Secrets And Lies

Chapter 36

Natasha and Gia stared at Brooke in shock.

"You what?!" Natasha screeched.

Brooke threw her hands up and began pacing around the room.

"I know! But I was drunk and... He looked so handsome and I kissed him and then it felt really good to kiss him so we began to take our clothes off and-"

"Ok! We get it!" Natasha stated as she held her hand up, cutting Brooke off.

"I didn't mean to. It was a mistake but I knew that if I told James, he would hate me forever!" Brooke cried out.

Gia and Natasha's expressions softened as they watched Brooke fall apart. They could tell that the whole situation was eating her up inside.

"Do you still love him?" Gia asked abruptly.

Natasha and Brooke's eyes darted over to Gia as he face remained calm.

"Yes."

"Are you still in love with him?" Gia asked a bit more clearly.

"No."

There was a brief moment of silence before Natasha spoke up.

"Well then I don't see what the problem is...?"

"It's the fact that I had one too many drinks one night and slept with him while I was engaged to someone else!" Brooke cried out once more.

Natasha made an 'o' shape with her mouth but didn't say anything.

Suddenly, the door burst open and James stood there, a stone cold expression on his face.

"Ladies. Out. Now." He commanded in a firm voice.

Gia and Natasha glanced at Brooke but her eyes remained on James. They then exited the room, gently shutting the door behind them.

James sauntered towards Brooke and upon looking closer, Brooke could see a hint of red where blood had spilled from his nose and mouth. The collar of his shirt was splattered with the red substance while his tailcoat was no longer on him.

"James-" Brooke started but was silenced by his hand being raised in the air.

"Just tell me this: was it consensual?"

Brooke nodded her head twice, too afraid to say the word as she was worried that James might flip out.

"But you were drunk?"

Brooke nodded again.

"So while I was on the other side of the country, limiting myself of alcohol consumption, you were partying, getting drunk and hooking up with your ex?" James asked in an agitated voice.

"Yes." Brooke replied in a quiet voice.

James let out a low chuckle which terrified Brooke because there was nothing in this scenario that was even remotely funny.

"Wow! Just, wow. Did you think that I wouldn't find out?" James asked, his voice raised slightly.

Brooke didn't say anything as she stood there in shame.

"Answer me!" James shouted, causing Brooke to flinch.

"No! I knew you would find out at some point and I was planning on telling you but I didn't want to do it before the wedding because you would've called it off!" Brooke shouted back.

James stared at her for a moment, processing what she'd just said.

"You're right! I would've called it off, because why would I want to get married to a person who probably doesn't even love me back!"

Brooke scoffed before narrowing her eyes at James.

"What a load of bullshit! Do you know how many times I've stood up for you! Turned down advances from really good looking guy because I am with you?!"

James didn't say anything and Brooke scoffed again.

"Of course not! Because, in your mind, I make one mistake in our relationship and you seem to think that I don't love you when I do! I love you more than I've ever loved Scott but you don't see that!" Brooke screamed, tear beginning to fill her eyes once again.

James was taken aback by what Brooke just said. He couldn't quite comprehend what she just said but after a moment, he did.

"Where in the world did you get that idea?" James asked in a quiter and calmer tone.

"The way we argue. It's like, you seem jealous but you tell me to confess my feelings for him and to clear the air, and to be honest, it's beginning to give me whiplash!" Brooke explained with a short chuckle at the end.

"Well how do you expect me to feel? I mean, I've seen the way you are around him and the way you look at him! I can see it in your eyes that a part of you still cares for him." James shot back.

Brooke shook her head and sighed.

"We don't have time for this. There are guests downstairs that probably think that we are gonna call it quits after being married for 45 minutes. I don't know about you, but if rather not let those rumors come to life."

Brooke walked past James and quietly exited the room. As she walked towards the stairs, someone stepped out of the bathroom, almost colliding with her.

As Brooke looked up at who it was, she groaned.

Scott stood in front of her, his shirt rumpled with blood stains across the collar and the front.

"Brooke..."

Brooke held her hand up, silencing him as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't! You've said enough! Why don't you go ruin someone else's wedding seeing as you already ruined mine!"

Brooke stormed away from Scott, leaving him alone in the hallway.

When Brooke got downstairs, the room quieted somewhat but not completely.

Brooke paused and glanced around as a couple people stared. She then pushed her way through the crowd of guests to find Natasha and Gia.

When she did, they had looks of worry on their faces.

"Hey! What happened?" Gia asked in a concerned yet hushed tone.

Brooke glanced around before taking a step closer to her.

"He's jealous. He thinks that I'm still in love with Scott. He's also super pissed that I got drunk and slept with him. In addition, he thinks that I'm stringing him along."

Gia raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything. Neither did Natasha. Before Brooke began speaking again, she was stopped by another commotion.

Brooke, Natasha and Gia looked around the room until their eyes landed on a dozen FBI agents bursting through the door, shoving their way through the crowd.

Thomas, of course, was among them.

Brooke rushed over to him, confused and irritated.

"What the hell is going on?"

Thomas glanced around before directing his attention to Brooke.

"We got a call that Scott was here. We're here to arrest him." He stated calmly.

Before Brooke could speak, one of the agents shouted something before guiding Scott down the set of stairs, his hands cuffed behind him.

Brooke had a million emotions running through her body but her face remained still.

"Sorry to ruin your wedding." The agent apologized in a bland tone.

"It was already ruined." Brooke murmured as Scott was dragged out of the house and into a police cruiser, before the car drove off, leaving even more guests to whisper and gossip.