The White Queen (S.Rogers)

Chapter 65

Brooklyn sat on the bed in the guest room at the Marino's. It had been forty eight hours, since she had walked out of the tower, and caught a cab to the family's home. She was currently sitting cross legged, wrapped in blankets, while she tried to keep warm.

She hadn't been warm since she left the Tower.

She felt like the ice was forming inside her again. She felt like that if she took a deep enough breath and closed her eyes, when she opened them again, she would be in another time and place. As if she could possibly send herself into her own type of cryo freeze. In some ways, she felt like it might be better.

If she was frozen again, then maybe she wouldn't be a threat to anyone, anymore.

She had arrived at the Marino's, Saturday morning, still crying. Kitty had paid the cabbie, tipping him generously, before helping Brooklyn into the house, where the younger woman had broken down again and tried to explain what had happened. Kitty had gone white, while holding Brooklyn and rubbing her back, letting her cry it out on her shoulder. When she had at least gotten the worst of it out, Kitty had ushered her into the shower, then into the kitchen for breakfast, and then to the guest bedroom for a nap.

Brooklyn hadn't left the bedroom for two days.

She couldn't muster the energy for it, really. Kitty had come in, twice, to force her to eat, practically shoving the food in Brooklyn's mouth, until she took over for herself. All she could think about was the icy look on Steve's face, and the way his voice had been devoid of emotion when he had basically agreed that they needed to stay away from each other for two weeks. Because 'it might be for the best'.

The door to the bedroom opened, and Kitty came in, a tray of food in her hands. Coming over, she set the tray down in front of Brooklyn, who looked at it with disinterest.

"You have to eat." Kitty told her, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "We aren't doing this again."

Brooklyn winced. "I'm just not hungry."

"Or tired, or want to take a bath..." Kitty sighed, rubbing her thighs. "Look, I get it. He knocked you down, hard. So, are you going to get up and fight, or lay there while he walks all over you?"
"Its..." Brooklyn blinked, swallowing, before picking up the fork and poking at the pasta on the plate. "I have to reevaluate every relationship I have with someone who's male. Is it that they actually like me, and want to help? Or am I inadvertently controlling them. And Steve was never mine, I guess. I mean, I must have... To make him give up his morals, like that?" Brooklyn blinked hard. She was getting tired of crying. But it seemed her body still had tears enough to spare.

"So he was a man, who saw a pretty girl, who he felt needed him. And the fact that he got a hard on every time he was near you helped." Kitty snorted. "There's million of them in this city alone. Let alone the whole world. Steve Rogers is not that special."

Nodding, Brooklyn pushed around the food on the plate. "I know. But he was special to me. I mean... he was my hero, when I was younger. This brash stupid boy from Brooklyn, who didn't know when to stay down. Papa made him seem so... mythical..." She sighed, putting the fork down, resting her chin on her fists, with her elbows resting on her knees. "And then to meet him? Let alone catch his attention, where it seems like he's just as fascinated by me as I was him? It didn't seem real. I mean, I didn't mean to fall in love with him... but that was on me. It was all on my part."

Kitty reached out, forcing Brooklyn to give her one of her hands. "Honey, I don't think it was all on your part. I mean, the first time I saw him, I was sure he was up to no good. But like I told you, things are different in our world. There is nothing wrong with the relationship the two of you have. I honestly think that boy has something for you, in his heart. You'll see, the two weeks will fly by, and he's gonna back at your door, pounding on it to get you to let him in. He's gonna sweep in there, and I doubt he's gonna let you out of his sight for the next twenty years."