Brook. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you don’t get hurt.” I wink. “Scout’s honor.”
She eyes me for a moment longer, her lips pinched. Then she blows out a long breath, unzipping her boots. She knows all too well I don’t back down until I get what I want. “That line may work with all the other girls you force onto the ice, but not me. I’m well aware that you were never a scout, Andrew Brinks.”
“Your memory is impeccable as always, Brooklyn Tanner.” I kneel in front of her, helping her into the skates, tightening and securing them around her ankles. As I’m about to finish, I look up and meet her eyes that seem to watch my every move. “And you’re the only girl I’ve skated with.” I pause, allowing that to sink in, then stand.
“Not even that little pixie you’ve been carrying on with lately?”
“Pixie? You mean Skylar?” When I hold my hand out to her, she takes it, allowing me to help her to her unsteady feet. My arm loops around her waist and I guide her toward the opening in the rink.
“Yeah. I mean, if you’re happy with her, I’m the last person to judge, but you can do better. You don’t give yourself enough credit, Drew. You’re a smart guy. You need someone who’s as intelligent as you are. I might be wrong, but she doesn’t seem the intellectual type.”
I chuckle, her words alarmingly accurate, although she’s never met Skylar. “Things aren’t serious. We have an…understanding.”
“Like Molly used to have?” She arches a brow.
I shrug. “I suppose you can say that.”
“And you gave her a hard time about it, saying it was time she settled down. When are you going to settle down?”
“I am settled down,” I argue. “And to answer your question, I’ve never skated with Skylar or any other woman, except for Alyssa and Charlotte, of course. You should take a lesson from them. They’re just kids, but they’re not scared of falling.”
“It’s not falling that scares me.” Her voice is soft, contemplative, sincere. The carefree atmosphere becomes more charged, more solemn. “It’s hitting the bottom so hard I’ll never be able to put the pieces back together again.” It’s a response I never expected, laced with hidden meaning. She looks up at me, searching my eyes. “I mean—”
“I know what you mean, Brook.” The tension between us builds as I keep her in my arms, everything about this moment surprising me. “I’ve been there, too.”
When I’m with Brooklyn, things are different. I can be me. I don’t have to keep my guard up, like I’ve been doing since Carla left…since leaving for college. She knows my scars, has even helped wipe up some of the blood herself. Yet she’s still here. At first, I thought it was because of Molly. Now I wonder if there’s a different reason, especially after what my sister said yesterday.
“I won’t let you fall.” My tone is soft, full of promise. “And if you do, I’ll help you put the pieces together again. Like I always have.”
Her expression drops as she pushes away from me, grabbing on to the wall of the rink. “Of course, Drew. Like you always have,” she repeats despondently. It’s like a giant bucket of ice water has been poured on top of me. I open my mouth, about to argue that things aren’t as they seem, when she interrupts, holding her head high. “Well, you’ve gotten me on a pair of skates. Now what?” Her voice is bright once more, like she’s turned the switch and dismissed part of herself.
“Now we skate.” I grin, holding out both hands. Her entire body tenses up, her grip on the side of the rink tightening as she stares at the ice in horror. I glide toward her, my tone calm and eyes soothing. “You have nothing to worry about. I won’t let anything happen to you. You can trust me.”
“It’s hard to let go.” She closes her eyes.
“It always is, but once you do, I promise you’ll never look back.” I hesitantly reach for her hands. Sensing me close the distance, she opens her eyes and lifts them to mine. “It’s normal to be scared when faced with the unknown. But if you live your entire life afraid of falling, of getting hurt, you’ll miss out on what could be the best thing you’ve ever experienced.”
Her gaze locked on mine, she gradually loosens her grip on the edge of the rink,