Sometimes Brooke (The ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER Rock Star Romance Series Book 2) (12 page)

As we head back home Brooke is very quiet. It’s unusual for her, but this is an unusual situation.

For me too.

If you would have asked me a few months ago if I’d be chasing a girl all over Scottsdale I would have said you were nuts. I don’t chase girls. Girls come to me.

But Brooke is different. I’d chase Brooke to the ends of the Earth if I had to.

“What’s on your mind?” I finally ask.

“Everything…”

I laugh. “That’s a lot.”

“You shouldn’t care about me. I don’t deserve it.”

“And why is that?” I ask.

When she bites her bottom lip I think about kissing her. But for some reason this time I don’t think about fucking her, although I’d love to do that too. I just want to hold her in my arms. Tight. And not let her go.

“It’s just so hard. Sometimes I don’t feel like I can give it all up.”

“Give what up?”

“My addictions. I stopped drinking. I stopped using drugs. But I didn’t give up getting fucked.”

Tears are streaming down her face and it feels like someone is stabbing my heart.

“I got fucked a lot, Leo. Every chance I could get. When I stepped into the bar tonight my first thought wasn’t a taste of alcohol. I didn’t even order it. My first thought was which guy in the sea of men was going to fuck me. That’s what gave me a high. That’s what gave me a rush. The thrill of the chase. The seduction. I can’t give it up.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Maybe I don’t want to give it up. It’s my great escape.”

“And what about me?” I can feel my throat getting tight. “Do you want me to treat you like a groupie? Just fuck you and then tell you to get your shit together and leave? Is that what you want?”

When I quickly glance over at her I can see her chin is trembling. In about three seconds she’ll be full out sobbing.

Shit.

“I’m not going to treat you like
you
think
you deserve to be treated in that fucked up head of yours,” I tell her. “I’m going to treat you like
I think
you deserve to be treated. I’m going to be the guy who worships you.”

“You can’t…” her voice trails off as she starts to sob.

“I thought you knew me better than that, Wild Child. I can and I will.”

“Really?” he voice is so small it tugs at my heartstrings.

“Really.”

“But there are so many other girls…”

“There are no other girls for me but you.”

My eyes go wide when I realize there’s a pickup truck coming at us. For some reason it didn’t stop at the red light. Brooke is turned toward me so she doesn’t see it coming straight toward us.

She gives me a faint smile before the truck smashes right into the passenger side of the car. 

Nine

Brooke

There’s a loud crash. We’ve been hit. We’re flying and spinning. It feels like the car is completely out of control, but everything seems to be happening in slow motion.

I hear screaming. It takes me a moment to realize it’s my voice.

When we finally come to a stop I know something is really wrong. I feel broken. Like an egg that was dropped from a second story window onto the pavement below.

“Brooke!” Leo’s normally free-spirited voice sounds filled with panic.

And dread.

Why does my face feel wet?
I wonder.  I try to lift my arm to wipe at the moisture dripping into my eyes, but my arm isn’t working correctly.

It takes a lot more energy than it should for me to look over at Leo. He’s struggling to free himself from his seatbelt. “Don’t move, Brooke. I’m coming to you.”

“Okay,” I hear myself say, but it doesn’t sound like my voice. I feel like I’m listening to someone speak in another room. It’s such a weird feeling. Like I’m disconnected from my body.

“Fuck!” Leo is now kicking on the seatbelt lock trying to break free.

“It’s okay…” my voice is starting to fade, and so is everything else. “I love you Leo,” I try to say, but my voice is barely a whisper. I have no idea if he can even hear me as I drift off to sleep.

Ten

Leo

“Nurse! Nurse!” I know I’m yelling like a madman, and just keep pushing the call button over and over, but it’s useless. The emergency room is packed and I don’t think I’m a high priority. But I’m pretty sure no bones in my body are broken. And I’m not bleeding. I was brought in for observation. Maybe they think I have a concussion. I hit my head pretty hard on the driver’s side window.

How much damage could a hit like that have done to someone like me? I wasn’t exactly a rocket scientist before the accident.

