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“Hurt, but school is distracting her.” I rubbed my face, and he shook his head as he stared at Brady, who sat by the door, waiting for Brooke to walk through and brighten up the space with her presence.
I had been waiting for days, too, but I knew she would never return.
“So, will you get up and tell her how much you love her, or should I teach you everything?” Jax teased, and I got up from my seat.
He was right. Wasting away here and crying about how Brooke wasn’t home wouldn’t bring her back; I had to go fetch her!
“You’re a genius!” I praised him as I quickly got changed into different clothes, and Jax scoffed.
“Of course, I am. I’m not just rich and a player. I’m a bigger romantic than you are.”
“Yeah, sure. Please fetch Anne for me if I’m not back on time.”
“Why do you think I brought the Lambo? My niece has to show off her rich uncle.” I rolled his eyes, and I knew I could count on him to fetch Anne for me.
I ran out of my apartment, stopped by the flower vendor, and bought a few too many flowers for Brooke. I ran to her workplace, and all I wanted to do was tell her was that I was sorry and convince her that I was sure about what I wanted now.
I loved her, and I wanted to make her happy. I knew I didn’t deserve her, but she was all I wanted.
When I arrived, I looked around her center, immediately enveloped in the center’s warmth. I noticed Matthew’s head and ran over to him. His eyes widened as he saw me, and he looked around.
“Is Brooke here?”
“I don’t think she wants to see you,” he whispered as he led me away from prying eyes, and I realized it seemed like the flowers were for him.
“I know she doesn’t, but where is she?” I asked him, and he seemed like he didn’t want to say anything because then he would betray his friend’s trust.
“She took some time off and won’t return until next week. And she is also isn’t at Marie’s at the moment; I don’t know where she is.” He was telling the truth, and I massaged my forehead as I tried to think of where she was.
I dialed her number as I stepped out of the center. I needed to hear her voice just once to know whether she was okay or not. I wanted to see her so badly and hold her in my arms and be embraced by her.
If I had been smart about it, then maybe she would still be here with me.
I pressed the phone to my ear, praying that she would answer my call, but after one ring, the familiar automated voice sent chills through my body.
“The number you have dialed is not available at the moment. Please try again later.”
I sent her a message, desperate to reach her, but the one tick told me I was blocked. Fuck!
Me: I’m going to fight for you. Wait for me.
Chapter 24
Asher
It was a Wednesday, another day that I had failed at getting ahold of Brooke, but I also wanted to give her her space. She was back at Marie’s place—and no, I wasn’t following her around—Jax was the one who filled me in on what was happening in her life.
They still talked on a daily basis, and as much as it hurt me, I was glad that Jax was there for her just as much as he was there for me.
I sat in the circle of folding chairs during my lunch break. The room was filled with the quiet murmur of voices. I observed all the people who were in the room. Gathering from their expressions that they all had a story to tell, their eyes showed the depth of their pasts, and others had hidden scars for life while others had missing body parts.
Yet they all here to bare their scars for all to see; they weren’t running away from their lives; they were facing them.
The veteran’s therapy group met every Wednesday afternoon. There were other time slots as well, but on the days that I didn’t have to work the nightshift, I wanted to spend my time with my daughter.
The walls were adorned with motivational posters and framed photographs of past gatherings, a testament to the countless stories of struggle and resilience that had been shared within these walls. The community center was rich with history even though the building itself was modern, with white walls, marble finishes and soft textures. Even though I had never served with all these people here, we were all united by a common thread of service and sacrifice that we all proudly stood for.
The reason I had adopted Brady was so that I could avoid ever attending therapy, never mind group therapy! But when I lost Brooke, I realized that my hesitation was what had stopped me from working through my issues. My night terrors kept me up, and I was hindering myself from being the best version I could be, not only for Anne but for myself, as well.
