The Closer You Come

Brook Lynn cracked open her eyes. Her sister was stretched out on her bed. When had that happened?

“I’m not moping. I’m brooding. Big difference.”

Since the breakup— No, no, they hadn’t broken up. Since the decision to take a break—better—she’d left the house only once, when Kenna had dragged her to another dress appointment, hoping the change of scenery would cheer her up...but after she’d sobbed all over the salesgirl about the unfairness of life, her friend hadn’t asked her out a second time.

“Just go away.” Brook Lynn rolled to her other side—and came face-to-face with Kenna.

The redhead smirked at her, all it’s not over.

They’d surrounded her!

“Go away, both of you.” She tried to pull the covers over her face, but her sister ripped the material out of her hands...and kicked it to the floor.

“It’s nine o’clock at night,” Kenna said.

“So?” she demanded. “Your point?”

“So. You haven’t gotten up yet.”

“You and Jase broke up and—” Jessie Kay began.

“We didn’t! We decided to go on a break,” she corrected, depression and guilt settling over her like another blanket.

She’d just run out on him like a scared little rabbit. Because that’s what she was! And it hurt, knowing she wasn’t the woman he needed. Accepting. Comforting. Maybe he knew it, too. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t come after her. Why he hadn’t done anything to convince her that her fears were unfounded.

Not that the blame fell fully on his shoulders. She could have called him, but hadn’t.

If only her mind weren’t at war. On one hand, she knew that while he’d committed a crime, he’d been a teenager at the time and had since paid the price. And really, he’d paid far more than a few years behind bars. Obviously, he’d paid in blood and pain.

On the other hand, she’d seen glimpses of rage in him and now didn’t know if she could trust him in such a state.

Still...part of her wanted to be with him.

Part of me?

Ha! Most of her. But it wouldn’t do either one of them any good if she flinched every time he raised his voice or his hand. Or if she ran and hid every time he got a little irritated with her.

Casting stones? She had a temper of her own, one the whole town feared. But she’d never really hurt anyone. Well, besides her annoying sister. Even at her worst, Brook Lynn had never done anything seriously damaging—and Jessie Kay had ensured she got hers in return. But a temper like Jase’s?

How would he react the day she pushed him past the limits of his control? And she would. That was a guarantee.

Why couldn’t she be like the women in books and movies and just trust him?

Easy. Because she was real, with real reactions.

Being real sucked.

“Dane says Jase is miserable.” Kenna smoothed hair from Brook Lynn’s brow. “Though he won’t give details. Bro-code or something like that.”

“You won’t go see him. You won’t talk about him. What’s going on?” Jessie Kay asked.

She didn’t want to reveal Jase’s secret, but she desperately needed advice. She’d been agonizing for days with zero results.

“I just found out... I mean, Jase told me...” The rest of the words snagged in her throat. Was she really going to do this? Betray him? Because that’s how he’d see it. He’d trusted her enough to share the most painful part of himself.

Dang it! She couldn’t do it. She was on her own. “I plead the ho-code and will remain silent.”

Jessie Kay snorted. “Did you just refer to yourself as a ho?”

“Did he cheat on you?” Kenna demanded.

“No, nothing like that.”

“Did he lie to you? Steal from you?” Jessie Kay asked.

“No and no.”

“Dude. Did he hit you?”

“What? No!” she gasped out.

But...would he? It was a question she couldn’t shake, a fear she’d never before entertained. The only way to find out how he would treat her while enraged was to, well, enrage him.

A frisson of distress swept through her. I’m miserable without him, but too unsure about what the future holds to go to him.

She couldn’t afford to make a mistake. But...she couldn’t let fear make her decisions for her, either. After all, she might actually be in love with Jase Hollister. All the signs were there. A need to give him everything she had...to protect him from further pain. And she treasured her time with him, delighted in teasing him, laughing with him. She thrilled in breaking through his icy demeanor to find the heat that swirled inside him.

But, dang it, the fear remained.

“I need a new job,” she muttered. “Just for a little while. Just until I figure some things out.” But what could she do? Who was hiring? What wouldn’t destroy her soul, little by little?

Off the top of her head...nothing. Cooking was the only thing she truly enjoyed, but none of the local restaurants or bakeries were hiring. Maybe they’d make an exception for her, though. She’d never forgotten the way those guys at the auto shop had reacted to her sandwich. Name your price, they’d said, as if they’d pay anything. Even...ten dollars? Fifteen? Just for a sandwich!

She would have tried opening her own shop, but it would have required too much overhead on her part.

Although...did she really have to open a shop to sell her sandwiches?