Page 72 of Until You're Mine
I laughed, and it came out a little too forced. Ugh, if this had happened a couple of weeks ago, I’d be sprinting around the gym, pumping my fists like I was champion of the world. Instead it felt a little too déjà vu for my tastes.
“So glad to see that your relationship isn’t distracting,” Liam said, his words dripping with sarcasm.
Shane turned and gave him a wide grin. “Don’t be jealous. You were my second pick, if it makes you feel any better.”
My laugh wasn’t forced this time, but Liam’s glare made me clamp it down.
“Talk later,” Shane said, giving me a nod before heading across the gym.
I rounded my desk and tugged on the back of Liam’s shirt before he could escape. “Please don’t be too hard on him. Everyone makes mistakes. Except for maybe you, but since you won’t tell me what happened with the person I can’t mention, I can’t be sure.”
He gritted his teeth. “She left for a job, and I wished her good luck, which I meant and still do. People move. Things change—that’s the only thing that stays the same.”
“Wow. If things don’t work out here, you’ve got a future in writing cards for Hallmark.”
He gave a short, humorless laugh, so obviously none of my jokeseverlightened the mood. “If things don’t change, we’re all going to be looking for new jobs. Sometimes I regret letting Finn and Dad talk me into getting you back here for the summer to help. You got out, and now we’re just pulling you into a mess. This life, this job… In order to make it, it requires being selfish, not to mention sacrifice after sacrifice.” His eyes met mine. “Nothing’s guaranteed, Brooklyn. So make sure you’re doing what makes you happy.”
I opened my mouth, and he quickly said, “And don’t say Knox, or I might seriously blow a gasket.”
I laughed, so at least one of us was. “I so wouldn’t go there. Mostly because I’m already afraid you’ll kill him.”
“Yeah, me, too.” He shook his head and took a step away before abruptly turning around. “The fact of the matter is, I like the guy. And I want you to be happy.”
Something about his words made the hairs on my arm rise. All good, yet there was an underlyingbut.
He stepped closer and the way he dropped his voice only made a sense of foreboding crawl over my skin. “I’m not just being the grouchy, overprotective big brother. This is more than that. I didn’t step in when you threw away everything you wanted to be with that prick who—”
I flinched, and he left it hanging, because we both knew what the guy did.
“I’m not going to stand by this time. Whether it’s Dad pushing you for what he wants you to do, or if it’s Shane. If you stepped back from the situation and really looked at it, you’d see that you’re risking too much on a temporary situation. Only it’s not just you and your feelings at risk. The future of the gym and Knox’s career are thrown into the mix, too. If you were staying, then maybe I could see you both taking that risk. But last I heard, you’re leaving us here pretty quick…”
Maybe even sooner than I originally thought, depending on a lot of variables that I hadn’t had time to fully think through.
“Has that changed?” Liam challenged.
I shook my head, even though a tiny, weak part of me wanted to say maybe. Which in turn, made me wonder if I was losing myself again. How could I even be considering staying? Giving up everything I’d worked for the past four years…?
“So, you’re taking a chance on a guy for a couple of weeks, and he’s taking a chance on you that could determine his whole career. Brooklyn, if Knox goes all in, I know he can go far, even farther than he climbed the first time. The question is, are you going to help him, or hold him back?”
Chapter Forty-Two
Shane
The knock on my door Sunday afternoon surprised me because the person I’d been expecting today was already at my apartment.
After the last few days of craziness, I was almost scared to hope it’d be who I wanted it to be. When I opened my door and saw Brooklyn standing on the other side, beautiful as ever, I fought back the urge to haul her into my place and lock her in, and went for grabbing and kissing her breathless instead.
The dazed look on her face sent satisfaction through my veins, and I tried to convince myself the weird tension that’d been hanging over us since Tuesday didn’t exist. “God, I’ve missed you.”
She curled her hands into my shirt, my Brooklyn there in my arms for a couple of awesome seconds before the serious version that’d ruled the past few days took over. She opened her mouth, but the loud throat-clearing that reminded me we weren’t alone made her whip her head toward the kitchen, and she quickly dropped her hands to her sides. “Sorry, I should’ve called.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and guided her to my side so she wouldn’t act on her obvious urge to flee. “Brooklyn, I want you to meet my mom, Tammy Oliver. Mom, this is Brooklyn. The girl I was telling you about.”
Brooklyn blinked at me as if she was surprised I’d talk about her. Clearly she didn’t understand what a big role she currently played in my life. What a big role I wanted her to play, for longer than a summer. Which meant I needed to tell her, and I planned to as soon as we got a chance to be alone.
She shook off her surprise and extended her hand to my mom. “Nice to meet you.”
Mom sandwiched Brooklyn’s hand in both of hers, squeezing affectionately instead of shaking. The woman fell for people right on the spot, and thanks to my going on and on about my girl, Mom had already been a fan before the official meeting. “I was hoping I’d get a chance to meet you soon. Shane’s told me so much about you. About meeting you at the gym and how you helped him land this fight, something I’d also like to thank you for. He told me how pretty and smart and funny you are, and his entire face lit up when he told me how lucky he feels to have found you.”
