Taking A Risk

Chapter 13

Genesis

An incessant buzzing jolted me away the next morning. Cracking my eyes open a little I stretched my hand out groggily snatching the phone off the nightstand and lifting it to my ear.

"Hello," I greeted my voice thick with sleep.

Silence greeted me on the other end of the phone before an unfamiliar female voice asked. "Who is this?"

"Umm, I'm Gen, who are you?" I responded the confusion evident in my voice.

"Where's my brother?" she asked ignoring my question.

"Your brother," I parroted even more confused now. Why the hell was she asking me about her brother?

"Yes, my brother the person whose phone you're answering," the girl said slowly. And from the tone in her voice, I could tell she thought I was an idiot.

And that was when it hit me, her words finally penetrating my sleep-foggy brain.

Oh shit.

Wordlessly, I removed the phone from my ear and looked down at the familiar black case covering the phone.

The sound of my bathroom door opening grabbed my attention. I glanced up just in time to see Brooks stepping out of my bathroom wearing nothing but his gray sweatpants.

His sister forgotten as I gawked at him. My eyes slowly raked over his body before I met his eyes.

His lips spread in a wide smile when our eyes connected. "Look your fill?" he asked teasingly before his eyes dropped to his phone in my grip his smile faltering a bit.

Shaking my head I stretched the phone out to him. "Sorry, I thought it was mine," I mumbled apologetically.

Taking the phone from my hand he brought it to his ear.

"Em, I'll call you back later," he said to his sister. She said something to him that caused his gaze to flicker to me briefly before he looked away rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I'll call you back later," he told her before hanging up.

"I'm sorry I thought it was my phone," I apologized again.

"It's fine," he replied taking a seat next to me on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

I cringed as the events of last night came rushing back. "Ugh, I can't believe I threw up,"

"It's not a big deal Gen it happens," he said smiling gently at me.

I returned his smile grabbing his hand and giving it a grateful squeeze. "Thanks for last night, for being here I really appreciate it."

My eyes dropped to his lips and the kiss from last night came to the forefront of my mind. "Brooks....," I trailed off at a loss for words. I didn't regret the kiss and if I was honest with myself it was something I wanted to do for a while now.

But I wasn't ready to put my heart out there again. Especially with Brooks, I might be developing feelings for him but this could only end in a disaster.

As if he could read my mind. Brooks interjected before I could say more. "Don't overthink it, Gen, it was just a kiss."

Don't overthink it, Just a kiss. I should be happy with what he said right? I should be glad he wasn't pushing for more. So then why does it feel like he punched me in the heart?

Here I was stressing but it never crossed my mind that maybe the kiss meant more to me than it did to Brooks.

Doubt instantly flooded me. Did he kiss me back last night because he felt sorry for me after I told him about my tragic past?