Breaking the Playbook [COMPLETED]

Chapter 30

BROOKS' POV

The drive to Lolo's place was a blur. I barely registered the streets, the lights, and the other cars. My mind was focused on one thing—getting to her. The anger that had been simmering in me since the confrontation with the press hadn't faded; it was just redirected, fueled by frustration and the need to escape, even if only for a little while.

When I finally pulled up outside her house, I sat in the car for a moment, trying to calm down. My hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white, as I took deep breaths. I didn't want to bring this shit to her, but I didn't have anywhere else to turn. She was the only one who understood what I was going through, the only one who could help me make sense of it all.

I grabbed my phone and sent her a quick text. "I'm outside."

A few moments later, her reply came through. "Come up. Door's unlocked."

I didn't waste any time. I got out of the car, shutting the door harder than I meant to, and headed inside, my mind racing with everything I needed to say and everything I wanted to hear from her. When I reached her door, I didn't even bother knocking. I pushed it open and stepped inside, closing it quietly behind me.

The house was dimly lit, with the soft glow of a lamp in the living room casting long shadows on the walls. And there she was, sitting on the couch, looking as beautiful as ever. But there was a tension in her posture and a weariness in her eyes that made my heart ache.

She stood up as I walked in, her gaze meeting mine, and for a moment, neither of us said anything. The silence was heavy, thick with all the unspoken words between us. Finally, she took a step toward me, her voice soft, almost hesitant. "Brooks... what happened?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I tried to find the right words. "Everything's falling apart, Lolo. The team, the media... Coach. I just fucking lost it with the press, and now I'm sure they're going to twist it into something even worse."

Her eyes softened with concern, and she closed the distance between us, reaching out to touch my arm. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head, taking her hand in mine. "It's not just that. It's everything. I'm fucking up on the field, and I can't focus because all I'm thinking about is you, us, and how we're supposed to keep this going when everything is working against us."

She bit her lip, her hand tightening around mine. "I know. I feel the same way."

Her words were like a lifeline, something to hold onto in the middle of this storm. But as much as I wanted to believe her, the doubt still lingered. "How do we do that, Lolo? How do we keep pretending like we're not together when every fucking thing we do is under a microscope?"

She looked down for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought, before meeting my gaze again. "We take it one day at a time."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, but in a good way. I needed to hear that. I needed to know that she was in this with me and that we weren't alone in this fight. I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her against me. She fit perfectly, like she always did, and for a moment, I just held her, breathing her in, letting her presence calm the storm inside me.

"I don't want to give it up either," I murmured into her hair. "But I'm scared, Lolo. Scared that this is going to break us."

She pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at me, her hands resting on my chest. "It won't," she said firmly, her voice filled with conviction. "Not if we don't let it."

I looked into her eyes, seeing the determination there and the fire that had always drawn me to her. And in that moment, I knew she was right. We couldn't let them win. We couldn't let them destroy what we had.