Free Love's Suicide: Love's Suicide by Jennifer Foor Page B

down and let Brooks back into our life.
    I wasn’t asking to spend every moment with him, but seeing him every few months would have been nice.
    We’d arrived at the hotel before anyone else, and I couldn’t help but watch the sliding glass doors for Brooks to enter. It had been so long, and even though I knew Branch was going to be mad, I wanted to at least say hello.
    When Danica and Walt arrived, they had a bunch of things to carry. Branch headed outside to give them a hand, while I was talking to the concierge about the banquet room and what time we would be able to get in and start setting up.
    Now, there is something to be said about any man in a uniform. It’s like it makes even the most non-attractive man much hotter, but when I heard someone behind me clearing his voice and turned around to see him in full military fatigues, I thought I was going to pass out.
    He sat his bags down and opened his arms for me. Without regard for who could see us, I fell right into him, not willing to let go. “I missed you so much,” he said into my hair.
    I pulled away and looked up at him. He’d changed.
    His baby face was gone and replaced with a roughly shaven, more squared jaw. His hair was short, around the same length as his brothers, except his was covered by a hat. Those blue eyes that I looked into every single day shone back at me, but were somehow different than Branch’s. “It’s been a long time.”
    He smiled and wouldn’t stop looking at me. “You look great, Kat.”
    “Can I help you, sir?” The lady behind the desk interrupted.
    He stepped forward and pulled out his wallet. “I’m here to check in. The name is Valentine, Brooks Valentine.”
    I stayed back letting him finish his transaction. I couldn’t explain it, but it seemed like I’d forgotten what I was there for in the first place. All I wanted to do was sit down and have a drink with this person that I’d known my whole life.
    “Well look at what the c at dragged in.” Branch came walking in with his arms full of boxes. He sat them down in a chair and walked over to greet his brother. I was actually in shock that he seemed genuinely happy to see him. They hugged, before Branch backed up and put his arm around me. “It’s real good to see you, bro.”
    Brooks smiled. “Yeah, you too.”
    I watched as his parents took their turns hugging and checking out that their son was really standing in front of us in one piece.
    While they seemed occupied, I took it upon myself to walk away and catch a breather. I didn’t know why, but something felt wrong, as if it was rehearsed.
    I grabbed the boxes and started carrying them into the banquet hall.
    Once inside, I sat down on a chair and tried to calm down. For a couple moments I felt l ike I couldn’t catch my breath. The room was spinning all around, and I had to put my head between my knees to stop it.
    I heard the door open and someone approaching me, but I didn’t look up to see who it was.
    Danica sat down beside me and put her hand on my head. “Just breathe.”
    “What’s happening to me? My chest feels tight and I can’t catch my breath.”
    “You’re having an anxiety attack.” She pulled me into her arms and started rubbing the back of my hair. “Just take nice even breaths and focus on one thing. Block everything else out.”
    I tried doing as she said, but the room was still spinning. “I think I’m going to pass out.”
    “You won’t.”
    After ten minutes, when I still wasn’t feeling better, she helped me up to my room and removed my shoes while I laid down on the bed. She pulled the covers over me and got me a damp towel for my head. “You’ve gotten yourself so worked up. We need to get you feeling better before dinner time.” I watched her walk over and grab something out of her purse. “Take one of these. It will help.”
    I put it in my mouth and accepted the plastic cup of water to swallow it down with. “What is it?”
    “Xanax. It’s for anxiety. In a