Free Brooke & Ben: Before Fate Interrupted by Kaitlyn Cross Page A

stopped
chewing and swallowed, studying her from across the room. “Then at least go
downstairs and grab some pepper spray.”
    Brooke’s head
tilted to one side. “Dad, I’ll be…”
    “Do it!”
    She sighed and
turned for the basement door, knowing it was her only way out. “Fine.”
    “And grab a gun!”
he yelled after her, shaking his head at Laura and lowering his voice. “That
girl is going to give me an ulcer. Am I getting more gray hairs?”

 
 
 
 
 
    Chapter
Seven

 
 
 
 
 
     
    Tasha sipped her
Jack and Coke as rock music floated down from the recessed speakers above. She
swallowed and set the glass down on the glowing turquoise table between them.
“I don’t know why you’re taking this so hard. I tried to go after him, too. We
didn’t know he was Mandy’s guy.”
    “Try telling
that to Mandy.” Brooke crossed her legs and took another long drink. She shook
her head, replaying the whole thing all over again in her mind. “He said his
name was Roger but really it was Ben and Mandy was throwing up all night
and Ben and I ended up naked in her walk-in closet and she, not surprisingly, walked-in on us.”
    “I remember,
Brooke, I was there. You don’t have to convince me. It wasn’t your fault.”
    Brooke found
Tasha’s wandering gaze, desperate for her understanding. “You should’ve seen
this guy naked, Tash. I was powerless! He totally tricked me.” Her eyes drifted
to the bar and snapped back to her. “It was the punch!”
    “That’s what got
Craig.” She leaned back into the tattered leather armchair and stared off into
space. “At least, I hope it was the punch.”
    Brooke hid
behind her hand, like she was shielding her eyes from the sun. “I have ruined
everything and will never forgive myself.”
    Tasha leaned
forward, scrunching her face up. “Are you crying?”
    Brooke wiped
tears from her eyes. “No, I’m not crying.” She took a wet sounding breath that
fluttered her bottom lip, her eyes blurring her drink into a red smudge. “Everyone
else is moving on and making something of their lives and I’m going backwards.”
    Tasha reached across
the table and took her hand. “Hey, quit beating yourself up over it, Brooke.
You didn’t know he was her boyfriend. Mandy should be pissed at him, not you!”
    Brooke looked up
with watery eyes. “Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”
    Tasha stared at
her for a second or two. “Of course she will.”
    Brooke’s face
went blank. “Are you lying to me just to make me feel better?”
    “Yes,” Tasha
said flatly, her eyes roaming the bar again. “We’re never going to meet any
guys if you smear your mascara.”
    “God forbid,”
Brooke mumbled, taking a long sip of her drink.
    Tasha smiled at
her. “I can’t believe you’re still drinking those things. You’re so two
thousand and late.”
    Brooke set the red
drink back down, briefly managing to shut off the waterworks. “I like cosmos.”
    “Do you, Brooke?
Do you really like them?”
    “Yeah, Tasha, I
really do.”
    “You do know they
drink other drinks on Sex and the City ,
right? They even sometimes drink beer.” A feigned look of shock rushed over her
face. “Oh the horror!”
    “I’m not
drinking it because of Sex and the City .”
    Tasha flattened
her lips. “That’s what you said about that jean jacket you bought two weeks
ago.”
    A smile squeaked
past Brooke’s lips, the first one in what seemed like forever. She appreciated
Tasha’s attempts to get her mind off things and took another sip – determined
to stop thinking for at least an hour or two – and joined Tasha in surveying
the busy rock bar. Wooly’s was known for loud music, stiff drinks, and guys
with attitudes – all of which made Tasha’s to-do list for the night.
    She scooted to
the edge of her chair. “I’m totally serious about testing someone out tonight.”
    “You are not
sleeping with some strange guy just to see if he can get it up or not!”
    “I