Breaking the Playbook [COMPLETED]

Chapter 31

LOLO'S POV

When Brooks left, the silence felt like it was suffocating me. The warmth of his presence, the comfort of having him close—it all vanished the moment the door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I sat there on the couch for a long time, staring at the spot where he'd been, my mind replaying everything that had happened tonight. It had been good being with him, feeling like we were in this together. But now that he was gone, the reality of our situation came crashing down on me.

We were lying to everyone. To the media, to our families, and to our friends. And the worst part was, we had no idea how long we could keep it up. How long until someone saw through the act, until someone figured out that we were still together, still risking everything for each other?

And then there was my father. The thought of him finding out about Brooks and me and how we were sneaking around behind his back made my stomach twist with anxiety. He'd been clear—brutally clear—about what he expected from me and about the consequences if I didn't follow his rules. And I knew that if he ever found out, it wouldn't just be my career on the line. It would be Brooks' too.

I buried my face in my hands, trying to push the thoughts away, but they just kept coming, relentless and unforgiving. How had it come to this? How had we gone from that first spark, that first tentative connection, to this mess of lies, secrets, and fear?

I wanted to believe that we could get through this and that our love was strong enough to survive whatever the world threw at us. But the doubt was there, gnawing at the edges of my mind, whispering that maybe, just maybe, we were in over our heads.

With a heavy sigh, I pushed myself up from the couch and headed to my bedroom. Sleep was probably out of the question, but at least I could try to find some rest, some respite from the thoughts that wouldn't leave me alone.

As I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, I thought about what Brooks had said before he left. We'd been through too much to let them tear us apart now.

But strength had its limits. And I couldn't help but wonder how close we were to reaching ours. 

The next morning, I woke up to a heavy sense of dread weighing on my chest. The previous night's emotions lingered like a fog, thick and oppressive. I had barely slept, tossing and turning as my mind replayed everything in an endless loop. The feel of Brooks' arms around me, the quiet of the house after he left, the fear of what could happen if we were found out—it all haunted me.

I dragged myself out of bed, moving through the motions of getting ready without really thinking. My hands were on autopilot, brushing my hair, applying a light layer of makeup, but my mind was elsewhere. I kept thinking about the expression on Brooks' face when he left—determined but strained. It mirrored exactly how I felt inside.

By the time I made it to the office, the tension had only grown. I could feel it simmering under my skin, making it hard to focus on anything other than the ticking clock on the wall, each second a reminder that we were running out of time. Something had to give, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was going to happen sooner rather than later.

When I sat down at my desk, I tried to bury myself in work, hoping it would distract me, but every email, every phone call, felt like a lifeline that was slipping through my fingers. I wasn't even sure what I was doing anymore, just going through the motions.

I glanced at the clock. It was barely past nine in the morning, but it felt like hours had passed. The thought of enduring a whole day like this was unbearable. My mind kept wandering back to Brooks, wondering how he was holding up. Was he feeling the same pressure? Was he just as exhausted, just as afraid?