We're Alright | brooke hyland

9

Chapter 9.

Brooke's POV :

By the time we get back from Nolan's house, Brandon's home.

"How's my girls?" He asks. I roll my eyes. Ella goes upstairs then its just me, Ali and Brandon.

"Where have you been?" Brandon snaps.

I'm shocked. He shouldn't be asking me where I've been, I should be asking where he's been. He's left me and the girls to fend for ourselves for a little while.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I want to know where my kids have been! I care about them and if they're safe!" He says. I scoff. Brandon couldn't care less about them.

"Sure you care about them. They're with me, why wouldn't they be safe?"

"Because they're with you!" I've had enough.

I stomp upstairs and go to bed with my door locked. He can sleep on the couch if he thinks I'm not a good mother. 
On the next Monday after dropping Ella off at school, I follow Brandon to 'work'.

"I'm off to work!" He shouts, slamming the door behind him. I throw my magazine on the other end of the couch, grab Ali, and speed after Brandon. 
A half hour after riding in the car, we pass a sign that says 'Welcome to Florida'.

"What…" I mumble.

I stay at least four cars away from Brandon's black truck so he doesn't see me. When he gets off the highway, I stay a lot behind him. Then he turns down a street with small little houses for miles. He turns into a driveway and gets out. I watch from across the street as he walks in after someone opens the door for him. I creep out of my car with Ali clinging to me and tiptoe to a window. My heart drops when I see Brandon making out with whoever opened the door.

It starts to get more intense so I run back to my car. Tears are running down my face with no control. They're silent tears; I'm not sniffling or hyperventilating. The drive to Palm Bay was about the same as to Orlando and now it's almost time to pick up Ella. I call Paige on my car phone.

"Hey, ok stuck in traffic. Can you please pick Ella up from school today?" I beg.

"Why, where'd you go?"

"To, um, get some groceries. There's an accident near here, just please."

"Ok, ok, fine. Bye." "Bye."

....

I called Paige after I got back to bring Ella over. "Hello!" Paige hummed, opening the door.

"In here." I groaned from the living room table.They both come in smiling, then frown looking at me.

"Ella why don't you go play upstairs." Paige suggests. Ella skips to the stairs and runs up them.

"What the hell are you doing?! You have an infant upstairs and a three-year old. You better get it together." She hissed. I stare at her blankly and take another swig from my wine bottle.

"I wasn't stuck in traffic." I say. She scoffs.

"Oh, I know. I came up ere and there was no accident."

"I followed Brandon." I say. "Now you're getting paranoid from that dream." I huff.

"No, I followed him when he was supposed to go to work, but he went down to Palm Bay and made out with some girl at her house. And a little something else. I couldn't bare to watch." I grumble with my hoarse voice. More wine tumbles down my throat and I savor the taste of it. Paige stands there with no emotion.

"Did you see who it was?" She asks, concerned. I shake my head.

"Awh, Brooke I'm sorry I yelled. Just when I saw you drinking with your kids around I got worried you did something. There's still two of em, right?" I slightly laugh.

"Yeah, they're all here." This time it's her to laugh. Then she claps her hands. "Lets get proof and call him out on it!"

"What's more proof than me seeing him with someone else?"

"Recording it. Then divorce his butt," Paige laughs. I laugh along with her.

"After you drop Ella off at school, lets go on a jog. I feel awfully out of shape lately." Paige is still thinner than a twig even after all these years. I swear that girl can't gain a single pound even if she eats all day, nonstop. If argue with her that she's skinny, it will last forever so I just keep my mouth shut.

...

Dressed all in my Nike Pro pants that went to the middle of my calf and a grey zip-up sweatshirt, I took a jog with Paige, pushing Ali in her stroller in front of me. The hot air weighed me down by a lot. Paige was far ahead of me.

"Wait," I called. "I need… to catch my… breath!" I huff, leaning on my thighs.

Paige stops and stares at me like, 'why did you make me stop my run? I was on a roll!' I push my way along to meet up with her.

My ponytail swings from side to side as I make small talk with my sister. She tells me her little plan about the Brandon thing and that it should happen tonight. The girls will stay at her house for the night while I'm out collecting evidence. 

Twelve hours and many complaints (from me) later, I'm dressed in all black standing under Ella's swing set. I've told Brandon that I'm spending the night with Paige because I haven't been around her in a while, and I'm hoping he brings his 'girlfriend' over. 

...

At exactly 9:07 pm, Brandon bursts open the door and they start kissing. It disgusts me, watching them make out and I'm filming it. I get closer so I'm now by a window that shows the living room.

Next I do as I'm instructed: climb up the tree next to the guest room and onto the balcony leading into double doors that I left open before I went over to Paige's. Before the new couple can make their way to the bedroom, I do. And I hide in the closet, too. I stop recording so I can save some battery.

Looking around at the walk-in closet I share with Brandon, I see obvious signs he's been cheating on me that I haven't seen before. Women's clothes that aren't my own in a drawer, clothes hanging on my side of the closet as to 'blend in' with my own clothes, and a picture of the two kissing on Brandon's side. I'm so stupid.

Finally, they come in here. I continue recording for about a half hour until they're done.

"You sure I can't stay?" The girl whimpers.

"Aw, baby, you know I want you to. But Brooke will be back in the morning. We can't risk her catching you." Too late. The girl's voice sounds really familiar.

Almost too familiar. She leaves and once I know he's asleep, I sneak out the way I came in and run to Paige's. Showing her the videos, she gapes at the end of the last one just like I did when it happened. "Goodnight, Brandon." The girl said before kissing him. "Goodnight, babe." Then right before she left, I got a glimpse of the face of Madison Ziegler.

(A/N)

ugh maddie.. haha