Like He Never Left

chapter 25

Hey guys! Hope you all are still staying safe!

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Brooke and I didn't speak for two days after our argument. We still slept beside each other—meaning on our own sides of a pillow wall that Brooke had constructed, which I thought was a little too extra but whatever—and brought the other back food when we went out, but we didn't speak unless it was absolutely necessary, and when we did, our words came out in harsh, quick sentences. And funnily enough, I got more work done in those two days than the whole week leading up to it. Brooke didn't do much outside of reading, eating, and sleeping, and occasionally, I left my laptop open for her to do what she wanted with it.

I was getting restless with it, and I didn't like this weird sort of limbo we found ourselves in. This isn't how relationships work. It's how they fail. So I decided to bite the bullet and surrender.

Today was abnormally warm for Oak Bend, getting up to almost 70 degrees and sunny with not a cloud in the sky. A nice encouragement on what would normally be another dreary Monday.

On my walk with Johnny, I decide to stop at a bakery and get her favorite dessert, key lime pie, myself some fake cookie dough, and Johnny a dog-friendly cupcake.

I don't know what I will say or what she would say or what either of us would do quite yet, but I have to try at least.

Johnny and I enter our room with a quick knock, letting her know we're back. Brooke is folded up in a chair, still not changed out of her pajamas, and is on the phone with someone. Her gaze skirts over me and back to the window.

"Yeah, everybody's been really nice so far," she comments. She presses the phone between her ear and shoulder to pick at her nails, a frown worrying its way onto her face. "I think you'll get along with Colt's father. He's a riot." She pauses, listening to who's on the other line.

While she talks, I kick off my shoes and unclip Johnny from his leash. He trots over to Brooke to greet her, and she rubs the space in between his ears before he leaves to jump up onto the bed, watching us both.

I place the bag of goodies on the nightstand closest to Brooke, and she watches my movements as I draw nearer to her, looking away when she sees me putting the bag down.

"Okay. I understand. Tell Mom I love her." She sighs. "I know. I will, I promise. I love you." And then she hangs up the phone. She stares at the blank screen with hard eyes before resting it on her lap. She glances at the bakery bag and then back to me.

"What's this?" she asks. She adjusts herself so that she's sitting up more in the seat, curious.

I drag the other chair so that it sits in front of her. I plop down and reach over to grab the bag and pull out the pie, extending it out to her with a fork. "A peace offering."

She arches a skeptical brow before reaching out tentatively to take the pie from me. She unboxes it and starts to munch on it hesitantly, and I internally roll my eyes. She wolfs those things down like no other.

"Listen," I breathe, pausing to get my words together. I lean forward so my elbows rest on my knees, our gazes locking onto each other. "I said some things that were and are completely uncalled for, and I'm sorry. I'd really love it if we could go back to liking each other." I lift my lips in a half-smile, hoping she'll accept my apology.

It would nice if she acknowledged her behavior as well, but I'm not going to push for it. I just want things to be okay again.

She rolls her eyes at my expression, and she nods. "Apology accepted, dork." She looks down to the pie. "Thanks for this." She starts to really dig in, and I roll my eyes.