He grins. "Leaving you stranded on the zipline when we were kids."
I expel a long breath, part sigh, part exasperated laugh. "Brooks, we were what? Seven? Eight?"
"Still," he says, his fingers grazing my shoulder, "I’ve had guilt over it ever since. I didn’t know what to do. Your parents always scared the hell out of me, and my grandma... well, she was five-foot-two on a good day."
I squint at him. "You laughed at me."
"I panicked and laughed. I always laugh when I’m scared."
It’s been a theme his whole life—deflecting discomfort with humor, dodging pain with charm.
"I think that’s your entire coping mechanism," I say with a small smile. "Laugh first, deal later."
He nods, the smile on his lips fading just enough to show the truth underneath. "When you grow up without anyone to lean on, you learn to be the one other people can lean on. I think I decided early on that if something went wrong, I’d fix it. That if someone I cared about needed help, I’d be the one who knew what to do." He glances down at me. "That day on the zipline? I promised myself I’d never leave you hanging again."
There’s a lump in my throat now. It feels strangely like forgiveness.
"That’s a heavy promise for a scrawny little kid."
Brooks huffs a laugh. "I had a big heart. Still do."
"I know," I say quietly.
We’re steps away from the truck now, the moment hanging in the air between us, weighty but still warm.
"If you need to go back to LA," Brooks says, his voice steady, "I’ll keep showing up here. You don’t have to stay."
I wrap an arm around his waist, letting myself lean into him just a little. "Still the noble one, huh?"
He laughs, low and soft. "What can I say? It’s a curse."
I pause. "Thank you for offering, but this isn’t about owing or fixing. This is something I have to decide for me. Not out of guilt. Not out of obligation."
Brooks nods. "I get that. But I just wanted you to know... whatever you choose, I’m here. I’ve got your back."
I raise an eyebrow. "What about Jasper?"
Brooks shrugs. "I’ve got his, too. I’m not a one-back kind of guy."
I laugh despite myself, my heart squeezing in that weird, confusing way it always does around him.
We get into the truck, the tension no longer heavy between us.
The engine hums, the road opens, and the question of what comes next roars louder than the wind.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Pinned to the Moment
"I think we got it!" Belle drawls through the laptop speakers, her voice full of that signature Southern sunshine.
"If we need to reshoot anything," I reply, adjusting the camera angle slightly, "I'll still be around for a while."
Belle's brows lift. "You're not heading back to LA?"
I shake my head. "Not yet. My dad's still in the hospital. My family needs me right now."
I don't tell her the full truth. That I've already made the decision to stay for a few more weeks. Or until Dad gets out of the hospital. Whichever comes first.