All I want to do is get out of this room and get to Brooke. I have to be there for her. There’s nothing more important as far as I’m concerned.

I push the call button what seems like a hundred more times until someone wearing a white uniform finally makes his way into my room. He’s young, maybe just a few years older than me, and balding. He looks like he’s all business, which is fine with me. My business right now is to find out what the hell is happening with Brooke. 

“Where’s the girl I was with? Brooke Rhodes?”

When the guy frowns I’m tempted to smack the scowl right off of his face. But I know I’m just angry, not really angry at him.

“Let’s make sure you’re okay before…”

I put up a hand. “I’m fine. I need to know about Brooke.”

“If you’ll give me a chance to examine you…”

“I said I’m fine. Do I have to be examined?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Are you refusing treatment, Sir?”

“If that’s what you want to call it. Okay. Sure. Now will you tell me where I can find Brooke?”

As I start to rise from the hospital bed I feel slightly woozy, kind of like when the first beer of the night finally hits.

“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” the balding guy says.

“Let me just get my boots on and you can tell me where she is.” As I grab for the large plastic bag they placed my belongings in I get a little lightheaded again. For some reason I have it in my head that my boots will make all the difference. Like some kind of magic bullet that will make me no longer injured.

Once I get them back on my feet I feel a little bit like myself again.

“Where is she?” I repeat. The guy is starting to make me feel like a broken record.

“Sir, I’ll need to get you to sign these release papers stating that you are refusing medical treatment.

“Whatever. Give me a pen.”

He hands me a clipboard with a pen and I scribble my name on the bottom line.

“And initial right there,” he points to another section of the long document. “And there.”

I scribble a few more times and then shove the clipboard back at him. “Brooke Rhodes?”

“I’ll need to check on that for you.”

“Great,” I try to control my temper because I know this guy is the only thing that now stands between me and my Wild Child. I don’t want to piss him off. I want him to give me the information I need.

“Like rock music?” I ask as I follow him out the door.

He stops dead in his tracks and glares at me. “You can wait in the room. I’ll be right back as soon as I get the information for you.”

I shake my head. “I don’t mind. I’ll follow you. I think it’ll be quicker this way.”

He takes in a deep breath and I can see the resignation set into his squinty blue eyes. “Fine.”

He doesn’t wait for me to respond. He turns on his heels and starts walking down the hallway. “I don’t,” he says when I finally catch up to him.

“Don’t what?”

“Care for rock music.”

I roll my eyes. Figures. The one guy on the planet that I truly need a favor from and there’s little chance he cares who I am. 

***

When I finally figure out where Brooke is I practically run to that section of the hospital. Probably not the smartest idea considering I got pretty beat up in the accident, but no one ever accused me of being smart.

She looked so bad. She was smashed almost as badly as Harper’s car. And she was so bloody. I cringe just thinking about it. Brooke is broken and it’s all my fault. I was paying too much attention to the Wild Child and not enough attention to the road. I have to do whatever it takes to fix her—to fix everything—to make things right again.   

I spot Rayne and Harper pacing outside of a room when I arrive.

“Dude.” Rayne looks me up and down. “You look like shit. Are you supposed to be running around the hospital?”

Harper elbows him.

“I don’t really give a shit what I’m
supposed
to be doing. I need to see Brooke.”

When Harper puts her hand on my arm my eyes immediately shoot to Rayne. He doesn’t seem bothered by the gesture so I relax a bit. My body feels tattered enough. I don’t need to get thumped by Rayne on top of everything else.

“Brooke is in surgery,” Harper says, and my chest tightens.

It takes me a moment to realize my eyes are moist and I’m blinking back tears. I don’t fucking cry. I’ve never cried in my life. “Is she going to be okay?” My throat feels like it’s almost closed and it’s hard to get the words out.

“Her hip is broken. They’re repairing it. She has a few bruised ribs. And her wrist is broken. They’re pretty sure there isn’t any internal damage, so that’s good…” her voice trails off.

“I’m sorry,” is about all I can manage to say before I sob like a fucking baby.

