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"Fine Okay One ers knotted together in front of her as I wait for our coffee

She isn’t crying anymore, but she doesn’t look like my Brooke No sweet-dimpled smile No luht up in so to consuarious woht

The one who very openly kissed and touched o there for a moment Be present with that Brooke Feel her hands around ainst my cheek Remember her quiet words, the ones I’ as I held her on the couch and enjoyed our tiainst er, if I could hold her until her heart stopped racing Iftoo, and if that was normal for ain and again, to her and that no one could see us That even if they could she didn’t care, and that she wondered e looked like together, not just then but all the tiers filtering through my hair

"Knohat?" I asked, just as softly, pressing a kiss to her nose, the flush in her cheek

"That you’re kind of hed and talked until she fell asleep with her face pressed into ered there I didn’t want to leave I was beginning to hate the moments I spent away from Brooke

All of them Each miserable second

But I kneould happen if I stayed If I slid beside her and kissed her soes to overwhelm me, I wouldn’t be able to stop My resistance had been wavering all night and was close to being non-existent And Brooke, a unconcerned with her affection for me, was drunk

She was open and comfortable, sweet and warmand very, very drunk

So I left, but fuck, it was bloody difficult, knowing the next time I saw her she would be different Not as shoith her fondness Still a bit tentative and unsure

She seeover and regretting those cocktails, but stille n of the wootten her like this Why she’s so shut-off from me now

What the hell could have happened in the span of five hours?

Taking the coffees as they are held out for me over the bar, I thank the barista and walk over to the seating area, e chairs and a leather sofa