Page 20 of Exposed

She nodded. “I have your number. I’ll text you.”

I wanted to ask her how long she’d had my number. And how long she’d make me wait before she texted me. I still had so many questions, but I swallowed them all down.

This time when she climbed off my lap, I let her. She got out of my car and walked over to a pick-up truck.

What the fuck am I doing?

I grabbed the rose she’d left on the seat, climbed out of my car, and ran up to her.

“I meant what I said, Brooklyn. I’m still in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for 16 years. And I know you’re in love with someone else. But I’m not going anywhere.”

“I really thought you were happy.” There were tears in her eyes again.

No ‘I never stopped loving you either.’ Nothing I wanted to hear. I just stood there like an idiot, swallowing my pride. And I handed her the yellow rose that had been meant for her grave.

She looked down at the rose and then back up at me. “You finally guessed my favorite.”

I smiled. “I thought you might like the yellow. Because of your mom.”

“I can’t believe you remembered.”

“I remember everything, Brooklyn.” I took a step closer. “Where are you staying? I’ll bring you breakfast tomorrow.”

She shook her head. “I can’t tomorrow morning. I’ll text you, though. I promise.”

I wanted to believe she wouldn’t break this one. “Okay.”

“Goodnight, Matt.” She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss against my cheek.

And then I watched her drive away.

I felt like a fool. Pining over a girl who’d long forgotten about me. But had she though? She didn’t say she loved me back. But she stared at me the way she used to. Like I was the only one who could take away her pain. Like she needed me.

I’d gotten her to fall for me once before. I could do it again. And this time it would be forever.

Chapter 10

Saturday

Brooklyn

I’d run out of reasons to hate Matt. And that was how I’d gotten over him the first time. By hating him. And I wasn’t sure what was left without that hate.

He said he loved me. He held me while I cried. Just like he always had.

But…I loved someone else. I’d always love someone else. I’d never be ready to move on. Matt was supposed to be happy without me. He wasn’t supposed to waste time. And I wasn’t strong enough to carry his grief from the past 16 years. I was barely standing.

And now I didn’t hear Matt’s voice in my head calling me a liar. I heard him now:“Are you just torturing me? Because you’ve done enough of that for the past 16 years.”

I’d never meant to hurt him. Matt said he loved me. But I was pretty sure he hated me too. Like I used to hate him.

I opened up my front door and was greeted by the sound of laughter. My frown immediately turned to a smile as Jacob ran up to me.

“Mommy, Mommy! Abuelo has a castle!”

“A castle, huh?” I picked him up, waiting for him to point to one made out of Lego or something. “Where?”

“He lives in one!”

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