Page 54 of Perfect on Paper

Something very much like guilt pattered against my stomach. At the same time, I couldn’t help noticing how much more attentive she suddenly was. I’d never have heard from her so soon after a catch-up when she was with Ray.

Maybe Brooke messaged me when she wanted to stop herself from messaging her.

I love you. I’m sorry.

Did you get home safe?

Actually took a detour. I’m getting coffee with Brougham?

Brooke is typing.

Brooke is typing.

Brooke is typing.

Ok back up. In less than 24 hours we’ve gone from you never mentioning Brougham, to you having his number and chatting with him after class, to COFFEE? Are you guys dating and you didn’t want to tell me because my love life is up the river? Because that is completely unnecessary and I want to know these things!!!!

Brougham was heading back to the table now, his hands shoved in his pockets. I typed out a quick reply.

It’s nothing like that I swear. I’ll explain later. I’m being rude right now though.

I flipped my phone facedown as Brougham sat. “So,” I said, searching for a topic. Then an obvious one came to me. I hadn’t had an update from him since Disneyland. “How’s the whole Winona situation?”

Brougham tipped some sugar into his coffee and stirred it. “We haven’t really talked since. She liked one of my photos the other day. Nothing else to report.”

“And you’re still okay with that?”

“Not that I have a choice. But, yeah, I am. How about your Brooke situation?”

Hah.Hah.That was the question of the year. “Well, we were… fine. Last night she and Ray broke up, though.”

“Oh shit. What happened?”

I wouldn’t have expected Brougham to be the best person to discuss this with, but in a way, he kind of was. He had more background information on the situation than anyone I knew, bar Ainsley. “I found out Ray did something really awful to Brooke before they got together, and I told Brooke.”

“Shit,” he said again. “Can I ask what she did?”

I shook my head at my iced coffee. After all the messiness of last night, I didn’t want to add to the complexity by spreading gossip. Even if I doubted Brougham would go home and share it.

Brougham was staring at me with a curious expression. “… Can I ask how youknew?” I met his eyes, and my guilt must have betrayed me, because he rested his chin on one hand and bobbed his head.“Shit.”

“I know, I know. I don’t usually use the locker for that kind of thing, I swear.”

“Usually?”

“Almost never. Just once before, and that was Brooke, too.”

He didn’t react, but that in itself was a reaction. “Yes, I’m hearing myself,” I said. “But I was just trying to look out for Brooke.”

Brougham widened his eyes at the table and took a sip of coffee.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

Oh my god, he was judging me. Considering that his opinion didn’t exactly mean much to me, I was surprised how much the realization stung.

“I wish I hadn’t told you,” I said to my knees. “Now you think I’m a terrible person.”

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