Turning A New Leaf

Ninteen

Brooke immediately regretted leaving with Brad. In fact, she was genuinely scared of him. He was driving erratically while berating her for allowing his mother to bring Brooke back to her home.

"Brad, you left me stranded! Where else should I have gone? I couldn't even have gotten in the house!" She pointed out.

"Anywhere. You could have gone anywhere but there," he told snapped, his jaw clenched. "And now everyone knows our business. How do you think that makes me look?"

Brooke fought back tears, "I wasn't trying to do that! Your mom was worried because you weren't answering the phone and nobody knew where you were."

Brad's face flashed with rage, his eyes were so dark that he completely different person. Evil. She knew he was unfaithful, she hated that but never in a million years would she have expected drugs. Brooke had never even been around drugs other than weed. It explained so many things that she'd questioned. His mood swings and hostility, the weird hours he kept.

"What kind of drugs are you using?" She asked him.

Brad sneered at her, "I'm not on any fucking drugs. My mom doesn't know what she is talking about."

Brooke fell silent and stared out the window, watching the landscape zoom by. She glanced over at his speedometer. 138. Brad was driving 138 miles per hour. She closed her eyes and prayed.

Brooke let out an audible sigh of relief when the car pulled into their driveway, the garage door opening. She gathered her purse and headed into the house to take a bath before bed.

"Made it home," she texted Linda as she ran the hot water.

"If you need anything, let me know, my phone is always on!!"

Brooke bathed without interruption and slipped into her comfy black satin Victoria's Secret pajamas. She listened for Brad as she entered the bedroom but heard nothing.

She was almost asleep when he slid into bed next to her and wrapped his arm around her. She felt his bare chest on her lower back where her skin was exposed. "Brooke, there's something I need to tell you."

Brooke sat up in bed, switching on her bedside lamp. Her stomach was in knots. Brad was stretched out on his back, wearing only a pair of basketball shorts, his eyes closed. She studied him, he was so pale, almost grey looking. His eyes sunken in, lips chapped and dry.

"Well?" She asked, anticipating his words.

He sat up, crossed his legs Indian-style and stared down at his hands. "My mom was right, these are hickeys but it isn't what you think," he began, voice quiet, "I got talked into get a couple lap dances and one of the girls was pretty aggressive, she gave me them. All the guys were right there, I knew it wasn't right but I knew they'd rip on me for telling her to stop. They were all cheering me on...you know I don't normally hang out with other guys, especially my brother but it felt good to fit in."

Tears stung Brooke's eyes, "So you would rather your wife not trust you than look weak to people you hardly know or claim to dislike?" She clarified.

Brad pinched the bridge of his nose as though he was trying to fight back his tears. "It sounds really stupid, I know it does. But we were all drinking and you know how my relationship with Krist is. He actually felt like a brother to me."

She stared at him, questioning his words, "And what about the drugs that you are claiming you didn't do? I may not be savvy when it comes to those things but you look and act like you're on something."

"God, I'm so stupid," he wiped a tear from his cheek, "One of Krist's friends started offering everyone coke and I tried some. Everyone there did it. Don't tell anyone, please? I know I messed up and Krist only did a little. He's been getting his life together and is so happy with Atira, I'm not trying to cause them any problems."