Page 54 of That: Taylor & Brooks

Exhaled slower.

“So what you need from me now? That’s what this is, right? You need something.”

“No,” she whispered. “Brooks, no. I don’t need anything. I just... I don’t know how to make peace with any of this. I’m trying.”

“You’re trying?” His voice was soft now. But not gentle. Just...weary. “Trying to make peace with me? With us?”

“I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that we went too far,” she said, voice shaking. “It was... too much. Too soon.”

Brooks chuckled bitterly. “Too much? Too soon? Okay.”

“You’re my best friend’s brother,” she continued. “I’m still married. I have no business near you, living and acting like those aren’t very real reasons. None.”

“I know,” he said flatly. “I just don’t give a fuck. About my sister knowing. About that nigga. Your people. I don’t give a fuck. I give a fuck about you. Why can’t it be that simple?”

That made her flinch. Not because it was cruel, but because it was true. And she may not have knownwhat to do with it, but she was glad he didn’t sugarcoat anything for her. She didn’t know what his response was going to be but she should’ve known it would be nothing but the truth.

“Everybody else gets to live their lives, but you huh?” he added. “Sounds like you moving backwards to me.”

“It was everything, all at once. The car. The gifts. The care. Tyree missed my birthday two years ago. I just stopped celebrating but you refused to allow me to do that. But you wouldn’t let me. You showed up with no expectations. That’s new for me.”

“I hear you but don’t take me for granted because of that. I’ve been your ear and shoulder. You could’ve said that. Instead, you ran.”

“I don’t take you for granted. I love it. I appreciate it. But I’m learning I deserve it. I got scared. It was too much.”

He paused. Then said, real low, “So if it was too much... why you on my line?”

Her stomach flipped. His heart stopped. He didn’t like talking to her like this but she wasn’t the only one in this with feelings and needs.

“Brooks... don’t be like that.”

“What you want me to be, Tay?” he asked. “You want me to pretend I’m ok with not having you in my life. I’m done making those promises. I don’t want to be your friend.”

“I miss you.” Those three words fell out, quiet but so heavy.

She continued, “I miss you holding me like you did. Touching me like you mean it. I miss your hands. I miss your scent. I think about you more than I should. Iwant you more than I can admit.”

She paused. Then added, softer:

“But I need you to hear me... and not act on it. Not yet. My whole life is falling apart, Brooks. And the one person I want to run to is the one who scares me the most.”

He inhaled through his nose and rubbed his beard. The line went quiet.

“I hear you,” he said.

A pause.

Brooks closed his eyes. Her confession settled in his chest like grief did when everything was still. Any other time, with any other woman, his pride would’ve had him hanging up, deleting her number, and moving on without a second thought.

But this wasn’t any other woman.

Her honesty disarmed him.

“I just need to know if you’re willing to make space for me. If that’s too much, I’ll respect it. But if you’re asking me to fall back, you need to say that with your chest. Because if it ain’t you, it ain’t for me, Taylor.”

Chapter 14

He couldn’t walk away from her. Couldn’t turn his back on Taylor even when she’d turned hers on him. Well, that’s how it felt. But if she wanted to walk away, he’d let her go. Let her live and find herself. He just wouldn’t lie and say he’d wait. He’d accept that this wasamoment but notthemoment.

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