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I
stare hard at him.  I hate this fucking confusion. Maybe he’s right, but what
if he’s not. Brooke just admitted to having a one-night stand, what’s to say
she wouldn’t do it again.  I just need to get her out of my system.  “It’s none
of your business.”

“Bullshit,
we’ve been friends for way too long. It’s my job to pull you back and make you
open your eyes. This is just an itch you can’t scratch.”

I
can see I can’t talk to him anymore about this without one or both of us saying
or doing something we can’t take back. I decide to retreat,
for now.
  “Well,
I can, at least, take her home. There is no harm in that.”

“Again,
bullshit. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn’t walked in when I did.”

“And
why did you come over. Shouldn’t you be with Alex? What’s the matter man, you
losing your touch?”

He
smirks, “Turns out, Alex is actually a good girl. Not really into one night
stands.  Plus she likes to make a guy work for it. Not really my thing. Had a
nice talk with her and her brother, though.”

Fucking
great. He’s bonding with the enemy
. Is he my enemy?
“About what?”

“All
kinds of shit. But one thing I figured out is that his goal is the same as
yours, and that’s to nail Brooke.”

My
hands ball into a fist at my sides, and my vision goes a crazy shade of red.

 
I
knew it.

“But
you know the difference between you and him? Fucking her won’t fuck up his
entire life, but it will yours. So you need to step aside and move on to random
and easy like you usually go for.”

His
rationalizing bullshit is starting to piss me off. “He said he wanted to fuck
her?”

“He
didn’t come right out and say it, but trust me he wants to. His sister didn’t
seem to be too upset about everything he was insinuating either. And he’s
apparently going to have plenty of opportunities to get what he wants while
he’s staying with them.”

What
the fuck did he just say?
I had to have heard that wrong
when I blacked out. “What?”

“He’s
staying with them while he’s in town, for the next month anyway.”

Brooke
never said anything about that. Why the hell would she let him stay at her
apartment if she wasn’t into him? Did she lie to me? I mean she kind of lied
about the whole casual thing, I think. Was the one-night stand with Trevor
considered casual? Hell, what the hell is casual, wouldn’t that be sex without
strings? I don’t do shit like that; I strictly keep to one-night stands because
casual would without a doubt morph into the whole relationship bullshit. I
wonder briefly, could I do casual with Brooke? No, just absolutely fucking
not.  So what is it that Trevor is suggesting?  He’s leaving in a month and
wants to hookup.  Does that mean for the whole month or another one night stand? 
Would Brooke do that, have a month-long fling with an old friend who took her
virginity, and who evidently has the fucking green light to go for it.

Oh,
hell no.

Then
I think of how she was into
me
tonight, I know that.  It wasn’t all
fucking alcohol that made her respond to me. I want more of getting to know
Brooke.  It felt so right for her to come home with me to help me with Cassie. G
od,
I sound like a fucking chick
. What is wrong with me?

Jax
pats my shoulder, “I’m going to wait in the car, do yourself a favor and send
her out.”

He
leaves, and I go back into the living room where Brooke is playing with her
phone on the couch. She stands up.

“Jax
is waiting for you; I’m sorry about this. I can take you if you want me to.”

She
smiles, but after what Jax just said, I can’t. “No that’s okay. Thank you
though. I’ll see you Tuesday?”

She
heads to the door, and I say, “Yeah, Tuesday.”  She turns the knob, and I get a
brilliant idea.  “Since it is Halloween I was wondering if you could help me
with the kids’ costumes?”

She
thinks about it, “Yeah, of course, I would love to help. And I can bring
something to cook.”

“I
thought cooking lessons were over?”

“Well,
this is a special occasion.  I’ll surprise you guys.”

I
laugh suddenly I can’t wait for Tuesday.  A
nd fuck Trevor
.  He had his
chance. “Sounds great.”

Before
she closes the door, she gives me that sweet smile of hers that has me wanting
to grab her and kiss the hell out of her.  “Tonight was fun. I enjoyed us
getting to know each other better.”

