Where We Began

chapter forty-three

Brooke's POV

I stood frozen with the signed papers in my hand as Cole held my stare. He had stood up and was facing me, his emerald eyes burning a hole into my soul. I began to speak as he started to walk toward the doorway I was blocking. All eyes were on us as I turned to give him room to walk by without having to touch me. I knew he had seen and heard everything that had happened between Henley and I. I knew I had hurt him and I had no right to keep him here. I thought what I was doing would help him but all I did was hurt him so who was I to block his only exit.

Cole's POV

Just walk out the door. That's what my brain was saying as I saw her standing there. Just go and don't look back, it said. Brooke was my everything. My ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. My first breath of fresh air after being pulled under by the rip current. The one constant I could always depend on to be there. She was. With her messy curls and beautiful green eyes. Her soft lips and curvy body. She was my muse. From the moment I laid eyes on her I knew she would be my easiest hello and my hardest goodbye but I didn't care because I never thought goodbye would ever come for us. I stopped in front of her and looked into her tear filled eyes remembering the exact moment I looked into those eyes and realized she was the only one for me.

...

"Just jump Brooke!" Zane yelled from the river below the bluff where Brooke and I were standing, "Cole just push her already!"

"Don't you dare," she turned and scowled at me, her bright green eyes blazing with a mix of fear and anticipation.

"It's not that far I swear," I laughed walking past her and looking over the edge down into the clear water where Zane and Eli were flipping me the bird making me yell, "you can even see Zane's micro dick from up here."

"Get fucked Matthews!" Zane yelled back.

I turned back looking at Brooke standing there like a goddess in her bikini covered with my cut out shirt she hadn't taken off yet. Her dark auburn hair hung in waves around her face falling over her sun kissed shoulders and down her back. She was biting her lip as she walked closer to the edge and peered down with her arms crossed over her chest. As she turned back to face me the sun caught her eyes illuminating the small gold flecks in the sea of green. I had met her in August and she had quickly grown to be one of the best friends I had ever made. Now standing on this bluff in May I wanted nothing more than to find out what it felt like to press her lips to mine. I wanted her to give me back the air she had stolen from my lungs at that moment with just one simple glance.

"I can't do it," she giggled, stepping back from me and the edge of the bluff, "I'll find another way down."

"Do you trust me?" I asked as she turned to walk to the path that led to the water.

"What?" she paused looking back at me.

"Do you trust me?" I asked again, closing the space between us.

"Yes," she laughed and I smiled at my favorite sound, "but I can't jump,"

"Take off my shirt," I told her and she did as I picked her up and she wrapped her legs around my waist.

"Don't let me go," she said burying her face in my shoulder as I stepped to the ledge.

"I never will ba- BG," I caught myself just as I was about to say baby and quickly changed it as she giggled again and I jumped with her holding tight like I was her lifeline like she had become mine without me realizing it.

...

"Fuck Brooke," I sighed as I reached out and pulled her to my chest feeling her relax into my arms as I kissed the top of her head, "you have gotta stop running off half cocked to save the world."

"I wasn't worried about the world," she looked up at me and smiled as I wiped the tears from her cheeks, "Just my world."

"Okay this is sweet and all but," Kacen started then made a gagging sound.

"Here's the signed papers of Henley dropping the charges, Sheriff," Brooke smiled again, unwrapping my arms and walking to Justin who had stayed behind his desk since my outburst, "there's one more thing."

"What's that?" Justin said taking the papers and signing them so they were official then sliding them to Kurt to sign as a witness.

"Henley is in possession of child pornography," Brooke said as Justin looked at her with his brow furrowing, "the SD card he has contains unconsentual underage sexual acts."

"And just how do you know that?" Justin asked, looking just as confused as I felt.

"Because that SD card," Brooke began pausing to look at Kurt who moved to stand between me and the door yet again, "that SD card has a video on it of the night Henely forced me into sexual acts two years ago when I was a minor."

"What the fuck?" I said, staring at Brooke in disbelief. How could she not tell me he had recorded her? I would have done more than just break his nose.

"I didn't know until last night," she said looking at me with pleading eyes, "I found the SD card this morning where it was planted in your car and I watched a couple seconds before I came in to talk to Henley."

"Babe you could have told me," I said, choosing to ask who tapped it later since she was intentionally leaving that part out. I would be breaking their nose and maybe a couple ribs as well as soon as I knew their name.

"I couldn't risk you breaking it or trying to get to him," she said looking down at her feet, her voice barely a whisper, "I'm sorry Cole."

"It's okay BG," I called her by the nickname I had used to cover my ass many years ago, she still hadn't caught on to it, "everything is going to be okay."

"Well," Justin said letting out a huge sigh, "you just made my day a whole lot more complicated."

"It's what she's good at," Kurt laughed, "what do you want to do about Henley sir?"

"I'll have Alex put him back in holding and confiscate the SD card," Justin said, taking another form from his filing cabinet, "Brooke I will need a formal statement about the events of that night."

"You already have one," she said looking at Kurt.

"It's under the name Mae Gray," Kurt said, "it has a kit with it as well. She filed it the day after it happened."

"So this has just been sitting here untouched for almost two years?" Justin clarified, "if you dont mind my asking, Brooke, why did you never file the charges in the first place?"

"The DA said it was basically a waste of my time and it would only hurt my family to make such accusations," Brooke said, her arms still tight around my waist.

"Well we will just see about that," Justin said looking severely pissed off, "you are all free to go but I may need more information from you Brooke so don't go far. As for you Mr. Matthews, I apologize for the events that have occurred and will be sure to make sure none of this appears on your record."

"Thank you," I said, shaking his hand and turning to walk out the door with Brooke under my arm and Kacen on my heels.

"Dude!" Zane and Eli greeted us again as we came into the lobby as they hugged Brooke.

"Well what's the verdict?" Zane asked, "are you going to be shipped off to that tent prison for bad kids?"

"No man," I laughed, shoving him, "we are all going to celebrate freedom and play some pool!"

"Fucking right!" Eli exclaimed as he led our group to the parking lot.

"Hey Cole!," I heard Kacen shout behind me, "you forgot something."

"What?" I said as I turned around just in time to see my keys come flying through the air, "thanks man! Did you want to come with us?"

"Nah I'm good," he laughed, turning to go back inside to not so secretly flirt with the desk cop, "I'll catch y'all later when I take my pants off you!"

"In your dreams bro!" I shouted back earning me a bird as I turned to see Brooke laughing as she hopped in my front seat just as eager to get away from here as I was.