What Happens Tomorrow (9 page)

THE LAST THING I expected to hear out of her mouth was that she had been married. It surprised the hell out of me that she’d never mentioned it before, but who was I to judge? I’ve never brought up Devon or being engaged.

Learning that she had a daughter…well, speechless doesn’t even begin to sum it up. I never pictured Brooke as a mother, but when she explained that both her husband and daughter were killed in an accident, everything made sense.

The deep sorrow in her eyes…

The nightmare…

No wonder she always looks lost.

I would give anything to take her pain away, but I know I don’t have the power. I’m a firm believer in fate. My parents taught me to believe that everything in life happens for a reason. Funny, I wonder if they would have a reason for why my brother was fucking my fiancee behind my back.

I believe there is a reason Brooke ran into me that day in the coffee shop, and I believe there’s a reason why her husband and daughter were taken from her. I’ve always thought the term soul mates was bullshit, something written for those chick movies, but I’m man enough to admit that I feel a connection to Brooke that I’ve never felt with anyone before.

Maybe Brooke
is
my soul mate.

I get her settled and take Charlie out, making a quick stop at my place to grab some pajamas. Thank god I own a pair. I usually sleep naked, but I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. Tonight will be the first time I’ve slept in the same bed as Brooke.

Fuck!

Why the hell am I so nervous?

I know I’ll need divine intervention to help me control the hard-on I’m guaranteed to have, but the fantasy in my head will have to stay there a little while longer. The last thing I need is her worrying about my intentions. I can take care of myself later.

I enter her bedroom and take a moment to watch her rubbing Charlie’s ears as he curls protectively against her chest. All I want to do is pull her into my arms and hold her … love her.

I lower myself into the bed beside her, making sure she feels the warmth of my body against hers. Gently, I pull her into my arms and rest her head against my chest.

Home.

WHEN WE ARRIVE back at my apartment, I get Charlie settled then pour us each a glass of wine and ask Tyler to take a seat on the couch before I quietly pad into my bedroom.

It’s now or never.

I stand for a moment in front of my nightstand, then suck in a breath and remove my precious album from the drawer. Just holding it has me an emotional mess.

Come on, Brooke. You can do this.
It’s time Tyler met Matt and Katelin.

Slowly, I walk into the living room. I’m not sure how I should introduce Tyler to my deceased family. I quietly sit down beside him and hold my breath for a moment as I try to compose myself. I really am sick of crying. You would think that, after all this time, I wouldn’t be nearly as emotional.

Not the case.

The doctors told me that, with time, my post traumatic stress disorder would ease up, only there’s no way to tell if and when it will happen.

I turn to face him. “You wanted to know about my past. You deserve to know about my past. So…I would like to introduce you to Matt and Katelin.” His face looks ghostly pale as though this was the last thing he expected to be shown.

“Are you sure? I realize how hard this must be for you, Brooke, but if you aren’t ready yet I’ll understand.”

It means a lot to me that he’s being supportive, but the time is right.

I feel it in my heart.

“I need to do this. I expect it to be hard, there is no doubting that, but I need you to know who they are because they’re a part of me…always.” I place the album on his lap as he nervously studies it. He looks up at me, silently asking permission to open it. “Go ahead. Open it. I promise. I want to do this.” He cautiously nods before slowly opening the album to the first page.

Breathe.

Staring him in the face is a picture of Matt wearing his red and black high school football uniform. He was sixteen in this picture. His thick, short brown hair stuck to his head as he cradled his helmet under his arm. He was scrawnier back then. I remember him like this as though it was yesterday. My heart hurts at the memory, at the loss. I haven’t opened the album for over a month. Sometimes seeing their pictures is too much to handle, especially when I’m feeling down.

It reminds me how alone I really am.

The next picture is of us at the prom. We weren’t dating back then, but we were close friends. I have a fancy up-do in the photo, and I’m wearing a fitted, electric-blue, taffeta dress. I cringe at the dress.

Matt is dressed in a black tux. He was very handsome when he was young, so it’s no wonder all the girls swooned over him. I loved this picture of us. It used to sit in a frame on one of our coffee tables. I sigh at the memory.

“You look so young.”

“Matt and I were good friends in high school. Maybe even best friends like you and I. We didn’t start dating until we were in our early twenties.” I smile, reminiscing about how our life came to be.

We flip through the album as I share stories about what we were like in high school. How Matt was the party boy jock and I was a naive cheerleader. How he was always bailing my butt out of trouble because I was always too trusting of people.

Talking about him makes me miss him.