I
nod, “Me too.”

She
leaves to meet Jax, and I stand in the living room. I have never been more
frustrated and confused in my entire life.

Every
fucking thing about Brooke Porter is driving me insane.

Brooke

I
stand in front of Jackson’s car a little stunned.  I swear it’s like I stepped
a moment back in time.  It’s the same kind of car that Adam had in high
school.  How many times did I climb in that car after sneaking so I could go to
the races or the lake in the summer?  It’s been beautifully restored. The ’69
GTO’s black paint job gleams in the moonlight. He watches me round the car no
doubt taking in my clothes, well, Dylan’s clothes.  I feel all kinds of awkward
as I slide in the front seat.  He doesn’t say a word, so to break the
uncomfortable silence I say, “Love your car.  The best year for the GTO is a
69, so good choice.  I especially like your choice to keep the dash original.”

“You
know cars?” he asks casting me a sideways glance.

“Well,
yeah, muscle cars.  My high school boyfriend raced them.  His car was a 69
Goat.  Best in Kansas.” I say with pride.

“Nice.”

“For
me, 69 was the best year for muscles. One of the races was for pinks, and he
got the slip on a 69 Roadrunner.  My all time favorite car.  His dad talked him
into selling it and getting a dirt bike.  But before he sold it I had fun
driving it.” I reminisce.  He probably thinks I sound crazy.

He’s
silent for a minute, then surprises me. “Did you say your favorite ride is a 69
Roadrunner?”

“Yeah,
when Adam won the pinks on it I got to drive it home.  After that, he pretty
much let me drive it whenever I wanted.  If I had had that kind of money, I
would have bought it from him.”

All
he says, which surprises me, “Oh, shit.”

I
have absolutely no idea how to respond so I stay silent.  “Brooke, you guys
have to stop this.”

I
turn to him, “What?”

He
doesn’t turn to look at me, just stares straight ahead. “You know exactly what
I mean. This thing with you two, it can fuck everything up for him. He seems
tough, and he is one tough motherfucker, but he loves those kids. He can’t lose
them. It will kill him.”

I’m
pretty sure he doesn’t want me to say anything. Part of me totally understands
where he is coming from. He cares about Dylan and the kids and doesn’t want
anything to get in the way. “I won’t let that happen.  My job isn’t to break
them up, Jackson.  It’s to make sure that they stay together.”

He
nods, “Good. Then stay away from him.”

“Excuse
me, but I can’t exactly do that. I’m his case worker.”

He
turns to me now, “Exactly. Remember that.”

“There’s
no way I can forget it,” I answer him with a hard tone.

“You
also need to keep in mind that Dylan is not relationship material.  Hell, he
doesn’t even keep them around long enough to get a name and phone number most
of the time.  You, however, are a forever girl, and your kind gets hurt
feelings, and that never ends well for guys like him.  It usually leads to some
sort of “fuck you for fucking me” drama.  And in this case, what’s to say you
don’t hit him where it will hurt him the most, the kids.”

I
bite the inside of my cheek to keep from lashing out too harshly, but just
barely.  “You don’t know me, and you can’t sit there and say what I would and
wouldn’t do in a situation like that; however, it’s a moot point.  There’s
nothing going on that you need to worry about. Dylan is my client, and that’s
it. I know you’re worried about Dylan losing the kids, but if that line were
ever crossed, I could lose my job.”  We pull up outside my apartment just as I
finish my little diatribe, and I can’t get out of the car fast enough.  I open
the door and say over my shoulder, “Thank you for the ride.”

“You’re
welcome.”

He
wastes no time in pulling out as soon as I close the door.
Asshole.
I
find my keys in my purse and walk inside. I put everything down on the table by
the door and turn toward the living room.

Trevor
is there stretched out on the couch flipping through channels in his boxers.  A
huge duffle bag is on the floor beside him.  I had no idea he would be moving
in tonight, but I know we’re going to have to have a conversation about
boundaries.

