I heave a sigh, spinning around and jogging toward the complex as the door drifts closed.
Fuck.
What did she hear?I keep trying to re-play the conversation in my mind as I make my way to the door. My heart’s beating fast in my chest and I feel like a weight has settled in there. Obviously, I fucked up-but what did I say, exactly?
I push open the door, stepping inside and looking around wildly. I duck into the corridor of the dorms, spotting her at the other end of the hallway.
“Brooke!” I call out, but she doesn’t turn around.
Fucking hell.
I take off after her, jogging to catch up. “Brooke!”
I’m a few feet away when she disappears into her room, slamming the door behind her.
Fuckity fuck fuck fuck.
I skid to a stop in front of her door, raising my fist to pound on it. “Brooke!”
The door flies open and from the way I’m leaning, I almost topple inside.
“Brooke…” I stop short when her eyes meet mine. They’re piercing, a tepid mixture of anger and hurt swirling in them, along with the silver flecks of her wolf near the surface.
“So that’s what you really think of me?” she asks, her tone harsh. “I’m just a means to an end of getting your dad to make you alpha?”
“No, no, not at all,” I breathe, shaking my head adamantly. “The guys and I were just fucking around, I didn’t mean anything by it…”
She narrows her eyes, chest heaving with her ragged breaths.
“Can I come in?” I ask.
She doesn’t say anything, just steps aside to allow me entry.
“Whatever you heard, it was out of context,” I breathe, striding inside.
I turn to see Brooke closing the door, sagging back against it. She folds her arms across her chest, anger still flickering in her gaze.
This is the last fucking thing I need today. I’m already on edge after spending the past 24 hours in Summervale with my father.
I take a step toward her, but she holds up her hand, giving a little shake of her head. I freeze.
“I don’t care what the context was,” she scowls. “Or whether you were joking around. The fact that you said it at all… how do you think that makes me feel?”
I heave a sigh, raking a hand through my hair, tugging at it. “Probably shitty.”
“Yeah!” Brooke scoffs. “Shitty. Used.”
I press my eyes closed, pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. “Jesus, Brooke, can we not make this a big thing?” I say exasperatedly.
I blink my eyes open to see her just staring at me disapprovingly. The same look I got over and over when I was back home yesterday. It strikes a nerve.
“That’s what you want, right?” she asks grudgingly. “Just to gloss over everything, pretend it didn’t happen?”
I furrow my brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Brooke stares at the ground, her voice low. “You can’t un-do what you said any more than you can un-do sleeping with half the squad.”
Well that fucking stings.Where is this even coming from?