My Grumpy Old Bear - Jayda Marx Page 0,64

bare, and the only thing in the living room was the couch I was snotting all over and a small TV. I decided to leave most of my furniture behind since I wouldn’t need it at Brooks’ place. I thought the pieces would help out the next renter; I never imagined I’d be back. I had visions of forever with Brooks, but I’d fucked it all up.

A knock at my door pulled me from my pity party. I assumed it was a neighbor who’d heard me crying my eyes out in here. The apartment was supposed to be empty, so they were probably checking things out. I stood and placed the picture frame on the couch before shuffling to the door. When I opened it, my jaw dropped.

Brooks was standing before me with a giant teddy bear tucked under one arm, a box of chocolates under the other, and a bouquet of pink carnations in his hand. Jay stood beside him with a grocery bag in each fist.

“Oh, Sunshine,” Brooks said with a warble in his voice when he looked over my puffy red face. My mouth gaped open because my snotty nose was clogged and I couldn’t breathe through it, and my eyes were little swollen slits. I was dressed in his sweatshirt that was three sizes too big, and a pair of my old athletic shorts. I knew I looked like shit because I felt like shit.

“Jesus,” Jay added as he too looked me over. Apparently I looked even worse than I thought.

“What are you guys doing here?” I thought I’d never see Brooks again, let alone see him and Jay together.

“I came to beg your forgiveness,” Brooks replied as a tear rolled down his cheek. “I never should have said those things to you. I love you so much. I’m glad I opened my heart to you and told you all of my secrets. You didn’t ruin anything; you made my life incredible. I’m so sorry, Noah.”

“I’m sorry too,” Jay added with a sad smile. “I shouldn’t have asked you to keep things from Brooks. I’ve never been in a real relationship before and I guess I didn’t realize the damage it could do.”

“We’re both assholes,” Brooks offered.

Jay nodded his agreement. “It runs in the family.” Brooks gave his son a watery smile and Jay knocked his shoulder into his dad’s.

“I’m so happy you guys are together and getting along,” I replied, and Jay shook his head, mumbling something about a heart of gold. “But I’m confused. What happened? Brooks, I thought you never wanted to see me again. You told me to leave your house and-” my words broke off as I started crying again.

Brooks dropped everything he was holding to the floor and wrapped his arms around me. I sobbed into his shoulder as he squeezed me tight. “No, Sunshine. I can’t live without you. I was wrong; I was so fucking wrong.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I sniffled. “I just wanted you to meet Jay; I just wanted you to be happy.”

“Shh, I know,” Brooks said, rubbing circles on my back. “I know, and I am happy. You make me happy. And you made me so happy by talking to Jay and helping us connect.” He backed away to cup my cheeks in his palms. He was crying almost as hard as I was, and not even trying to hide it. “I would never be mad about that, Sunshine. You have the purest heart I know and do so much for me. Everything you do is to make me happy and because you love me. I can’t apologize enough for what I did.”

I cocked my head. “But...if you could never be mad about me talking to Jay, why did you tell me to leave?”

Brooks let out a deep breath. “I thought you were cheating on me.”

“What?” I stepped away from him and rubbed at the pain in my chest. “How could you think that?”

“It was my fault,” Jay offered. “I sent the text. I didn’t even pay attention to how it sounded.”

“What text?” I had no clue what was happening.

Brooks pulled my phone from his suit pocket. “This text.” I read over the message and covered my mouth with my hand. “I misunderstood and jumped to conclusions. I didn’t know Jonathan went by Jay. I didn’t know he was the one you’d been talking to. I thought you were making plans with another man to leave me. I thought the guy from the