Broken Promises

43 | blake

There's a sudden knock on my bedroom door as I'm sitting at my desk, completing some unfinished homework.

I rise from my chair, unable to remember the last time one of my family members actually knocked before entering my room. My parents merely claim that they have the right to any room because they own the house, and my brothers have never seemed to learn what the word knock means. Jackie can hardly even climb the stairs by herself. So that leaves Brooke.

Walking toward the door, I have to admit that I'm not very excited to see my older sister. She's been away at college for the past week, staying at campus. I haven't spoken to her since the night I introduced Noah to my family as my boyfriend. Part of me doesn't want to be around Brooke because I know she used to have a crush on Noah, but a darker part of me simply doesn't want to see her because our relationship isn't the best, and it hasn't been for a while.

Brooke and I were inseparable as kids. We're only two years apart, which made it easy for us to do nearly everything together. It was like we were attached at the hip, and friends of our parents used to make jokes about us being like twins. Brooke had been my other half, my partner in crime, my best friend.

I'm not exactly sure when things changed between us. I'd like to say a strain was placed on our relationship when Brooke moved out for college, as her departure caused a literal and figurative distance. However, if I'm being honest, I'd have to admit that our relationship really started to fall apart when I took Mason back after finding out he'd cheated on me for a second time. Brooke thought I was making a mistake, which caused a lot of fights between us. I'd thought I was right and Brooke was wrong, though I know now that she was only looking out for me. I suppose I should apologize for certain things I said to her back then, but I just don't know how to. It's hard for me to admit that I was the reason our relationship crumbled.

I force a smile and my thoughts to the side as I open my bedroom door. There was a time where I would confide my thoughts to Brooke and tell her how I'm really feeling, but I don't live in that time anymore. Often, I don't even feel close enough to Brooke to ask her the simplest of questions.

This thought makes my smile wilt.

"Hey," I say breezily. "Did you want something?"

"Sorry for interrupting," Brooke mumbles. I suddenly realize that I'm not the only one who seems to feel the distance between the two of us.

"You're not interrupting," I assure her, trying for another smile. "I was just doing homework."

Brooke nods before clearing her throat. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course." I step aside to allow Brooke to enter my room, and she enters almost awkwardly. I'm hit with the realization that it's been a while since Brooke and I hung out in my room. When we were younger, we were always together in one or the others room, sneaking in after dark and staying up late to share secrets and talk until the early hours of the morning.