He was clenching his jaw so hard I was sure he’d crack a tooth. I don’t think Preston had been outplayed like this many times in his life, and that made it all feel that much better.
“So, what do you say?” I asked after a few moments of silence. “Or should I go see if Gwen wants to see these photos?”
“No, we have a deal. Just get the fuck off my property.”
“As long as you stay off mine.” I hadn’t meant to call it mine—it wasn’t—though the sentiment was the same. “And I don’t want you to even breathe near Brooks. If he’s walking down the street toward you, cross it. Do you get me?”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Good.”
With that, I stepped off the porch and fled to my car. When I got back in, Preston was gone, and my hands had finally stopped shaking. Though this would always be in the back of my mind, the photos were my insurance. And hopefully he would heed my words and leave Brooks alone.
With that settled, I drove back up the mountain. As much as I wanted to leave early, Matilda would ask too many questions, and I didn’t want to deal with it. So I would stay the extra few days and then go home, leaving Hallow’s Cove—and Brooks—behind.
Chapter twenty-three
Brooks
I heard her dooropen. I heard her walk out, heard her car start as she left. Part of me wanted to stop her or chase her, tell her it would all be okay, but I didn’t know how it could be… yet.
I lay in bed for a bit longer, letting my mind wander until I was so anxious I had to stand and pace. Finally, I decided I couldn’t just sit here. I needed to get out. So I grabbed my hat and my keys, made my way to my truck, and barreled my way into town.
I pulled into Killy’s Bar, needing a quick drink. But I didn’t want it alone. I walked over to the thrift store and knocked on the door hard, just in case Jake was upstairs.
The door opened a few minutes later to an irritated-looking Jake. “What?”
“Come grab a drink with me?”
“I’m not really in the mood,” he said.
“I could use it.”
He must have noticed something in my expression because he rolled his eyes at me before answering, “Fine. But you’re buying.”
We walked over together and found a seat at the bar. I stuck with a hoppy IPA while Jake opted for a whiskey.
“So why did you need this drink so badly?” he asked.
I took a long sip from the top of the bottle before recounting everything that happened, just needing to get it off my chest.
“Damn,” was all he said when I was finished.
I snorted an unamused laugh. “My thoughts exactly.”
“Do you know what you’re going to do?”
I shook my head. “If I’m honest, I’m in love with her. I don’t think this situation has changed that… or even if it could change that. She was in a hard place, and I have no idea what I would have done if the roles had been reversed.”
Jake nodded, and we sat there, enjoying our drinks. Though he wasn’t the type to talk things through the way Gabe was, he would always stick by you when you needed company.
“Yo,” I heard from behind me. I turned to see Blake standing there. “I thought that was you. What are you doing here?”
“Having a drink. What are you doing here?”
He shrugged. “The same. Hey, by the way, Mom wanted me to give you this.” He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a slightly crumpled envelope. “I figured I’d run into you sooner or later.”
“Thanks.”