“It’s not your fault, Man.” Rayne puts a hand on my shoulder. “The guy who hit you was drunk. Blew right through the red light. Didn’t even slow down.”

My fists tighten to angry balls. “Did he get hurt?”

Rayne shakes his head. “Not a scratch. That’s what the cop said anyway.”

“I’ll solve that problem” I spit. “I’ll make sure he’s hurt worse than Brooke.”

Rayne shakes his head. “Not this time. Brooke needs you. You need to be here for her.”

He’s right. As much as I want to kill the guy who hurt her I want to be there for her even more.

“Did the cops talk to you yet?” Rayne asks.

I shake my head. “I signed myself out of the emergency room. Refused treatment.”

Harper furrows her brow. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“I’m fine. I’ve been hurt worse than this in bar fights.” I glance around but the hallway is deserted except for the three of us. “Where are Raven and Xander?”

“I sent them home,” Harper states. “To get something to eat and get some rest. They’ll be back later.”

“Do you want something to eat?” Rayne asks.

I shake my head. “I want to see Brooke. That’s all, man. I just want to see her.”

He nods. “You will.”

Eleven

Brooke

I try to open my eyes but the lids feel like they have weights on them. My head is pounding and I feel fuzzy, like I have the worst hangover in the world.

Except I don’t remember drinking. I kept the plug in the jug…didn’t I?

“You’re awake.” I recognize the voice, but it takes me a moment to remember who it belongs to…Raven Woods.

What is Raven doing in my bedroom?

“I’d better let Leo know. He’ll lose it if he knows you woke and he wasn’t here. He’s been here all night. I told him I’d watch you so he could pee. He looked like he was going to burst.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Don’t mistake my being here for me liking you or anything. I’m here for Leo. He’s a fucking wreck.”

I can hear her words, but they’re not really making sense yet. I try lift my hand to rub my eyes but my arm is in a cast. When I look down I realize I’m wearing a hospital gown.

“There was an accident,” Raven says at the same time I think the words.

“Brooke!” Leo bolts into the room and is standing at my bedside before I have time to blink. “You’re awake.”

“I feel like shit,” I tell him and that makes him laugh. I love it when he laughs.

“Do you remember anything?” His voice is so soft I hardly recognize it. It’s almost like he thinks it’s going to hurt me if he speaks too loudly.

“You came to the bar. You wanted to scare away all of the other guys. You were taking me home. Someone hit us. That’s all I remember.”

“You were hurt pretty badly. They had to do surgery on your hip. And your arm is broken. You’ve got some bruised ribs.”

“And her face is all cut up,” Raven calls out from behind a celebrity magazine. “Don’t forget about that.”

Leo glares at her.

I imagine myself looking like Frankenstein’s monster.

As if he can read my mind Leo says, “The cuts will heal. Just some scratches from broken glass. You didn’t need stitches.”

“How long do I have to stay here?”

“Another day or two, they think. As soon as they can get you out of bed and see how well you’re able to move around, they’ll make a decision. Rayne and Harper are getting your bedroom set up so you’ll be able to do your rehab there. Rayne’s hiring a physical therapist just for you.”

“Do I look as bad as I feel?” I ask.

“You said you feel like shit?” Raven shouts. “That’s exactly what you look like.”

Leo gives her a death stare.

“It’s the truth,” Raven adds.

“At least my outside finally matches my inside,” I state.

“You’re beautiful.” Leo runs a finger ever so gently down my cheek. “Inside and out.”

“Don’t make me gag over here,” Raven remarks.

“Maybe you need a bathroom break,” Leo prompts.

Raven rises from her chair. “Great idea. Maybe I’ll see what Xander’s up to in the lounge.”

Once Raven exits the room Leo leans down and gives me the softest of kisses on my forehead.

“Raven said you were here all night…”

Leo nods. “I slept for a few hours in that chair over there.” He points to a chair in the corner of the room. “But mostly I just paced. Waited for you to wake up.”

“Do you know what happened? Why we got hit? It happened so fast.”

He nods. “I talked to the cops. They wanted to get a statement. The other driver was drunk. He ran a red light.”

