Brooke

 

We are laying in bed now, still naked and it’s the perfect time to ask him questions. I can see it on his face that he’d tell me anything. Linking our fingers together, he kisses my knuckles. It’s the perfect time, I need to open my mouth and just start.

“Tell me what you want,” he says, rubbing his thumb on my fingers.

“What do you mean?” I ask, because I really don’t know what he means. What do I want from him, from life or can he tell I’ve got questions I’m supposed to be asking.

Grinning, he squeezes my hand. “There’s one thing I know as good as business and that’s reading people. So whatever it is you want to know, just ask me. If I don’t want to answer you, I’ll tell you.”

Fuck. My heart starts pounding and I can feel my face warming up. He can read people like I can, this is not a good thing. “I don’t really know what I want to know,” I lie.

“Is it about the offer I made earlier?” he pushes.

“No, I told you how I feel about that. That’s not going to change. It’s generous, but I’m happy with my studio, that was my dream,” I explain.

Searching my face for a minute, he nods. “Tell me about it.”

“About what?”

“Tell me how you made your dream a reality.”

Smiling, I rest my head on my arm. “I worked my ass off for it and I still am. But it’s worth it to be living my dream.”

“Do you have another job?” he asks, lifting his eyebrows.

Fuck, it’s reverse psychology here tonight. “Not anymore, I used to but now it’s just the studio.”

I hate this. I fucking hate lying to him. Looking at him right now I just want to say it all. I want to tell him about Pete and that I could lose everything. I want to tell him that I love spending time with him and he makes me feels things I didn’t even know I could feel. I want to tell him that he is the reason for my happiness and my pain. That I’m being torn in half and the only way to fix it, the only thing that can hold me together is finding out his secrets. But I won’t do it. I lay there like a coward feeling tears sting my eyes.

“What did you do?” he asks.

Such an innocent question, but one that will once again cause me to lie to him. “What about you, what did you do before you got all successful?” Avoiding the question isn’t exactly lying.

“I worked at a smaller corporation. I got coffee, copied papers and filed things. Nothing great, but it was a foot in the door. You don’t need to tell me what you did before this, just tell me that instead of avoiding my question,” he says, holding me closer to him. “We all have a secret.”

“Is your secret bad?” I ask, totally for myself.

“Aren’t most secrets?” he replies. “But you know blue eyes, if your secret is bad and you need help I’m right here. You just need to ask.”

Why the fuck does he have to be this sweet guy? The entitled prick from the cab would be so much easier. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be a liar and I sure as hell can’t lose my studio. I need this to end before we both get hurt.

“It’s good Ace, I don’t need help. But thank you.”

I close my eyes and let sleep pull me under, because I’m ready to beg him to forgive me for what I’m doing here.

When I wake up in the morning, I find a note on his pillow.

Had to handle something that came up. Last night was amazing. I’ll call you later.

A note. A handwritten note. I didn’t even know people did that anymore. Sighing, I sit up and grab my phone. Today I’m taking charge.

 

**

 

A few hours later, after teaching two classes and showering, I’m on my way to Pete’s office. I don’t even know exactly what I’m going to say, but I need to do something. I need to stop living like this.

Joe was surprised to see me in the light of day when he picked me up, but as always he didn’t ask. He just opened the door and said it was nice to see me. So I sit here with my stomach in knots as we make the drive. Pete thinks I’m coming with the information he wants. That’s why he agreed to see me this early, he wants it that badly. Resting my head back, I close my eyes.

I feel the car stop and I open my eyes. Fuck, I’m here already. Well, here goes nothing.

Joe opens my door and gives me a half grin. “I’ll see you soon.”

Nodding my head, I walk inside. Riding the elevator has my nerves at an all time high. I don’t know if I want to cry, throw up, or scream. It’s nothing I ever want to feel again. So when the doors open, I plaster on my fake smile and walk into his office.

The office is bustling. People all over, phones ringing and the sound of typing on the keyboard. It’s so different from how I usually see it. I’m usually sneaking in here at night like a dirty secret, which I guess I am.

“Miss Alexander, he’s waiting for you,” the busty secretary says.

I keep my fake smile in place as I follow her down the hall. I may feel like the world is crashing down around me, but I’ll never look like it.

Opening the door, I walk in. “Pete,” I say, sitting down.

“Brooke, tell me what you’ve got. This is literally of the utmost importance,” he says, rubbing his temples.

Clearing my throat, I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Well, I told you he was difficult and he proves to be. I really think the best idea is to let someone else handle this. I’m getting nowhere,” I say, with my stomach is my throat.

Leaning back in his chair, he rests his arms behind his graying hair. “Funny because I’ve heard you’ve been having a great time with him.”

My eyebrows dip as my nerves turn to anger. “What?”

He leans forward, elbows on his oak desk and fingers steepled in front of his mouth. “Don’t play stupid with me. It’s an embarrassment to us both.”

“You put me in this position. I wanted to walk away and now I’m stuck. If you don’t like how I’ve been playing the game, pull me out. I’m more than happy to walk away,” I shout.

“This man, that you think you are having with fun with, he’s no good Brooke. You’d see that if you stopped acting like a teenager falling for the God damn quarterback. You’ve got the in, I’m not pulling you out now. The time line has sped up, so you need to get your head on straight. I need to know what his plan is, that’s what you need to get me. And you now have a couple days at best. What his plan is, get me that.” He stands up and moves right in front of me. “I’m done playing games, so I expect you to be too. You can have your feelings about it when it’s over,” he hisses at me.

“He’s not going to tell me,” I say in defiance.

“He’ll tell you. They always tell you. Stop getting emotionally involved. It’s a job, do it and walk away,” he says, as he looks out the window. “Tonight should be the perfect time.” He doesn’t look at me as he says, just stares out the window.

“I never knew what an asshole you were,” I say, standing up.

“Guess you haven’t been paying very good attention,” he says, laughing. It quickly ends, when my hand hits the door knob. “Tonight Brooke, don’t fuck me over or I will make good on shutting you down.”

Slamming his door, I push my way through all the people in the room. Fuck him, fuck Owen, fuck everyone. It’s me who I need to worry about.