Timing Is Everything

Chapter 28

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Wow, imagine people actually reading this far. For my first Wattpad story, I'm kinda proud. If you're still here, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

There's only a couple chapters left until the ending and before you judge it too harshly, you should know that a second part is gonna be coming out real quick.

Enough of these interruptions, enjoy the remainder of this story and keep an eye out for the next story which is gonna be called ...and Everything Happens for a Reason.

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"Brooklyn, I'm not a part of the gang! My mom's just their leader, I-"

"I said that I'm not talking to you." I say to Charlie while pulling my knees up to my chest and breathing in the smell of Alex through his suit jacket.

"Come on, Brook, at least hear her-"

"Why are you talking?" I ask Shane angrily. "Why are you here? You know what? Don't answer that because then that means that you'll be talking to me."

"You're being immature, Brooklyn." Charlie says disappointedly from a leather couch in some sort of waiting area. She's playing with her hair and repeatedly pushing up her glasses.

"I don't care." I say with my best angry glare.

I take off my flats that are giving me blisters and place them beside me on the floor I'm sitting on, leaning against the grey leather loveseat Shane's sitting on. I chose to sit closer to him because my other option was Charlie and she's THE FUCKING DAUGHTER OF THE DOWNTOWNIES' LEADER.

"She just got the job a year ago, Brooklyn-"

"Stop trying to talk!" I half-yell at her. She looks at me in surprise and folds her arms across her chest to make her boobs look bigger, something she does when she's intimidated (by ME? Oh how wonderful).

"Let us talk." Shane pleads from my left. I'm about to yell at him too but he holds his hands up in surrender and gives me a pleading look.

"I'm still trying to absorb everything that's happened today and you want to burden me with more?" I ask, turning the guilt on.

"Let us explain ourselves to you so we know that you've heard our side of the story instead of whatever you're coming up with in your head." Charlie says to me the same way that she tells me when I'm oversharing in a class presentation. I roll my eyes and gesture for them to start talking. Shane looks at Charlie and she smiles, which I find kind of weird.

"I'll go first. Brook, I know you're going to tell everyone what I'm about to say to you so I'll keep it brief," Shane says. "My mother has been battling blood cancer for eight years and she moved to the U.S to be part of a special drug therapy of sorts. It costs a lot of money and she can't afford it so I needed a fast way to get money for her."

"Get a day job then, don't betray your family!" I interrupt. Shane gets a guilty look on his face and gets all quiet. I watch as Charlie reaches over and puts her hand on his knee. (What?)

"She needed a million dollars, Brook, and they wouldn't let her get the last treatments until she paid it." Shane tells me in a more sad than arrogant tone.

"Oh." I say in a small voice.

"So as much as I hate myself for it, I needed the money Charlie's mom is giving me. And I never meant for you to be caught up in all of this, but what did you expect when you got involved with a gang?"

"Okay, I kind of deserve that." I mutter to myself, feeling guilty and the 'oh-what-have-I-done' feeling.

"And I'm promised the whole amount of money by the end of the month if the Reeds surrender their company and clients to Mrs. Anderson. I love everyone in that family more than anything, but my mom needs my help and she's always tried her hardest to do what's best for me." Shane explains with full on eye contact.