Page 76 of That: Taylor & Brooks

Instead, he sent his sister a text.

Brooks:Be safe. Call if you need me.

Sometimes, being a big brother meant knowing when to fall back. That was what he was going to do. For now.

Chapter 20

They fell into a quiet pattern—calls, drop-bys, soft things left unsaid but deeply felt. Denver had been a beautiful dream she couldn’t stop reliving. For two weeks now, Taylor had found herself drifting into memories of their time together, his hands on her skin, his laughter in her ear.

Like a teenager with her first crush, she’d catch herself smiling at nothing, replaying moments in her mind when she should be working. It felt dangerous to be this happy, this consumed. Part of her kept waiting for the bubble to burst, for the fantasy to fade, for Brooks to realize she wasn’t worth the trouble. But every time her phone lit up with his name, her heart still skipped a beat like they were a brand-new item each time.

Her papers had come in, and she was officially back to being Taylor Bradshaw. She’d moved on with her life in some ways but still she needed to tie up some loose ends and enjoy life some more. Brooks had been wonderful. He had been a man. The kind of man she used to wonder if existed. She’d never prayed for someone perfect, just someone real. And Brooks had shown up, quietly checking every box she forgot to write down.

Her phone ringing pulled her from her thoughts. It was Blake. She smiled hoping that they could make upfinally. Taylor grabbed the lamb chops from the fridge and answered her phone.

“Hey girl. Wha…”

“Cut the shit,” Blake interrupted, her tone dry and unamused. “How long you been fucking on my brother?”

Taylor froze. Damn. She’d expected this moment to come eventually, but hearing it so bluntly made her stomach drop. They’d planned on telling her soon, together. But Taylor asked Brooks to wait at least until she was divorced. Now she was curious how she even found out.

Silence stretched between them, the weight of it making her palms sweat.

“Blake, I can explain. Me and-,”

“That’s why you been so worried about Emon?” Blake accused her words rapid and cutting. “Because Brooks got you playing spy?”

Taylor sucked in a breath, her heart slamming against her ribs. This is bad. Blake was hurt, feeling blindsided, and Taylor didn’t blame her. But this wasn’t some betrayal, wasn’t some game she and Brooks had been playing at her expense. And she had it all wrong. Brooks hadn’t asked her to report anything.

“Blake, stop being dramatic. “I’m grown. This wasn’t about spying or sneaking.”

“It doesn’t seem that way.”

“I didn’t even know about you and Emon when this started. Honestly.”

“What about Tyree?” Blake fired back. “Like, girl, is this really you? You’ve been on me about my moves, but this is out of character for you.”

That hit a nerve. Taylor bit her lip, her griptightening on the phone. Because yes she absolutely had been out of character, and she’d been smiling more because of it. She wasn’t going to apologize for that.

“It’s not what you think.”

“It’s exactly what I think. You ain’t been worried about me. You been trying to keep Brooks’s attention.”

Taylor opened her mouth, but Blake steamrolled right over her, voice rising with frustration.

“How long?”

Taylor hesitated, knowing once she said it, there was no turning back.

“Three months,” Taylor said quietly, voice flat.

Silence.

Blake exhaled hard, her disappointment cutting deeper than the silence.

Blake sucked her teeth so loudly Taylor could hear it clear as day. “Three… wow.”

Taylor squeezed her eyes shut, pinching the bridge of her nose. It had probably been more than that. She was so hung up in their romance that she had lost track of time. Things had changed for her.

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