What Happens Tomorrow (27 page)

“Hey you. All done with Ethan?”

“Um, yeah. You still up?” His tone concerns me, he doesn’t sound like his usual upbeat self. I wonder if something happened tonight? Given their history, I wouldn’t be surprised.

“I am. I was hoping you weren’t going to be late and that you might want to come by.” There’s an awkward pause on his end of the line. “We need to talk, Brooke. I’m on my way over.”

“Oh. Okay…”

“I’ll be over in a few.”

Now I definitely have butterflies, but from worry, not anticipation of a hot rendezvous.

A few minutes later there’s a knock at my door. Charlie runs ahead of me and I cautiously answer the door to a solemn looking Tyler. Apprehensively walking into my apartment, I notice he’s clutching something in his hand.

“What’s going on? You’re scaring me. Did something happen?”

He turns, looking at me with an unfamiliar look on his face—disgust. Sucking in a breath to clearly try and calm himself, he speaks, “Really? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

“Find out about what? What are you talking about?”

He flicks the picture he is holding down on the counter and jealously spits, “I’m going to ask you a question and you’re going to tell me the honest truth. Why in the fuck do I have a picture of you with my brother!”

I look down at the discarded picture laying on my counter.
What the hell!

“You told me you’d never met him before we went to Oregon and yet, here you are together, smiling and happy. Clearly, you were lying to me but what I want to know is why?”

I’ve never seen Tyler this angry before and it’s scaring me. “I have no idea where this picture came from….”

A look of repulsion crossed his face as he stoically spat, “My brother, of course. Who the hell else would have a picture of the two of you, Brooke?” Tyler slams his fist down on my counter. “I can’t do this again! I don’t know what it is with you damned women and my fucking brother, but I’m done! I am not going through this shit again! I thought you were different. I thought you actually loved me, but you’re no different from Devon!”

The tears stream down my face. How could he think so little of me? I’ve never done anything to deserve this. How can he forget everything we’ve been through?

“Never compare me to that filthy, nasty bitch! I’m nothing like her, Tyler, and you know it! You know me! After all we’ve been through, why won’t you believe me? I didn’t even know he was your brother when I met him on the beach with you.” I grab his arm. “Look at me, dammit! After everything I’ve been through…I opened my heart to you. You got me to do that. Do you really think I’d throw it away for your brother?”

He frantically removes his arm from my grip. “I don’t know what to believe, Brooke. I just know that I’ve been down this road before. I need to be alone to sort this out.” He turns to leave, but I roughly grab his hand, fighting with him as he tries again to remove it from my grip. He needs to feel my touch, he needs to feel our connection to know what I’m saying is the truth.

“Please, Tyler don’t leave like this.” I know he hears me, but he isn’t listening. I hate that bitch Devon for doing this to him, and I hate Ethan even more.

Why is Ethan doing this to Tyler? To me?

Where did the picture come from? And why give it to Tyler tonight?

“It’s always okay for you to pull away when I talk about marriage and kids because it’s a part of your past that’s hard to take…well, now it’s my turn. Lying and cheating are a part of my past and I take them both seriously. Like I said, I can’t go through that again. It’s my turn to need some time.”

I look at him through wet eyes. “You
know
I never met your brother before Oregon. You were there, you could tell we never met before.
You know this,
Tyler.”

He runs both hands coarsely through his hair before turning back to me. “That’s just it, Brooke, I don’t know what to believe. You always said you needed to protect your heart, now it’s my turn. I need to process this. I just need some time alone.” He walks out my front door, head and shoulders hung low.

I HAVEN’T SEEN my brother since Oregon, and frankly, I’ll be happy if I never lay eyes on the prick again! I still can’t believe he had the balls to show up with Devon, but I know that was for my benefit…anything he can do to fuck with me.

Last I heard, he and Devon broke up, so the only reason he would be in Oregon with her is because he knew I’d be there. Mom told me they were trying to rekindle things by going away which is how he ended up running into me. Convenient!

He has always been a lying sack of shit.

