Always Mine (Love in Eden 1)

I needed to let them go. I needed to let Sparkly Guy convince him to go in the room with him, and I needed to let whatever happened between them happen so Brooks would no longer have that pained look in his eyes, the one that felt like a knife to the heart. The look I’d put there.

I tried to take a step forward, but it wasn't happening. I was a selfish bastard, but I just couldn't.

I turned around and walked slowly up to Brooks. I glanced at Sparkly Guy. The little man jutted his chin out and then crossed his arms and stood next to Brooks. I had a feeling if he could have managed it, he would have put himself in front of Brooks. I ignored him and focused on Brooks, who was watching me with watery eyes.

"Please don't do this," I whispered to Brooks. I knew Sparkly Guy could hear everything I was saying, but I didn't care. And I knew what I was asking was unfair and unreasonable and just fucking selfish, but I didn't care about that either. "Please don't let him touch you."

Brooks sucked in a breath at my words and dropped his arms. I could see him fighting a war within himself. A better man would've walked away from him and left, but I most definitely wasn't a better man.

"Brooks, just, please don't do this. I'll go, but just…" I let my words fall off because as I spoke them aloud, I realized how wrong they were to say in the first place. He owed me absolutely nothing. I could give him what he needed when it came to sex, but in the two brief encounters we’d had, I'd quickly figured out that Brooks wasn't made for just sex. If he chose to make it just about sex with Sparkly Guy, that was his right, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough for him. I got that now.

Only now was just too damn late.

I started to turn when the fingers of my uninjured hand were enfolded in a firm grip.

"Jules, do you think you can find your way to Eden tomorrow?" I heard Brooks ask. I turned and, still hanging onto Brooks’s hand, saw him hand his car keys to Sparkly Guy.

The man took the keys. His eyes shifted to me, but his question was for Brooks. "Are you sure about this, honey?"

I couldn't help but tighten my grip on Brooks's hand at the endearment. But any dislike I had for the guy referring to Brooks that way was short-lived because the fact was that Brooks was holding my hand. He was giving his keys away, meaning he was coming home with me.

I didn't care what that meant.

I didn't care if Sparkly Guy drove off with the Range Rover and never returned it.

I didn’t care about anything except that Brooks continued to hold my hand as he nodded.

And as he let me lead him to my truck, I reveled in the fact that, for the moment, Brooks was once again mine.

Chapter 15

Brooks

We didn't speak for the first hour of the drive home. But that was on me because as soon as we’d gotten in the truck and Xavier had said my name, I’d told him I wasn't ready to talk. I still wasn't ready to talk, about real stuff anyway, but the silence between us had me on edge. Especially since I had a million questions. And I wasn’t known for being patient when it came to questions.

I still had no idea what to make of the fact Xavier had shown up in the bar. At first, I’d thought it’d been pure coincidence, but then I’d remembered that he hadn’t liked being in enclosed spaces, and nothing was more enclosed than a crowded bar full of grinding bodies and blaring music. Not to mention Xavier wasn't supposed to be anywhere where alcohol was being served. If he'd been in Eden, he would've been reported for sure. And from the shot glass he’d been holding in his hand, he’d done more than just be around the alcohol. I supposed I should've asked him if he’d been drinking before I’d gotten in the car with him, but we’d been going for quite a while now and I hadn't seen any sign that his driving was in any way impaired.

"How did you know where I was?" I asked. My voice sounded scratchy and dry, probably because I hadn't had anything to drink in a while.

"Your uncle said you went to Casper. To check out that bar. He said you needed to unwind."

I couldn't help but look in Xavier's direction. "He told you it was my idea to go to the bar?"

"I can't remember if that's what he said exactly, but I guess that's the impression he gave."