Page 20 of Knot Their Reality

Brooks's smile is soft as his hand finds its way to my lower back again. "Of course. And if you don't feel up to telling me after we finish, I'll understand. As I said, I don't want to push you."

"But it doesn't make a lot of sense. I know." We come to a stop by one of the tables, and I glance back at him. "Is this good?"

"I'll sit wherever you want, as long as I'm sitting with you."

And there goes my heart. I want to collapse into a pool of heart eyes right now, but since that doesn't happen in real life, I settle for nodding.

Brooks pulls out my seat, pushing it in once I'm seated. He glances back at the servers, and before he can say anything, they're already rushing over. He grins as he drops into the chair beside me instead of the one across from me, as I'd expected. "They must pay their staff well for them to be so efficient."

"I don't doubt it," I say with a laugh as the trays are set down before us and the lids removed. I moan as the smell of the fried chicken, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes hits my nose. "Oh, this smells amazing."

“Since we made both of you plates,” one of the men says, “if you want more, just let us know. I can tell you that the fried chicken is quite addictive.”

I grin up at him. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I don't know your name?"

"It's Tyson, ma'am."

I turn to Brooks with a laugh. "Did you hear that? He called me ma'am."

Tyson's face turns bright red, and I reach out to run a hand down his arm. "I'm sorry, Tyson. That was rude of me to have a laugh at your expense. Thank you for bringing us our dinner out here. It's greatly appreciated, and I'll be sure to let you know if we'd like more."

A smile lights up his face, making me feel a lot better. "Both myself and Harry will be behind the bar. Can we get you any drinks while we're at it?"

"I think a glass of Rosé would be excellent. Brooks?"

"Sure, I'll have a beer. I don't know what kind you have, but whichever you think is best, I'll take."

"Yes, sir." Tyson and Harry both head to the bar and have our drinks in our hands within seconds before they disappear behind the bar once more.

"Look at that, he called me sir." We laugh together before tearing into our meals. The cooks here are fabulous, and I need to find a way to steal at least one of them away so I can have someone cook for me every day. Maybe then I'd stop forgetting to eat.

Brooks and I chat through dinner. He talks about how rewarding it is to be a nurse and how he feels like it's easier to get to know the patients as one versus doctors, who just don't get to spend as much time with each of them. He obviously loves his job, and I love that for him. I talk about my job as a lawyer and how much time it takes up, but how I want to begin to pull back, which is why I thought now would be the best time for me to find a pack of my own.

Once we're full, Tyson and Harry hurry over to take our plates and give us another drink before scurrying inside.

Brooks laughs. "It's almost like they want us to be alone."

"Honestly? I think they do. It's hard to open up when there are others around, don't you think?"

"Hmmm... is that why you wanted to wait?"

I shake my head, and I can't help but smile—even knowing what we're about to talk about. "Not at all. I was just putting it off for as long as I could."

His face falls. "Seriously, Sophia, if you're not comfortable—"

"Oh, I'm absolutely not comfortable talking about this, but that's okay. Not only do I owe you an explanation, but it's something I shouldn't keep locked away. You don't want to know how many therapists have told me that."

He reaches out to take my hand before starting to pull back. "I'm sorry. I should've asked if this was okay."

I squeeze his hand, not letting him pull away. "It's okay. It might make this easier. It'll remind me you're here—that I'm not alone."

I close my eyes, trying to figure out where the hell to even start. Brooks doesn't try to rush me. He just sits there, holding my hand.

"I lost my mom and dads when I was young." I take a moment to explain my family situation and my single-minded intention to become a lawyer from a young age. "When I went off to college, I wasn't fully prepared for the experience. I hadn't partied in high school, I was too busy studying. During the first semester of college, it was much the same. Until my beta roommate convinced me to let loose for just one night."

I laugh, remembering Rebecca and how amazing she'd been—both before and after that night. "She was a good friend, and I wasn't the best at being friends. It's not like she asked anything of me, so I thought, why the hell not? I was still in general education classes, and they were far too easy. I didn't need to study, and how bad could one night out be?"

"I'm taking it, from your tone, that it could be pretty damn bad."

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