Page 113 of Falling into Place
He pressed the call button, and she answered on the first ring.
“Tell me everything.”
Brooks stared at Carly’s door for at least three minutes before he got up the nerve to knock. It might not sound like much, but when youthink about a person just staring at a piece of wood, three minutes is a long-ass time.
Ten days had passed since he’d called things off. Ten days since he’d heard her voice, smelled her hair, touched her skin.
Tl;dr—ten days of fucking agony.
He’d sent her a text three days ago after learning about Mode from Sasha.Sasha told me you lost your job,he’d said.i’m so sorry. let me know if there’s anything i can do.
Thanks,she’d replied.I’ve got it figured out.
He’d been relieved she seemed to have some sort of plan, at least. Hopefully, she’d found something even better.
A car alarm went off somewhere in the parking lot, jolting him into action, and he finally rapped his knuckles on the door. A few moments later, she opened it.
“Hi.”
“Hey,” she said quietly.
She wore black shorts and a cropped T-shirt that left a sliver of skin at her waist on display. She was so beautiful he tucked his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching for her.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was hoping we could talk. Would it be okay if I came in?”
“Sure.”
A vestige of hope vibrated through his chest, but he told himself not to get too excited. Her willingness to hear him out was a good sign, but that didn’t mean she’d be on board with everything. He paused on the way to the living room to greet Pepper, who shot him a glare that probably said something along the lines ofWhere have you been, dickhead?
He deserved that.
“Want anything to drink? Water, beer?”
“I’m good.” He stood from his crouch just as she settled onto the sofa. He sat beside her, careful not to touch her. His heart was trying tolurch from his chest being near her again, like it was finally back where it belonged.
He glanced over at her, meeting the warm brown eyes he’d missed so much. “I found a movie that made me cry.”
Her brows rose, either from surprise at the random comment or the fact that he’d actually cried. Probably both. “You did? Which one?”
“Good Will Hunting.”
She let out a little hum of agreement. “How’d you stumble across that one?”
“I was on a mission.A Star Is Bornwas close, too.”
Her face crumpled up, like she wanted to comment on how devastating that movie was, but she seemed to decide against it. “What do you mean, on a mission?”
“I wanted to prove to myself I’m not made of stone.” He’d asked James and Jeff (separately—he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to experience those two in the same room) if a movie had ever made them cry. James had responded withThe Green Mile, and Jeff’s list had been alarmingly lengthy. It was kind of hard to hide behind the weak excuse that it was just because he was a guy after that.
“Of course you’re not. You knew that.”
“Maybe.” He hadn’t been completely sure, to be honest. “But I didn’t know if I could ever let go and show it.”
“I’m not sure crying when you’re watching a movie alone counts as showing it,” she pointed out.
“True, but it’s more than I’ve done before. I’m okay with taking small steps as long as I’m going in the right direction.”
