My Boss

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty: Brooke

I can't believe my eyes.
He was Tom...
Why didn't I see this coming. God, I'm so stupid!

"What are you doing here?" He asks me, confused as to where this situation was going.

"Tom! I brought you up better than that! Is that anyway to speak to my guest? No. Well, she isn't actually my guest. She your brothers. She's with Sam. Anyway, how do you two know each other? Come inside love." Belle goes on.

"Well, Brooke was there at the time this happened." Tom gestures to his face, which was black and blue. Full of bruises.
My eyes narrow at him.

He better not tell it how it really happened. He'll be putting both our lives in danger.

"Why was Brooke there?" Belle asks, taking Toms coat and walking us back into the lounge.

"Well, I saw her walking across the house I was working on, and this guy made a comment on her body. So I told him to show some respect and he didn't like it." Tom explains as if it was nothing, basically shrugging it off.

"Ah ah!" I interrupt, all three of us now sitting in the lounge. Jacob and Sam must be out together. "I don't remember it being like that." I shake my head.

"Oh really? How do you remember it then?" Tom asks, leaning forward in his chair.

"Well, for starters I seem to remember that the guy wasn't as big and muscular as you make out. In fact, he was a little weakling. And at one point I had to jump in!" I laugh.

All me and Tom were doing were doing was twisting and turning the story so nobody knew the truth.

The truth was exactly how you knew it. You remember? Fight club. Got a two week ban. Nearly killed Tom.

Yeah, that Tom.

"If you say so Brooke. If you say so. I believe I kicked that guys arse." Tom teases.

"Oh please! I know for a fact that he beat you up. Somebody had to pull him off of you. It was horrid to watch." I twist.

All the while, Belle sits on the sideline and watches us exchange our versions of the story. She knew something was... hidden.

"I think I'll go see if Sam and your father needs anything." Belle mumbles, getting up and leaving the room.

Tom smiles at me, knowing we can speak the truth now.

"Are you okay?" I ask, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, I'm good. Never been better." He downplays.

"I mean physically. Not mentally." I joke.

"I'm aching. And I feel like my head is gonna explode. I'm not even meant to be here right now." Tom sighs, no longer smiling.

Shit, I hurt him bad...

"Look, I'm sor-"

"-you don't need to apologise. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. Trust me." Tom says.

"What does that mean?"

Tom stands and stretches, flicking as his ribs crack loud enough for me to hear.
"Come on. I need a smoke." He tells me, leaving his things where they were and making his way outdoors, me hot on his heels.

Why are we out here? Apart from the smoke?

"Somebody would have been listening. Too risky." Tom explains as if reading my mind. He pulls out a pack of cigarettes and puts one between his lips, then puts the pack in my direction, offering one.