When I come back to the flat, I quickly realise I'm alone and that Rory isn't at home. I'm kind of thankful for that because I don't want her to see me in this messy state where I'm pissed off and hurt both at the same time. And a woman with those two emotions combined is a dangerous woman.

I drop my bag by the couch and throw myself on it, leaning my head back against it. I hate that what Aaron did affects me so much. I don't think it was just his action that hurt me. I've been carrying other shit for years now and I guess I'm sensitive when it comes to that kind of stuff.

I put my arm over my eyes and close them, enjoying the silence.

Maybe I didn't really think this through and maybe I lied to myself when I said I could do it. Or I just overcalculated my abilities to be that woman. I know some who have been in that kind of relationships and I know it never ended well. 

I see why. You get your feelings involved too quickly, no matter how much you tell yourself that you shouldn't. It's just not possible not to feel anything for the person you're being intimate with.

When I hear the front door opening and someone entering the living room, I remove my arm and open one eye, then sit up abruptly when I see it's Rory. "Hey, Rory. Thank God you're back."

Rory comes to me and sits opposite to me on the couch. "Hey, yourself. What's up?" She takes me in with her eyes.  

I'm not mad at Rory for what Aaron did, honest to God. It's not her fault he's an asshole. But it still stings when I see her face and I'm reminded of it. I'm not planning on saying anything to her, though. What Aaron and I have ... had was really nothing even close to a relationship. Probably just one-time thing. 

"I'm so hungry," I whine.

"Why haven't you eaten anything, then?" she asks me, concerned.

I pout. "I wanted to wait for you." Or I just didn't feel that much hunger when I came home. Which says a lot ...

She offers me a smile and looks me over. "You've lost some weight," she observes.

I shrug off her comment. I really haven't noticed. I just know that my eating habits weren't that good these past weeks with all the stress the work is putting me under. On top of everything else. "Eh, it's just been really stressful at work lately." I stare at her, studying her back. "You're glowing. Where have you been?" I ask her a bit suspiciously because I just can't help myself, but I still make my tone light and easy, letting her know I don't mean it in a bad way.

Rory looks away, a blush spreading on her cheeks. "I was ... on a lunch." She clears her throat and she seems uncomfortable. 

"With my brother?"

She looks at me with wide eyes, asking me how I knew about it with them.

I shrug. "Well, I hope it was my brother ... unless ..." I don't finish the sentence.

"Unless what, Brooke?" she asks almost in fear.

I sneer. "Unless he's not the only man you're seeing at the moment ..." I mutter. Let's talk about how I'm not bitter about Aaron and her, shall we? I shouldn't have said that. It was uncalled of and totally rude. 

Rory's mouth hangs open, her forehead wrinkles. "Brooke!" she sputters out disbelievingly. 

I intertwine my hands on my lap and lean forward. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Let's bring on some of my brother's past to make myself feel a little better, why don't I? Jesus. Being hungry and pissed because of a man is really not a fun thing.

Rory literally gapes at me. "Brooke, I ... I'm not ... I can't ... why would you ..." she stutters out, unable to finish a whole sentence. She looks like she's on the verge of tears.

How fantastic, Brooke. You deserve an award for the best friend in the world. I close my eyes and put my hand on my forehead. "I'm sorry I said that. I wasn't implying anything, I swear." I look at her. "I just want to see my brother happy ..." I mumble.

Rory stares down at her hands between her legs. I see that what I said made an impact on her and it isn't a positive one. I'm such an asshole sometimes, taking it out on others when I'm in a bad mood.

I don't know how could I even think Rory had bad intentions. She's such a pure and kind soul, I don't doubt her feelings for my brother. But on the other hand, nobody expected Victoria to do what she did, either. 

I hated Victoria, though. I always felt there was something off about her. And I've loved Rory from the first time I met her. So I think this says something. 

"What did you mean that it wouldn't be the first time?" Rory asks.

I blink at her a few times before I understand what she's actually asking me. Maybe I really shouldn't open my mouth ... "It's not my place to tell. If you want to know, you should ask Braden about it. I'm sure he'd tell you."

Knowing my brother, I know that he would never, not even in his dreams, tell the woman he's currently having a relationship with about Victoria. And it's understandable. He doesn't stay with those women for long and doesn't try to get to know them so that he could trust them. He has to be very private about it since any leaked information in the public can destroy his image and spark some unwanted media attention.

But with Rory, I feel he's different. I feel she's something more for him, even though he might not realise it at this moment.

''What do you want to eat? I'm sure I could make something," Rory offers, changing the subject.

I go with it because I don't want to talk about Braden's past, either. "I thought we could go out on a lunch today, but I guess you're not really hungry, huh?" I laugh.

Rory grins at my sarcasm. "No, actually, I didn't finish my lunch with Braden, because he had to go back to his company. Some emergency call or something." She waves her hand around.

I snort. How typical of my brother. "The jerk. He's really going to hear about that from me."

Rory's smile freezes on her face. "Uhm ... what?"

I stare at her as if she's really that crazy. ''You're okay you went on a lunch with him and came back hungry? Uh, he-llo!''

Rory chokes on her laughter. ''You really are something, Brooke Campbell!'' She pauses for a second. "I understand he had to go, he's got priorities." She shrugs my comment off.

I stare at her with big, round eyes, not quite believing her words. "Rory, you're his priority," I correct her.

She blushes a deep shade of red. "It's not like that," she mutters, avoiding my eyes. "Are we going to go eat or what?" she asks me.

I hope off the couch. You don't have to say it twice! "Sure. Where do you want to go?" I'm already at the door.

