THE DRIVE home was a blur,her thoughts racing faster than the car on the deserted streets. By the time she pulled into her own driveway, the stars had begun to emerge in the darkening sky, twinkling down at her like a cruel joke.The house was quiet,the lights off, and she knew her mom and Dylan were out for the night.
Brooklyn found Caleb in the living room, lounging on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table. The TV was on, but the volume was muted, and he was scrolling through his phone, his thumb moving rapidly over the screen.He looked up as she entered, his expression shifting from boredom to surprise.
"Hey," he said,sitting up and setting his phone aside. "You're back early. Everything okay?"
Brooklyn slammed the door behind her,her eyes blazing with anger. "How about you mind your god damn business"
Caleb looked up from the couch,his expression one of innocent confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Brooklyn marched towards him,her eyes ablaze. "Don't play dumb with me,"she spat. "You told Logan about A. Why would you do that?"
Caleb's eyes widened, his handsome face contorting into a grimace. "I... I didn't mean for it to happen like that," he stuttered, rising to his feet. "It just slipped out when we were talking."
"When you were talking?" Brooklyn echoed, her voice tight with anger. "You had no right to tell anyone, especially not him!" With trembling hands, she stormed into the kitchen,her eyes scanning the cabinets until they landed on a bottle of whiskey.She grabbed it,the glass clinking against the counter as she yanked it free.
Caleb followed her, his steps slow and deliberate. "Brooklyn," he began, his voice a cautious whisper."You're not yourself lately.This isn't like you."
"No, Caleb," she said, her voice sharp as a knife. "This isn't like me because A made it this way." She held up the bottle of whiskey,the light glinting off the glass.
Caleb took a step back, his eyes flickering with fear. "I didn't mean to," he protested, his voice small. "I just -thought,Logan knew ."
"And I thought we were family"Brooklyn scoffed,her voice laced with sarcasm.She took a swig from the bottle, the liquid burning a path down her throat. "You need to leave," she said, her voice firm. "Go sleep at Hanna's."
Caleb's eyes searched hers, a silent plea for understanding.But understanding was the last thing she felt.With a heavy sigh,he nodded and turned to leave, the door clicking shut behind him.
Alone in the now eerily quiet room, Brooklyn sank to the floor,the whiskey bottle slipping from her grasp. The cold tiles sent a shiver up her spine, but she barely felt it.The weight of Caleb's "betrayal"and Logan's pain crashed down on her like a wave, and she couldn't hold back the tears anymore.They streamed down her cheeks, mixing with the whiskey on her lips, as she sat there in the darkness,her sobs echoing through the empty house.
