Falling for the Fire

Chapter 45

*Ariana's POV

Waking up still wrapped up in Brooklyn's arms the next morning made me not want to leave the bed. I'd set my alarm to give me enough time to go home and get ready for work, but I still didn't want to move.

I finally forced myself to carefully pull away from her, and I kissed the top of her shoulder as I gently shook her.

Her eyes fluttered open and she grinned at me, and I felt my heart pound against my chest.

"I have to go home to get ready, I don't have any of my things here," I told her, "I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay," she mumbled sleepily.

I leaned in and gave her one last quick kiss before I got up to leave.

Thankfully my hangover wasn't all that bad, but the headache was definitely still there.

I took a hot shower when I got home, hoping that it would help ease some of my pain.

As I got ready, my mind kept wandering back to Brooklyn. I didn't want this to be something casual anymore, and I felt like I needed to tell her that.

With the way that everything had been going lately, it seemed like she felt the same way, but I knew that I couldn't be sure. That's what was making me so nervous.

She had made it very clear that she wasn't interested in a relationship when all of this started, my only hope now was that our time together had changed her mind.

I didn't even know how to bring it up, and part of me considered waiting until after our big event was over. If there was any fallout or awkwardness between us, I knew that it would affect our work.

The only problem with that plan is that I didn't want to wait. I was only getting more attached and falling harder, I couldn't let it keep going on like this.

I got to work a while later and went back to do a few things in my office before we got settled in the conference room.

I walked out to the hallway a few minutes later to make my way there, but I stopped when I heard Brooklyn and Eliana talking just around the corner.

"You're just trying to start shit Elle," Brooklyn said, "you can't blame me for being irritated and saying what I did."

"You basically stormed out," Eliana snapped back, "that wasn't necessary."

"I just left because I was done with you trying to create a problem," she responded, "I don't understand why you have such an issue with Ari and I spending time together."

I swallowed hard at the sound of my name, and I continued to listen. I probably shouldn't have been eavesdropping, but I basically had to now.

"Because it's like you're taking my boyfriend's reject and trying to be all buddy buddy with her," Eliana hissed.

I heard Brooklyn let out a sarcastic laugh before she responded.

"No, I'm pretty sure that you're the one taking hers."

I couldn't help but smile at her comment as I heard Eliana scoff and Brooklyn walk away. I waited a few minutes before I went and sat down at my usual spot in the conference room.

"Morning," I said to Brooklyn.

"Hi," she grinned.

"Can I confess something to you?" I asked her quietly.

"Uhh, sure," she said hesitantly.

"I was coming out of my office and I heard part of you and Eliana's conversation," I told her.

She rolled her eyes as she sat back in her chair.

"Sorry about that," she grumbled, "she's becoming insufferable."

"No need to be sorry," I said, "I was enjoying what you said."

I gave her a playful grin as she glanced over at me and returned my smile.

"So, what did you say that's making her mad?" I asked.

"Oh," she said as she smiled to herself, "when she brought up that we've gotten closer in front of Owen, I just told her that I didn't really think we needed to talk about it in front of your ex that cheated on you."

I covered my mouth to suppress the sound of my quiet laugh.

"I would've loved to have seen their reaction to that," I said.

"It was kind of amusing," she shrugged.

***

The rest of the day went on without anything exciting happening, and when it got close to 5:00, I finally decided to ask Brooklyn if we could talk.

"Hey," I said to her, "do you think we could talk when we're done here?"

I saw a brief flash of concern in her eyes, but she eventually nodded.

We were finishing something up, so we ended up staying a little bit later than everyone else. We walked out to the parking lot together, and when I didn't see anyone else around, I decided to just get this over with.

"Okay," I sighed, "I know this isn't what we agreed on but - I feel like this is starting to turn into something more than casual friends with benefits."

Brooklyn looked back at me with a blank expression on her face.

"Are you saying that you want it to be more? Or that it's turning into more and it shouldn't be?" She asked.

"I um," I hesitated as I fidgeted nervously with my hands, "I like you, I think you know that. And I'm sorry if this ends up screwing everything up, but I - I do...want it to be more I mean."

She rubbed her hand across her face and sighed as she leaned against her car. This wasn't off to a good start.

"Ari I told you," she said, "I told you at the beginning that I didn't want a relationship, and this is what I was afraid of."

"I know you did," I nodded, "but I thought you might have changed your mind with how things have been going lately, at least that's kind of how it seemed to me."

"No I - I'm sorry if I gave you that impression," she said.

"So you..." I started, "you're still not willing to do anything but sleep with me, even after all of the time we've been spending together lately?"

"It's not that simple," she said, "I know I haven't explained much to you but - I don't deserve to be in a relationship with someone like you, you're too good for me Ari."

"What?" I questioned her, "come on Brooklyn, that's the oldest excuse in the book, is that really all you're going to say to me?"

"I don't know what else to say," she said, a sad look coming over her face.

"You could come up with a better reason for pretending to like me," I responded with a bite in my tone, "because I'm not buying this one."

"That's not what this is," she insisted, "I just can't do it."

"Yeah I'm uh - I'm going to go now," I said, "I don't think I need to hear anything else."

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