He
smiles over at me, “Hey, Brooke. You’re finally home. You missed the last part
of our set.”

I
sit in the big comfy chair in the living room. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

He
sits up, “Alex said you had some emergency.”

“Yeah,
I had to help Dylan.”

He
looks at my attire, “Uh, huh. How exactly did you help him?”

I
roll my eyes, “Not like that. He lent me these clothes because I was cold.”

He’s
about to say something smartass; I’m sure, when Alex rushes the room with
attitude written all over her. “Where the hell have you been?”

Whoa,
skip attitude, she’s pissed. “Alex, you know where I was. I told you.”

“Yeah,
you told me you were going to help Dylan with Cassie, not that you were going
to be gone for three fucking hours, Brooke. What were you doing?” she asks
accusingly.

Seriously?
She had never interrogated me like this before, and I don’t like it. I’m a
grown woman dammit. “I was helping Dylan with Cassie. Then we sat and talked. 
What exactly is your problem?”

“Really?
You want to know what my problem is, Brooke?” She glares at me, and I simply
glare back.

Trevor
looks from me to her.  “Okay, you two.  Alex, chill.”

“No,
I won’t chill.” She turns to me, “Brooke, you are going to mess up everything
you have worked your ass off for. And for what? One night of hot sex? I mean
seriously, Dylan is a one-time guy, and you know it. I know you, you would hate
yourself afterward.”

I
stand up from the chair and get closer to Alex, “We didn’t have sex, Alex. I
talked to Cassie, and then we talked.  I can’t believe you’re acting like
this.  You need to back off. We haven’t crossed any lines.”
I damn sure hope
she buys that lie.

“So
nothing inappropriate happened? How about at the club? Everyone saw you two,
and that wasn’t professional in any fucking way.”

Alex
and I rarely fight, but when we do it’s usually a blowout. Trevor knows this
and tries to derail what’s coming.  “They were dancing, sis.”

“Exactly,”
I follow.  “We were just dancing and hanging out. You’re the one that dragged
me out telling me to have fun.  Well, I was having fun.”

“Yeah,
I did want you to have fun, but not with a client, Brooke. I didn’t expect you
to go hell bent on destroying your career when it just barely started. And even
if no one finds out about it, you will know. And I know you well enough to know
that it will fuck with your mind.”

“I
didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing happened. Nothing is going to happen. Dylan
and I are friends.  I care about the whole family, but I know first and
foremost they are my clients.”

She
folds her arms, “I don’t believe you.”

“That’s
on you, Alex. I know what’s important, and you and Jackson need to leave me alone,”
I say angrily. 
I’ve had it with this gang-up-on-Brooke shit.

“See
what I’m talking about.  We all can see it, Brooke. You two are insanely
attracted to each other, and you need to pull yourself back before it goes too
far.”

Damn.
Damn. Damn. I know she’s right, but I will not pull away from the family again.
I will find a nice balance if it kills me.  “It won’t go too far, Alex. I
promise. I have it under control. I am going to help them without sacrificing
my career.”

She
sits on the couch, “Brooke, I don’t want to see this go south.”

“And
you think I do?”

She
shakes her head. “No, I know you don’t, but I’m just worried about you giving
in.  I think you deny how much you actually want him.” She says sadly.

“Okay,
I think I need a shower.  You two don’t kill each other while I’m gone.” Trevor
evidently has heard enough and is wanting to escape.  He’s never been
comfortable with having to play referee.

After
he’s left the room, Alex smiles over at me.  “I was thinking, you need a
distraction.”

Oh
Lord, here we go again. “Alex…”

She
puts her hands up, “Just listen to me.” She looks toward the bathroom when we
hear the shower start.  She still lowers her voice, and I get nervous. “What
about Trevor?”

I
look at her horrified, “What are you talking about?”

“Well,
you know him, and you trust him. Why not use him as a little distraction.”

