One Redemption

Chapter 3

Brooklyn

The five of us all sat around the table after the last few guests had dwindled out, leaving us to ourselves.

"It was an amazing party, guys. Thanks for inviting me." Noah said as he smiled at the newly engaged pair.

"The pleasure was all mine. You know you're always welcome." Lucas said as he patted Noah on the shoulder.

It was really nice to see Noah again. Over the last year we'd grown even closer than we were in the villa. He was so uplifting and had become such a powerful voice of reason when it came to my life. Noah had known that Gary and I were having problems, having received more phone calls from me in the middle of the night than I could count. No matter how upset I was, he'd never spoke an ill word of Gary. I loved that about him. Instead, he'd focus on helping me try to figure out what I could do to make the situation better. He was positive and helpful in that way. He knew the night of the reunion that things weren't going to last after receiving my phone call at 2AM, but Noah was a firm believer in people having to go through experiences in order to come out stronger. He wasn't the type to tell you what you should do, he was more of a trial and error kind of person, never pushing his opinions on anyone. After the reunion, things between me and Gary just got worse. He was obviously hurt and upset over the footage they showed, and rightfully so. I'd have felt no different if I'd been in his position. Gary and I had driven in silence back to our hotel the production crew had put us all up in. I remembered feeling sick to my stomach, trying to figure out how to explain what he'd just had to sit through.

"What the fuck, Brooklyn?! If you had fuckin' feelings for him, you should've just fuckin' told me instead of letting me go out there just so I could look like a fuckin' mug!"

"I didn't know they were gonna show all that, Gary. I don't have feelings for him. I love you."

"I fuckin' knew it. I knew somethin' was off the second he fuckin' left the villa. Jesus Christ, Brooklyn. If you fuckin' love me so much, then what the fuck was that?!"

"I was sad... I was sad and I felt guilty and..."

"Oh, just cut the shit!" He fumed as he walked towards me. "Tell me the truth, do you still have fuckin' feelings for him?!"

"No! No, Gary! I don't! I love you, I want you, please..." I'd said as I walked towards him, taking his shirt in my hands. "I love you, Gary."

"God dammit, stop lying to me. Just fuckin' admit it, Brooklyn." He choked. "Is he the reason shit's been so fuckin' off with us? You love that motherfucker, don't you? You don't fuckin' love me, you love him." He said as he took my wrists in his hands, pulling my fingers from his shirt.

"No, I love you." I sobbed. "Please, Gary. I don't know why I reacted the way I did. I'm sorry... If I wanted him, I'd be with him."

"All I've fuckin' done is love you, Brooklyn" He said as he stepped away from me, running his hands over his face. "And I thought you felt the same way, but now... I don't know what to think."

I closed the distance he'd put between us and cupped his face in my hands, crying as I stared up into his blue eyes. "Please, babe. We spent all day fighting. I don't wanna fight anymore."

"Tell me you love him. Admit it, Brooklyn." Gary said as he stared down at me, his voice filled with pain and torment. "Just tell me that you love him, tell me that you have feelings for him, and we can just end this shit, right here, right now."

I covered my face with my hands, sobbing into my palms. "I don't love him, Gary. I love you. I do. I don't love him." I cried. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I reacted the way I did to his letter. I'm sorry. Please, just stop. Just stop this."