And it’s going to take more than one dinner for me to get over it.”
“You didn’t even try to make it through dinner,” Brooke protested.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t try hard enough for you,” Drew groaned. Drew’s head pounded to the point she thought it might explode. She watched as Brooke opened her mouth to speak and immediately cut her off.
“I don’t think this is helping us. I should go back to my place and give you some space,” Drew announced.
She was halfway to the door when she heard Brooke’s voice behind her.
“What if I don’t want space? What if for once in my life I want to work something out?” Brooke’s voice trembled.
Drew’s hand rested on the doorknob. Everything inside of her was at war.
“I want to work things out too. I just... I just can’t.” Drew didn’t turn to see Brooke’s expression. Instead, she turned the knob and walked down the hall. She didn’t stop until she was safely behind her own door. Only then, when she was alone, did she allow herself to break into a million pieces.
Chapter 20
Brooke had spent the day wallowing. She had called in sick to the bookstore in favor of staying home to live in her pajamas. Now she was three seasons intoGrey’s Anatomyand one pint of ice cream into her feelings. She had made the mistake of telling Emily that she and Drew had a fight. Now Emily and Scarlett were on their way to Brooke’s place.
She burrowed farther under her pink blanket. When Emily arrived, she didn’t bother knocking. Instead, Emily used the spare key Brooke had given her for emergencies to come right in.