I
scrunch my nose;
she is not going there. “Are you
suggesting I sleep with your brother?”

She
shrugs, “Why not? Obviously, I wouldn’t want to know about it, but he’s here
and.…”

“And
he’s married.”

“He’s
separated, and she’s already filed for a divorce.  He is as good as single.”

“No,
he’s not. He’s legally married, and that is something I would never do.”

She
just stares at me before speaking again. “But sleeping with a client is?”

“I’m
not sleeping with my client, Alex!”  I’m so over this conversation. I turn to
go to my room.

“Just
think about it, Brooke. From what it looked like tonight, you need to relieve
some tension, and he’s right here.”

I
whirl on her.  “First of all, I don’t need you to worry about any tension I
might have sexual or otherwise.  I’m a grown woman.  Second of all, you just
got through saying a minute ago how I would hate myself if I had a one-night
stand.  If you knew me at all, my friend, you would know how I would despise
myself if I engaged in a temporary distraction with a man who is married,
whether he’s filed for divorce or not, and I absolutely cannot understand why
you would even suggest it.  I’m going to bed.”  I turn and walk out of the
room.

I’m
mad, confused, and stunned.  But most of all I’m exhausted. The long night, and
yes the sexual tension between Dylan and I, not to mention all the butting into
my sex life by Jackson and Alex have taken their toll on me.  I fall back on my
bed trying to make sense of everything that happened tonight.  I realize how
much I wish I were still at Dylan’s.

I
hear Alex enter her room and close the door.  I love my best friend, but I am
so over her warnings and distraction plans.  I admit I want Dylan.  The man
gets to me more than any man I’ve ever known.  Everything about him pulls at
me.  But as much as I want him and want to be with him, I don’t know that I
could sleep with him and walk away unaffected.  And then there’s my job.  Risking
my career when I’m just beginning it would be irresponsible and stupid.  It
would be the end of me professionally to cross that line.  There’s a problem
that still exists, however; I tell myself all this over and over until I have
myself convinced, but then with one text, one phone call, one sight, or one
thought, it all goes out the window.

I
hear Trevor leave the bathroom and then a light knock on my door.  “Yeah?”

He
opens the door and watches me for a second before speaking, “You alright?”

“I’m
okay.”

“Adulthood
sucks doesn’t it?” He smirks.

I
laugh, “What would you know about it? Your life is all making music and
parties.”

Talking
with Trevor has always been easy because he rarely takes anything seriously.
“Hey, I pay a phone bill every month, so that’s something, right?”

I
shake my head, smiling. “You’re right, I take it back. And color me surprised,
I had no idea you had grown up so much.”

He
runs his hand through his wet hair. “That Jax guy is pretty cool.”

I
think back to my most recent conversation with Jax. “I’ll have to take your
word on that.  I know he’s not a fan of mine.”

“He
hung out with us for a while, and aside from him wanting to fuck Alex, I like
him.”

“You
hung out with Jax?”

“Yep,
for a while. And you’re right, I’m not sure he’s a fan of you.”

“Let’s
just say he didn’t hide that fact when he drove me home tonight,” I say grimly.

He
looks at me seriously, “There isn’t anything going on with you, and that Dylan
guy is there?”

Really?
More interrogation. “Oh, my God!  Not you too. No, there is nothing going on.”

He
sits back, “Well good. I don’t want to see you fuck up what you have going. 
But…..”

I
stand up from the bed and interrupt him, “But what?”

“Settle
down. I understand that you guys hooking up would be all kinds of bad, but Alex
is right, Brooke.  Whatever you two had going on tonight was way too intense just
to ignore, and I don’t think either of you
can
ignore it.  In fact, I
don’t think until you two fuck that you’ll be able to get over it, and it’s
just going to get worse the longer it is ignored.”

“I
wish everyone would just stop already.  Dylan and I aren’t going to do
anything.  We understand where things stand, and neither one of us are going to
mess it up.”