If Only I Knew

CHAPTER IX

The thing that I loved the most about Seattle was that it gave me a new life. I was hurt and broken when I came here, looking for something that could give my life a purpose. This city gave me more than that.

Meeting Noah was a coincidence- I was still recovering from the wounds that Will had given me. He was like an oasis in a scorching desert. He was an escape that I was looking for desperately. He turned out to be so much more than that.

Present:

"Thank Dear Lord! Brooklyn Cooper, I have been waiting to talk to you since forever!" Sarah rammed into my cabin disregarding my thoughts, her wavy brown hair bouncing on her pink blazer and her garbadine skirt maybe a little bit too tight for her.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me? Brook, this is serious!" She continued rambling and I knew she wouldn't shut up unless I talked to her.

"So, what is it?" Her horrified expression was indicative that she saw my disinterest in the conversation.

"Brook, Will's new song is most probably about you and his interview didn't really help. I told you all this in the call goddamit! You should have talked to him about it. This is not good for you! You've just established yourself as a writer. Such rumors will destroy all that you've worked so hard to build." She had leaned onto my desk

I already knew all that she wanted to tell me, except for one thing. "Sarah! What did you do?"

Her eyebrows furrowed more than they already were. She was clearly confused as she raised her hands into the air and spoke "Are you serious? What are you even asking?"

"Sarah! You just said that I should have talked to him. Nobody excpet for Noah and Sam knew that we ran into him yesterday"

"No! No- Of course not! I didn't know that you guys met at the mall by chance yesterday." It was evident that she was lying straight to my face.

"Unless we didn't meet by chance and it was all planned by my back-stabbing bestfriend!" I was boiling with rage.

Why would she do that? I knew that she never approved of Noah and I but this was way too much, even for her! She crossed the line this time. She had absolutely no right to mess with my personal life like that.

"Brooke, there's no need for you to get mad. I can explain everything."

"I don't need your explanations." The realisation dawned upon me- "So it was because of you that I received all those letters from Will, isn't it? You were the one who gave him the address of my publishing house in the first place!"

"But Brooke-" before she could complete her sentence I shouted "Sarah Davis! I beg of you to kindly go back to your cabin before I'm forced to raise my voice any further."

Almost all the employees in the publishing house were ogling towards my office and I was tempted to ask them to mind their own business but I resisted.

Sarah's cheeks were red with embarrasment and she wiped the tear threatening to fall off her eyes. "Sorry Mrs. Cooper" were her last words as she made her way out of my office.

************************************

It was six in the evening when I finally decided to head back home. On my way out I found that Sarah had already left for the day. I felt horrible because of the little stunt that I pulled earlier.

I took out my phone from my bag and dialled her immediately. I was directed towards her voicemail:

Hey! It's Sarah this side. If I'm not picking up your call it's probably because I'm too busy or because I'm desperately trying to ignore you.

Choose for yourself!

Of course her voicemail sounded something like this. This was Sarah Davis we were talking about- the quirky, chirpy girl that I instantly befriended in Los Angeles. A friend that most people would long to have their whole life.

I tried calling her again but couldn't succeed again. The guilt was consuming me and making me feel pathetic, her not picking up my call didn't help either. So I went to the one place where I knew she would be.

************************************

I had known Sarah for 9 long years now. I dropped out of med school when I was 21 years old in order to be an actor. I let go of that dream when I was 24 and got married to Noah. After that I discovered my passion in writing and now when I'm 30 I know Sarah stuck with me through every high and low in my life.

Soon after my marriage I shifted to Seattle with Noah and Sam. I fell in love with Samuel the moment I saw him. 'How could a mother just leave her 1 year old son like that, without any explanation?' was the question that ringed in my mind each time I saw him.

Except for Noah and I, Sarah was the only person we trusted enough to tell this secret. She had been like a family to me all along, a family that I had the liberty to choose myself for.

I walked into the 'Discovery Park', an escape for both of us whenever we were too stressed with life. I was certain that I would find her there.

I wasn't wrong! There she was, sitting on a bench with her neck hung low.

"I'm sorry, Sarah." I said and stood there.

She turned back to look at me with surprise.

"What are you doing here, Brooke?"

"I came to apologize, Sarah. I'm so sorry for acting like an ass. I can't bear for you to be sad because of me."

She tapped her hand on the vacant space beside her and I walked to sit beside her. She rested her head on my shoulder and started crying softly.

"I'm sorry too! I shouldn't have talked to Will about you without letting you know. I surely deserved that."

We both stayed that way for some time before I asked the one question that had been lingering in my mind for too long.

"Did you tell him about Sam?"

She gently removed her head from my shoulder and looked at me, her eyes were glossy and red. "What about Sam?"

God! Did she really want me to say it out loud. "You know, that Sam isn't mine?"

She looked horrified. "Of course not! Brooklyn, you may not have given birth to Samuel but you have loved him more than your own blood. You are his true mother, not that money-smelling bitch who left him the moment she could! SAM IS YOUR SON! Nobody can change that, not me, not Noah, not you yourself!"

I hugged her tightly- "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

"Let me think- NO!" She answered and we both giggled.

"Although you do need to tell me that where and how did you meet Will?" I needed some answers.

"Brooke, I will be completely honest. It was even before your book launch that he found your address. He approached me first and I refused to help him- like at all! But then he said that he missed you and wanted you back. You too were facing some problems in your marriage as you made clear in our former conversations. So, I thought it was for the best if you guys met again."

She squeezed her eyes shut to avoid seeing my expressions.

"Oh My God! Sarah, there's problem in every marriage but you don't just bring in exes into the picture every time there's an issue!"

She shot open her eyes and asked "So, you're not angry from me?"

"No, I forgive you. You were just trying to help. But...."

"But?" She interspersed.

"But you owe me dinner!"

And I knew for once that everything was perfectly fine between us.

Though I couldn't say the same about Will and I.

Author's Note:
Hey! Had a lot of fun writing this update. Hope you liked it. Sarah and Brooklyn are friendship goals!! love them both♡
Don't forget to vote if you like this chapter and add this book to your library and reading lists!!
Hope you all are doing fine. Thanks once again for all the love and support!!