wild star| ongoing

forty-four

CHAPTER 44:
February 29th, 2016
• • •

"You've got ten minutes," Brandy said.

Keith's eyes swept around the back alley they were standing in before returning to her impassive expression. "I think you already know what I'm going to say."

She shook her head, already knowing that he was here to convince her to get back together with him. "Keith, we can't--"

"But why can't we?" he asked. Nonchalantly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. From the other, he retrieved a lighter. "Give me one good reason why you shouldn't ditch this place and come home with me?"

"Because I love Teddy—"

His laughter rang through the alley, stirring dread in her stomach. "Cut the bullshit. You don't love him. You know that. And you know it well, Brandy. You think you love him because he's the only guy who's been half-decent to you since you ran away. On a regular day, if you met someone like him, you wouldn't even bat a fucking eyelash in his direction."

Brandy swallowed thickly. Everything he said was false, and yet she wondered if... she wondered if maybe... No! 

No, she couldn't think that way. Not when she was finally happy. She refused to allow him to make her second-guess her relationship with Teddy just because he was still hung up on the past. 

"That's what you think, Keith, but Teddy and I—"

He pulled her to his chest suddenly, the cigarette hanging from his lips, both hands on her waist. Her face burned at the contact; at the way his hazel eyes saw through her weak defenses. "You can't seriously mean that, baby. I mean, just use your head for a minute. Think about it. Who loved you first? Who'd you start a family with?"

"Keith..."

"Baby," he removed the cigarette from his mouth and exhaled the smoke through his nose, "we should put everything behind us. Come back home with me, and I'll take good care of you. We can go to court, get the custody thing settled with River, and bring him home to live with us. I can find a new place in some other part of the city. Ace won't be around to bother you anymore. You'll go rehab. We'll all... we'll all change. For the better. Isn't that what you want?"

Months ago, it would have been everything she dreamed of. But now, it couldn't have been further from the truth. She had fallen for his lies one too many times and had given him a hundred chances to change, and each time, he disappointed her.

"No," she said sadly. "I can't, Keith. Not anymore. Not after everything."

He brought the cigarette to his lips and puffed on it thoughtfully. "Brandy, think about what you're saying."

"I am thinking—"

"Did you ever love me?"

She paused, unable to meet his eyes, and stared at his chest instead. "I did. I loved you, Keith. You did so much for me. You made me happy at some point. But, I don't know, you changed. And it became so difficult to keep up with you."

"Do you still love me?" he asked her, desperation leaking into his voice. 

"I..." 

Brandy's heart wavered as she struggled to find the words to answer his desperate question. She gazed into the distance, her mind caught in a whirlwind of emotions. Memories of a past love clashed with the painful reality of their fractured relationship.

"Don't lie to me, baby. Just give it to me straight." He placed his hand on her arm, his warmth seeping through the fabric of her coat. "Do you love me?"