Cupid's Granddaughter

26 - Brooke's Back

Valentine’s Day was insane as I had predicted and I was more than glad once it was over. Of course, then we all had to deal with the aftermath.

Valentine’s Day might be the biggest day for couples to get together but shockingly enough, it is also the day with the largest number of breakups. It took about a week for everything to be set straight. After the world was cleaned up, I got to go back down to it. Eros had me on watch for whatever reason so I wasn’t allowed to leave his sight until Valentine’s was over with.

Despite the slight guiltiness I felt, I wore Nate’s necklace every day. The chain was just long enough for me to hide it underneath my shirt so no one ever noticed. I could still feel it against my skin with every step I would take. The guilt I felt for taking it was fading away the more I wore it and most of the time I forgot that I even had it on.

When Eros finally released his hold on me, I couldn’t get out of Olympia fast enough. Nate thought Lily was bad? Lily wasn’t his boss and family member! 

Anyway, I couldn’t have been in a better mood to be out of my house and not focusing on work. I would have gladly walked right through Nate’s door but who knows what was happening on the other side. I knocked and waited patiently outside the door.

When the door began to open, I smiled ready to greet Nate but I was surprised to see Sean on the other side.

“Oh, hello.” Sean was clearly confused on who I was.

My smiled turned into a frown. “Is Nate here?”

Sean looked behind him then turned back to me with an amused smile. He spoke in an overly loud voice, “Why no, pretty lady, Nate certainly is not here.”

Suddenly there was shuffling coming from inside the apartment and Nate appeared next to his friend appearing flustered. After catching his breath he looked up at me and smiled. “Hey Peyton!”

“Hey,” I replied slowly. “Is this a bad time?”

“No,” Nate was quick to say pushing Sean out of the way. “Come on in!”

I gave Sean a little smile as I passed him and walked into the apartment but I stopped short once I saw who else was with us.

“Hey,” Brooke greeted as she lounged comfortably on Nate’s couch. Sean walked around me to grab a sandwich from the kitchen (which I assume he was doing as I knocked on the door) then he joined Brooke on the couch. My breathing hitched and I stood frozen staring at her. I didn’t want to do this now!

“Do you know her?” Sean asked surprised and with a mouthful of sandwich.

“Yeah!” Brooke told him and I waited for her answer before I got my hopes up. “We met her at the movies. The night we met? You remember, don’t you babe?”

I could have choked on my spit if my mouth hadn’t been completely dry. Did she just seriously call him babe?

I ran a hand through my hair as Nate appeared by my side. I shifted my weight onto the foot closest to him so that I sort of leaned into him without touching.

“I forgot,” Nate whispered to me. “If you want to leave, I understand.”

“She shouldn’t leave,” Brooke said hearing the end of his sentence. “We were going to hang out and watch some movies. Why can’t she join us?”

Nate glanced over to see my reaction but I kept my eyes down at the floor. I sighed. “I’ll stay.”

Nate walked into the living room and I followed close behind. I joined him on the same couch since Brooke and Sean were taking up the other one. They started commenting on the movie that I didn’t pay much attention to. Nate stayed to one side of the couch leaning on his elbow and with his other hand resting on the back of the couch. I stuck to my own end of the couch which left that awkward space between us.