I frown. “Is he hurt?”

Shaking his head Leo says, “I wanted to hurt him. He wasn’t injured at all. Not even a scratch. He’s lucky he’s in jail right now.”

When I try to take in a deep breath my chest hurts. “This is karma.”

“What do you mean?”

“Payback for all the times I was loaded and got behind the wheel.”

“I feel like it’s my fault. I should have taken better care of you. I should have protected you.”’

“It’s definitely not your fault…” He doesn’t let me finish my sentence.

“I’m going to take care of you now, Brooke. I promise. I won’t let you down.”

“You don’t have to do that. I have a feeling it’s going to take a while for me to get back to normal. When my grandma broke her hip it took her a few months to recover. Of course she was in her seventies.”

“Every day, Wild Child. I’m going to be there for you. You’re going to get so tired of seeing my face twenty-four seven.”

“Don’t you guys have some kind of charity concert coming up? Harper said something about it. You’re supposed to be out east for a week.”

“I’m not going,” he snaps.

That surprises me. “You have to go. You play guitar for the band. It’s kind of an important instrument.”

His eyes turn dark. “I said I’m not going. It’s not up for discussion.”

“But…”

“You’re in a fucking hospital. You just had surgery. You’re going to need a lot of help when you get out. I’m not going anywhere, Brooke. I already told you that.”

“Harper can help me.”

He shakes his head. “Where Rayne goes Harper goes. He’s not going on the road without her. And I’m not leaving you. So it’s settled.”

I’m too tired to argue with him, but there’s no way I’m letting him ruin his career to take care of me. As I slowly nod off I decide to deal with it all later.

***

“Did you phone my parents?” I ask Harper. It’s a question I’ve been dreading, but one I knew I’d eventually have to ask. 

Harper is on guard duty while Leo went home to take a quick shower and change his clothes. The only way I could get him to leave my side and take a break was to tell him that he was starting to stink and it was making me sick. A slight exaggeration, but he looked absolutely exhausted and I really wanted him to relax, even if just for a short time.

He made Harper promise that she wouldn’t take her eyes off of me. As if Harper isn’t the most responsible person on the planet.

When her eyes soften I have a feeling I already know the answer to her question. “I told them you were in an accident. I explained everything that happened.”

“They’re not coming to see me, are they?”

Harper shakes her head.

Even though it’s the answer I was expecting it’s still like a punch in the gut. “Did they say anything?”

“Your dad said maybe you really will get clean and sober this time.”

I know it’s the response I deserve, but it still hurts.

***

When Leo returns he’s freshly showered and his hair is still a little damp. For the first time when I look at him I don’t immediately think about sex. Not that I’m be doing much of that any time soon with a broken hip.

Harper and Rayne went home for a while so it’s just the two of us.

It takes me a moment to realize Leo’s carrying a small box with him. My immediate thought it that I hope it’s not some kind of gift. I don’t think I can emotionally handle that right now.

When he sits down in the chair next to me and hands me the box I cringe. I can tell it’s jewelry and based on the size of the box maybe a watch.

Buying a girl jewelry has implications that I’m not sure I want to deal with right now.

“Open it.” There’s so much excitement in his voice I feel bad for my less than enthusiastic reaction.

I gasp when I open the box and see it’s a Cartier Miss Pasha watch. The one I mentioned to Harper that’s worth ten thousand bucks.

“Why did you buy this for me?”

“Flowers are a cliché, right? Maybe I didn’t want to be the King of Clichés just this once.”

“Cliché Mangler,” I remind him. “Get your nickname right.”

“King Cock would be so much more appropriate,” he teases.

“Don’t make me laugh,” I tell him. “It hurts too much.”

His eyes soften. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt you anymore than I already have.”

“This isn’t your fault,” I tell him.

He places a soft kiss on my forehead. It’s such a sweet gesture it makes my heart skip a few beats. I glance down at his gift again.

“Why this watch? It’s the one I mentioned to Harper. That can’t be a coincidence.”

He shakes his head. “It’s not. I overheard her having a conversation with Nic about it. I wasn’t being nosy. They were talking loud. And it wasn’t in private or anything. Harper said you talked about it. That you wanted it.”

