Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend (Rock Bottom #3) - Holly Renee Page 0,62

expression on her face. I didn’t know what was about to happen. I didn’t have a clue as to what she was thinking.

“What do you mean it’s mine?” She shook her head. “You bought the building. You said I’d be responsible for everything else.”

“I know.” My lawyer had told me this was a horrible decision, but this was one thing that I didn’t give a shit about her opinion on. I had made up my mind on the drive home from Tennessee. I knew what I was going to do whether Brooke liked it or not. “And that’s still the case. But the building is yours now.”

She looked back down at the papers then back up at me. “Why are you doing this?” Her voice broke, and I hated it.

“Because you’ve worked your ass off. I’d still love to be in business with you, but I don’t want you to think that I can hold that building over your head. The building is yours no matter what happens.”

She stood from the couch and paced in front of her coffee table. She was reading the papers, really reading them, and I sat quietly on the couch while she did. I knew there was a strong likelihood this decision would piss her off, but it was an easy decision to make.

If the building was mine, Brooke would always think she owed me something, and she didn’t. No matter where we went from here, she didn’t owe me a thing.

“I can’t accept this.” She held the papers out to me as if I could just take it back.

“It’s already done. I’ve already signed everything.”

“No.” She shook her head and wiped at a tear that fell down her cheek.

“Don’t cry.” I stood up and took a step toward her. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“What did you think this would do?” She shook the papers at me.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged and moved even closer to her. “I thought you’d be happy. I thought you’d be relieved.”

She threw the papers down on the table and ran her fingers through her hair. “I didn’t ask you to buy me a building. I didn’t want this.”

“What do you want then, Brooke? Just tell me what to do.”

“I want you to treat me like you would treat any other business partner. Is this how you’d treat Tucker?”

“No.”

She threw her hands up at my answer, but I wasn’t through.

“But I don’t love Tucker.”

She stopped her pacing then and she stared at me. “You don’t love me.” Her voice sounded so small and nothing like the girl I loved.

“Don’t tell me what I feel. Regardless of what you feel, I love you.”

She took a step back as I stepped forward. “We had a great week, Liam, but you’re confused. Your mom and your dad…”

“Know everything.”

Her head snapped up.

“Katie told them the truth before we left. Apparently she overheard you and Sophie talking about it at the football game.”

Her hand slid to her neck. “Your mom.”

“She’s just as in love with you as she was when she thought you were my girlfriend.” I wasn’t lying. My mom had been blowing me up nonstop to find out if I had fixed this yet. I was pretty sure she was going to disown me if I didn’t.

“What did your lawyer say about this?” She pointed to the discarded papers.

“She told me it was a horrible idea, but apparently I love horrible ideas.”

She was shaking her head, but I didn’t know what she wanted from me. I didn’t know what she wanted me to say.

“What do you want, Brooke? If you want the building, it’s yours. If you don’t want the building, I’ll take it back. Just tell me what you want.” I sounded as desperate as I felt.

“I can’t. I don’t.” I knew she hated the next words that came out of her mouth. It was written all over her face. “I don’t want to depend on you. I don’t want to depend on you and you to change your mind about me.”

I didn’t let her keep her distance. I closed the space with a few steps, and I buried my hands in her hair. She tried to look away from me, but I refused to let her. “I will never change my mind about you.”

“You don’t know that,” she whispered, but she was wrong.

“Yes. I do.” I kissed her forehead then pulled away slowly. “You’re all that I think about. You’re all I see. I couldn’t change my mind about