She shrugs. "I don't care as long as it's nothing fancy."

I laugh out loud when I realise how similar we actually are. Braden often took me with him to his business dinners, functions or fundraisers and I really started hating those events and all that fancy shit he fits in so well.

Rory and I walk to the small café. It's about twenty minutes away from our flat. Rory orders quesadillas (and I would have to be blind not to see her staring at the menu with heart eyes) and I order fried rice.

"Brooke, I literally think of you as a God for bringing me here," she admits to me cheesily, laughing afterwards.

I grin. "Is this your definition of nothing fancy?" I ask her. 

The memories suddenly hit me like a train again when Damien took me to Wendy's and we had a similar conversation about 'nothing fancy'. Dear God, why is it so hard to forget that man?!

Rory looks at me as if I have three eyes. "Uhm, duuh? I certainly don't see anyone wearing a damn suit in here!" She looks around the café to point it out.

I throw my head back and laugh, bringing some attention to us from other people in here. "Expect Braden to do that." I laugh even harder while she stares at me pointedly, clearly embarrassed about the attention we're getting.

"I should probably expect something like that, though. I mean, this is Braden we're talking about. He's a bit high maintenance." She stares down at the table while my laughter dies down.

I think about her comment. "Actually, he really isn't. He's very chill and relaxed. Not showing his wealth at all," I comment.

Rory stares at me, dumbfounded. "Are you sure we're talking about the same person here?"

"Of course we are. Just give him some time to get to know him better, Rory. I promise it'll be worth it."

Rory starts drawing invisible patterns on the table while staring at them. I watch her closely, watching how she gets that dreamy expression on her face. She can't hide the fact who she's thinking about.

The waitress brings us our food and we thank her, immediately starting eating it.

"It's not that I don't want to get to know your brother, Brooke ... he's just ..." She struggles with finishing that sentence.

I sigh. "I know, Rory. He shuts himself off from the world and he seems unapproachable for people around him. But he's like that because he's been hurt and deceived many times before. He had to learn in the hardest ways. Just ... don't give up on him, Rory." I stare at her to make my point and then add, "Promise me."

Rory doesn't say anything, just keeps staring at me, being quiet.

"Promise me, Rory," I demand with a strained voice.

"I promise," she finally chokes out quietly. 

She digs into her food and doesn't say any word anymore. I know that Rory is a good woman for my brother and I also know that Braden is too stubborn to let himself see that and notice it. So I need to have Rory's confirmation that she won't let him push her away. Because he will try, he always does. And none of them pushes back, at least not in the right way.

"Hey, before I forget, my mum wanted me to ask you again if you're coming to lunch with me on Sunday," Rory lets me know, trying to change the subject.

I look at her. "Of course I am," I say. I'm actually quite happy about meeting her parents. "Does Braden know?"

Rory sighs at me mentioning my brother. "Does he know what?" she asks.

"That we're going to lunch at your parents'."

She looks at me confusedly. "No. Does he have to know?"

I shrug. "I thought you're going to invite him, too ..." 

She puts her good down on her plate. "Brooke, I ... we're not in a relationship, okay?" 

I stare at her, my mouth slightly opened. "What? But ... how? You said you have something going on ... that you like him ..." I draw my eyebrows together before it suddenly dawns on me and I sit up straighter in my seat. "Oh. Oh! This is about sex only, isn't it?" I ask loudly, a bit disbelievingly.

Rory flushes from head to toe when a few people look at us yet again. "Uhm ..."

"Oh, my God, I'm going to kill him," I say through gritted teeth. Although Braden never implied he wants a relationship with Rory, I thought he'd change for her. Seeing how crazy he is for her, I actually believed he'll move on and forget about Victoria already ...

Rory widens her eyes. "What? Brooke, no, no one's going to kill anyone!"

I breathe hard through my nose. "Did you know my brother is a jerk?" I ask heatedly. 

I can already see how this is going to end between those two ... Like it ends with any other woman. Because he won't try, because he'll tell himself he's not in a relationship and he's going to ruin everything. My God. 

"Well, yes, but ..." I narrow my eyes on her and Rory drops her head onto her palms and groans in her hands. "We have a mutual agreement, it's not a big deal."

"He's going to have an agreement with my fists when I see him!" I'm shaking my head at her. 

"Brooke! What's gotten into you?" Rory wants to know.

"I just thought ... I thought that he would finally settle down, you know? And who better with than with a nice girl like you?" I'm calmer now, my voice quieter, laced with disappointment.

"No, look, we're not ready for a relationship, apparently. But we're attracted to each other. I'm sorry, I didn't know you thought we're in a relationship. I thought you knew ..." she mutters.

I put my hand on top of hers on the table, willing her to look at me. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault he's like this, I just really want him to find happiness and I thought that maybe ..." I sigh, unable to finish that thought.

Rory shrugs. "Maybe I'm just not what he's looking for. Maybe I'm not the girl for him." She plays with her straw, hiding her face. I can hear the hurt in her voice, though, and that's what makes me even more pissed at my brother. 

He's going to ruin her. I know this. She's too soft for him.

I don't say anything in a response. I don't want to bring even more pain on Rory. We finish our food in silence and a dark cloud over us with tension all around.

When we're walking back to the flat, we're both floating in our own thoughts, not saying a word out loud. My thoughts drift to Aaron. 

If Rory didn't give my brother a chance, would she try with him? Or, better yet, when any of them - probably my brother - decides to end their agreement, will she give Aaron a chance? I selfishly hope I'll never have to find out.

When Rory is running her bath, I type the girls a message.

Me: I need to get drunk and forget about the reality for a few hours.

*

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