Tyler turns the page. Our wedding day. I swallow hard as I remember that day. I can still see him nervously waiting at the end of the church for me with tears in his eyes and a loving smile on his face.

Damn it!
I’m crying again.

“If this is too much we can stop for tonight. I hate seeing you cry.” He places a hand on my knee. “God…you were breathtaking. You looked like an angel in your wedding dress. Matt was a lucky man and I’m sure he knew it.” He lifts his hand from my knee and runs it through his hair, shaking his head.

“We can’t stop yet. You haven’t met Ka-Katelin…” My voice cracks as I bite down on my bottom lip in hopes that it will stop me from becoming a sobbing mess.

“I can see how hard this is on you and it’s breaking my heart. I feel so helpless because I can’t do anything for you.” He cups my cheek in his hand. “Maybe we should take this slow. I’ve already been introduced to Matt tonight. Are you sure you’re ready to introduce me to Katelin? You could introduce me over the next couple of weeks, share more photos and stories about them. How does that sound?”

“I’m sure.” I nod, unable to speak for fear of losing control. I’m in awe of the amazing man who has just been introduced to my deceased family for the first time.

Tyler picks me up and cuddles me on his lap. The closeness and security of his arms are all it takes for the flood gates to open. I feel like all I’ve done lately is cry. My therapist said this could happen during the more stressful times in my life and that it’s healthy to cry and let the stress out, but I need to remember that it’s not healthy to let it consume me. Sometimes it’s hard to come back from the pain and depression.

Right on cue my fluffy protector comes running in, quickly climbing up my chest to lick at my tears. “He seems very in-tune to your feelings. It’s funny how he’s always close by when you’re upset.”

“He should be. He’s had to put up with it for almost four years, and believe me, the first couple of years was not pretty. In all honestly, I don’t think I would be here today if it weren’t for him. Charlie saved me.”

The sorrow is thick across his darkened eyes as he lovingly rubs my fluffy man’s head. “Thank you, Charlie. I can’t image my life without her.”

I pick up the album and I open it to the last page.

Katelin’s page.

The picture is of Katelin in her sailor dress with hot-pink toenails. I was painting my toes one night when she asked, “Mama, taylin toe?” and pointed at her tiny feet. I sat her up on the sofa beside me and proceeded to paint her tiny toes hot pink.

She was absolutely beautiful with her dark curls and sparkling eyes, but I will never forget her beautiful little round chubby cheeks. She looked like a little cherub.

My little cherub.

Forever.

“Tyler, I would like you to meet my daughter…Katelin.”

A single tear escapes his eye and slowly rolls down his cheek.

My heart shatters into a thousand pieces.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Katelin…God, Brooke…she was beautiful. She looked just like you.”

I nod and wipe the tear from his cheek. “I miss her. I can’t even put it into words.” I take his face in my hands and gently kiss his lips, the salty taste of our tears lingering on our lips. Slowly, I pull away as we both gaze into one another’s eyes.

“Thank you,” I say.

“No, thank you for trusting me enough to let me in. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this was for you.” He pulls me tight against him and I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck. “I need to go to work tomorrow, but I’m going in a little later. I plan on staying here with you in my arms again tonight…if it’s all right with you.”

I want nothing more than to feel safe and cherished in his arms. “I would really like that,” I whisper.

After shutting everything down, I change into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top and climb into bed. I don’t own any appropriate sleepwear other than bootie shorts and tank tops, and I’m not sure I’m ready for Tyler to see me in bootie shorts yet.

He sits down on the edge of the bed and removes his shirt and pants, leaving him in nothing but his black boxer briefs. I can’t help but stare at the fine lines of his body. He isn’t chiseled like some kind of statue. No, he’s just…

Perfect.

His toned legs look incredibly sexy in his boxer briefs, and I can’t help myself from slowly looking him up and down. It’s been a long time since I was turned on by someone other than one of my book boyfriends.

Witnessing my perusal of his body, he smiles. “I hope these are okay?” he asks, motioning to his boxers. “I don’t want you to think I’m expecting anything dressed like this because that’s the last thing on my mind. Well, it’s not the last thing, but I won’t let it happen. I only own one pair of pajama bottoms and…well, I slept in them last night.”

“It’s fine, Tyler. Really.”

Once in bed, Tyler pulls my back close against his chest… so close that we’re nearly the same person and I can feel the beating of his heart against my back.

He’s here.

Alive.

And he loves me.

Peace.

Charlie hops up and nuzzles into my front, then gently placing a kiss on my neck right below my ear, Tyler lovingly whispers, “Sweet dreams, my beautiful girl.”

And for once…I do.