Breaking the Playbook [COMPLETED]

Chapter 16

BROOKS' POV

As I hold Lolo in my arms, I can feel the tremors running through her body and the way she's clinging to me like I'm her lifeline. And maybe I am. Maybe we're both drowning in this fucked-up situation, and the only thing keeping us afloat is each other. I can feel her heartbeat against my chest, rapid and unsteady, mirroring the chaos in my own heart. Her breath is warm against my neck, and I can't help but press my lips to the top of her head, trying to comfort her and myself.

"I'm not going anywhere," I murmur, tightening my hold on her. "No matter what happens, I'm staying right here."

She nods against me, her fingers digging into my back as if she's afraid I might disappear if she lets go. I wish I could take all her fears and all her doubts and crush them into nothing. I wish I could make her see what I see—that we're stronger together, that we can take on whatever the world throws at us. But I know it's not that simple. I know the pressures she's facing, the expectations, and the fucking rules that her father and the league have set in place. It's a lot for anyone to handle, and the fact that she's still standing, still fighting, makes me love her even more.

But there's still that fucking decision she made. The decision to push me away was to try and protect us by tearing us apart. It's like a thorn in my side, a constant reminder of how fragile this whole thing is. And as much as I want to move past it and focus on the here and now, I can't shake the feeling that it's going to come back to bite us in the ass.

I pull back slightly, just enough to look down at her and see those green eyes that I've missed so damn much. They're still wet with tears, but there's a fire in them—a determination that tells me she's not ready to give up. Good. Because neither am I.

"Talk to me, Lolo," I say softly, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Tell me what's going on in that beautiful head of yours."

She takes a deep breath, her eyes searching mine, as if she's trying to find the right words. "I just... I don't want to lose you, Brooks. But I don't know how to keep you, either. Every time I think about what could happen, I get so scared. Scared that it'll ruin your career, that my dad will lose his shit, that everything will just... fall apart."

I nod, understanding her fears all too well. They're the same ones that have been gnawing at me since we started this thing. But the difference is, I'm willing to take that risk, to fight for what we have, no matter the cost. Because I know that losing her would hurt a hell of a lot more than anything the league or the media could throw at me.

"We'll figure it out," I tell her, my voice steady, reassuring. "We'll take it one step at a time, and if shit hits the fan, we'll deal with it together. But I need you to trust me, to trust us. Can you do that?"

She bites her lip, her eyes flicking away for a moment before she nods slowly. "I want to. I really do. But it's hard, Brooks. It's so fucking hard."

"I know it is," I say, cupping her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. "But you're not in this alone, Lolo. I'm right here with you, every step of the way. And I'm not letting go."

For a moment, we just stand there, staring at each other, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between us. And then, without warning, she's kissing me again, her lips crashing against mine with a desperation that takes my breath away. It's not a kiss of passion, not like the one we shared earlier. It's a kiss of fear, of longing, of a need to hold on to something real in the midst of all this chaos.

I kiss her back, pouring everything I have into it, trying to show her that I'm not going anywhere, that I'm in this for the long haul. Her hands clutch at my shirt, pulling me closer, as if she can't get enough of me, as if she's afraid I might slip away if she doesn't hold on tight. I can feel her trembling against me, and it breaks my fucking heart to know that she's hurting this much.

When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard, our foreheads pressed together, our hearts pounding in sync. I rest my hands on her hips, grounding us both, as I search her eyes for any sign of doubt. But all I see is that same determination, that same fire that's been there since the beginning.

"I love you, Lolo," I whisper, my voice raw with emotion. "And nothing's going to change that. Not your dad, not the league, not the fucking media. Nothing."

Tears spill down her cheeks, but she's smiling, a real, genuine smile that lights up her face. "I love you too, Brooks. I just... I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"You deserve everything," I say, kissing her again, softer this time, savoring the taste of her, the feel of her lips against mine. "And I'm going to spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

We stand there for what feels like hours, just holding each other, our hearts beating in time, our breaths mingling in the cool night air. And for the first time since this whole mess started, I feel a sense of peace, of calm, like maybe, just maybe, we can make it through this.

But deep down, I know that this is just the beginning. The real fight is still ahead of us, and it's going to take everything we have to come out on the other side.