I blink back tears. “This is a ten thousand dollar watch.”

“Why are you crying? I thought you’d be happy. I wanted that frown turned upside down.”

I shake my head. “You’re ridiculous. Just like a little boy.”

He laughs. “So I’ve been told.”

I hand him back the watch. “I can’t take this.”

He looks struck. Like I just slapped him. And I immediately feel bad again.

“Don’t you like it?”

I bite my lip as I try to think of the right words to express how I feel. “It’s absolutely beautiful.” I run my finger along the edges of the stunning diamond lined watch face. “But that’s the point. I’m not worth it. I’m not good enough for this watch. I’m a throwaway LCD watch. I’m not a watch that you treasure like this one.”

He carefully removes the watch from the velvet lined box. “I treasure you. And I always will. You’re worth a lot more than this watch.”

Lifting my non-injured arm he places the softest of kisses on the inside of my left wrist. Then he fastens the watch on my arm.

“You know I’ve never bought a present for a girl before.”

“Never?” I can’t help the surprise in my voice.

He shrugs. “I may have given a girl a few bucks for a pregnancy test once. Back in high school. The condom broke. That was before I started double wrapping.”

“What a gentleman,” I tease. Then I ask a more serious question. “You’ve never even bought something for Raven? You’ve been—um—with her for years.”

He shakes his head. “It’s not like that.”

“Like what?” I probe.

He runs his index finger around the face of my watch then he looks back up at me. His dark eyes are fiery. “Raven was more of a fuck buddy. Like one of the guys, but one you can screw around with when you feel like it. She’s not like you.”

I swallow. My heart is starting to thump so hard I’m afraid Leo will be able to hear it pounding. “And what am I like?”

“You’re it.”

I wait, but that’s all he says. I furrow my brow in confusion. “What does that mean?”

“I was traveling on this road for so long. It felt like it was never going to end. It was packed with clubs and bars and high end restaurants. Even snack shops and fast food places. And they were all open twenty-four seven and they were all free. Anything and everything I ever wanted to eat or drink was just waiting for me to take whenever I wanted it. But then the road just ended. Bang. Just like that. Full stop. But at the very end of the road was this one place that had everything I could ever want for the rest of my life. I’ll never need to go into any of those other places ever again, because this place—this perfect place at the end of the road has it all. And that’s you. You’re the perfect place at the end of that really long road. You’re it. You’re everything.”

“That has to be the most convoluted story I’ve ever heard in my entire life.” Only from Leo’s mind could something that bizarre pop out. I kiss his cheek. “But it’s also the most romantic.”

“It’s symbiotic,” he says.

I think about it for a moment. “You mean symbolic.”

“See. You get me. You’re one of the few people who do.”

“I wonder what that says about me.”

He grins. “It says you have awesome taste in guys. Or at least one guy.”

He grabs my hand and caresses my fingers. “Am I it for you?”

When our eyes meet I see that his are filled with apprehension.

Even though I swallow my throat goes dry. I don’t know what to say. “I never thought about it.”

He nods, but I can still see the hurt in his eyes. I can hear Raven’s warning echoing in my head. “You can fuck Leo as much as you want just don’t fuck with him.”

Is that what I’m doing right now? Fucking with him? When I try to remove the watch from my wrist he stops me.

“Don’t take it off.” Even though I generally disregard other people’s commands for some reason I accept this one.

“Okay,” I agree.

When our eyes meet I can see a bit of the sparkle has returned to Leo’s. “I’ll be here waiting for you whenever you’re done with all of the other clubs and bars and restaurants and fast food places…”

“You forgot the snack shops.”

He grins. “And the fucking snack shops. Although I have no idea why you’d even want a snack shop when you can have prime rib whenever you want.”

Now I’m the one who’s grinning. “Are you telling me you’re prime rib?”

“I’m USDA Prime, Baby.”

“With a broken hip I won’t be visiting any snack shops, clubs, bars or restaurants for a while. I won’t even be indulging in your USDA Prime.”