Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend (Rock Bottom #3) - Holly Renee Page 0,58
kind of pressure on you, and I’m sorry I called you an idiot.”
“You didn’t.” I shook my head.
“Oh, I did.” She smirked. “I just said it to your dad. He thinks you’re being one too.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
“Don’t look so shocked.” She pointed at the ceiling. “That girl’s in love with you and you’re just going to sit here and act like it’s not even happening.”
“She doesn’t want this.”
“Then make her want it.” She rolled her eyes as if I was being completely clueless.
“Okay. I think that’s everything.” Brooke was climbing down the stairs, and she still had that damn smile on her face. But her eyes told a different story. She looked like she was as thrilled to be going back home as I was.
“Oh.” My mom rose from her chair and pulled Brooke into her arms. I winced because I didn’t know what she was going to say. I didn’t know if I wanted Brooke to find out that she knew the truth. Part of me would be relieved if she did, but the other part of me didn’t want to give her any reason to back out of our deal.
As of right now, I still owed her, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t give her any reason to back out. I didn’t want to give her any reason to run away from me.
“I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“Me too.” My mom and Brooke were hugging each other so tightly that I wasn’t sure how they were breathing. I was pretty sure that the two of them would miss each other far more than either would miss me.
“You all off already?” My dad came in from the back yard and wiped some grease off his hands. There was no telling what he had already been doing this morning.
“We are. Brooke has to be back at work tomorrow.” Which she needed to quit. The building was ours, and I couldn’t wait until she told that place where to shove it.
My mom and Brooke were saying something to one another that only the two of them could hear before they let each other go. My mom tucked some hair behind Brooke’s ear and smiled at her. “We’ll be up for a visit soon, but don’t forget to text me.”
“I won’t.” Brooke smiled sadly at her, and I hated that our deal did this to her. I didn’t mean for her to come here and fall for my mama or my mama fall for her.
But I would do anything to give this to her. I would share my mama and this old house and anything else she wanted. All she had to do was say the word.
I grabbed her luggage and rolled it to the door. My dad clapped me on the back before pulling me into a hug. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t.” I moved to my mom as my dad hugged Brooke.
“And don’t be an idiot.” My mom’s voice was soft but stern as I hugged her tiny body.
They were the only words I could think about as we walked out of the door and got in the car, and they were the only thing I could think about as Brooke smiled at me before looking out the window.
I had been an idiot about this whole damn thing, and I didn’t know what to do to make it right.
Eighteen
Home
Brooke
We had been home for two days, and they had been two of the suckiest days of my life.
Not only had I not slept well since I had gotten used to sleeping with Liam all week, but work had been kicking my ass. Apparently taking a week off was one of the worst decisions I ever had, and I was currently making up for it.
I just kept repeating over and over in my head that things would be different soon. Liam told me that they had accepted his offer, but we hadn’t discussed many details after that. I had been too busy working out the details of his body to be worried about our future.
The only positive was that I was going to see Kennedy within the next ten minutes, and I couldn’t freaking wait. Of course, she wanted to have dinner at Tucker and Liam’s restaurant, Rock Bottom, but it wasn’t like I could tell her no.
I always loved going there before, and I should have had no reason not to go there now. But I did.