Page 28 of His Heart

9

Brooke

March. Age eighteen.

I lovedthe beginning of spring. The weather was warm, but not too hot, and everything began to bloom. Citrus trees spilled their fragrances into the air and the mountainsides were covered in wildflowers. Liam and I sat at an outdoor table on campus, enjoying the weather. He was intent on studying for his physics test, and I was working on revisions to an essay on the women’s suffrage movement I had to write for my history class.

We only had about two months left before the school year would be over. Finals week was at the beginning of May. But we’d decided to stay in our apartment through the summer and both take a couple of classes. Liam wanted to get more prerequisites out of the way so he could apply to the school of engineering. And I figured if Liam was going to be in school anyway, I might as well take some classes too.

I eyed the paper I was writing. I’d been over it a dozen times. I probably needed to call it finished and stop tinkering. At this point, I was just wasting time, and I had a math test to think about.

My phone rang and I pulled it out of my backpack. Liam’s eyes lifted. I looked at the screen, but didn’t recognize the number.

I shrugged at Liam as I answered. “Hello?”

“Brooke?”

I sat bolt upright in my chair, my back stiffening. I recognized that voice. It was coded into my very DNA. My mother.

“Mom?” I asked.

Liam’s eyes widened and he closed his book, his face intent on me.

“Yeah, baby,” she said. “You still have the same number.”

Her words were garbled—hard to make out. She was wasted. On what, I couldn’t tell. But hearing her like that was a punch in the stomach. I hadn’t talked to her since she’d moved—well over a year ago. Deep down, I’d hoped losing me might finally make her get herself together. That maybe something would change.

“Yeah, I have the same number,” I said. “Where are you?”

I heard something muffled, and a man’s voice in the background before she answered. “Louisiana, baby. It’s beautiful here.”

“That’s great,” I said. “I’m sure it is.”

“You should come,” she said. “I’ve got it all figured out. Marcus has a big house and plenty of money. I don’t even have to work. I’ve got a bedroom all ready for you. It will be good this time, Brooke. I swear.”

I stared at the table, tears stinging my eyes. What was she talking about? Louisiana? Who the hell was Marcus? My stomach churned and I felt a little bit like I might vomit.

“Um, I can’t come to Louisiana,” I said. “I have school.”

“School?” She laughed. “You didn’t flunk out or something, did you? Aren’t you done?”

“No, Mom, I didn’t flunk out,” I said. Liam’s expression hardened. “I graduated from high school last year. I’m in college now.”

“I see,” she said. “A big college girl, too good for us uned… uned… uneducated tramps, huh?”

“That’s not what I said.”

She snorted. “Where the fuck did you come from? Are you sure you’re my daughter?”

Her words made my throat close up and I couldn’t choke out a reply.

Liam grabbed the phone from me. “Desiree, don’t call Brooke again.”

She said something to him that I couldn’t hear.

“You’ve done enough damage. Just leave her alone.” He hung up and put the phone down. “Come here, Bee.”

I got up and slipped into his lap, putting my head on his shoulder. He rubbed slow circles across my back. A few tears fell, leaving spots of moisture on his shirt.

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