Mom wants me to patch things up with Ethan for the sake of our family. I love my mom — lord knows I do — but there is no fucking way I will ever forgive Ethan for fucking my fiancé.

Imagine my surprise when big brother calls to invite me for lunch. Says we need to talk. What the fuck about? I know deep down inside that all he really wants is to fuck with me, but there is a piece of me that misses the guy who used to be my brother.

“HOW IN THE hell are you in a picture with Brooke, Ethan? Where did this come from?” I spit, violently pounding my fist onto the table and causing a few of the restaurant patrons to look our way. There, on the table before me, is a picture of a smiling Brooke with Ethan. His arm is wrapped possessively around her shoulders as she lay her head back against his chest, a drunken smile plastered across her face. Arrogantly, he sits back in his chair, a shit eating grin on his face as he explains.

Not a-fucking-gain! I can’t do this again!

“When will you learn, baby brother…the only Reynolds brother who can satisfy the ladies is me. Your girlfriend called me one night when you were working late, wanting to hookup, so I did what any man would do when a hot chick calls. I met up with her. You know I’m not the kind of guy who would turn down a hot piece of ass.”

Delirious with anger, I lean forward and grab him by the shirt. “Fuck you, Ethan! When was this taken?”

Still grinning because he loves that he’s getting to me he responds, “It wasn’t long before we went to Oregon. I only went because she said she missed me. That she couldn’t wait to see me again. But then she acted like she didn’t even know me. I’m sure that was for your benefit though, little brother.”

How could I have missed it, am I really that fucking dense? I can’t believe that after all Brooke and I have been through, she would do this to me…maybe I’m a poor judge of character.

“Mind letting go of the shirt? This one was expensive.” He voice is thick with cockiness as he lifts his chin in the air. “And I have clients to meet with this afternoon.”

I let go of the tight grip I have on him and sit back down, my head shaking in disbelief that this could be happening again. “Why, Ethan? Why do you get off on messing with my life? What the fuck did I ever do to you?”

He straightens the front of his shirt as he eyes me. “Well, simply put, little brother…because I can.”

I’ve had enough of my brother’s bullshit. I’m not playing his game for the rest of my life. I stand, shoving my chair back and causing it to bump into the empty chair behind me. “I’m done here. But before I leave let me make one thing clear to you. If you ever go near Brooke again, I will fucking kill you! Blood or not.”

Arrogantly shaking his head, he grins. “Like I said, baby brother, I only obliged your girlfriend. Maybe she should be the one you take your anger out on. After all, I’m just a guy who can’t say no to a pretty lady…especially one so eager.”

Eying my clenched fists, he threatens, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Not unless you plan on going to jail. After all, we are in a public place with plenty of witnesses, and I’m an officer of the courts. Hmmm, on second thought, go right ahead. Brooke might feel sorry for me and realize that I’m the brother she should be with.” I grit my teeth so tight my jaw begins to ache. I violently grab my suit jacket off the chair and walk past my brother, leaning down just as I’m about to pass him. “Fuck you, Ethan!” I say loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear me, causing a few customers to gasp loudly as I walk out the door.

I need to see Brooke. I need to sort this shit out now! I want to know what she was doing with my brother. I can’t go through this bullshit again…not for her, not for any woman. Why wouldn’t she stay away from him knowing what he did to me?

Maybe I really don’t know her like I thought I did.

HE MIGHT BE able to deal with being alone right now, but I can’t. I don’t want to be alone. I call Jenna, but I’m unable to speak through my tears.

“Brooke…hon, what’s wrong?”

“T-Tyler thinks I cheated on him with his b-brother and he left. H-he thinks there’s something going on between us. Please…I-I can’t be alone right now.”

“Is he out of his fucking mind? You? Cheating on him? What the fuck is wrong with him? Seriously! Don’t worry…I’m on my way over. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding. He’s going to feel like a giant dick when he comes to his senses.”

A few minutes later she walks into my apartment and wraps her arms around my slumped shoulders as she leans over my kitchen counter and stares at the picture of Ethan. “Shh…it’s okay, Brooke. We’ll figure—”