Page 123 of I Choose You

I worried he’d said something, but I stayed put. It was just another way I wanted her, against my best interests. I longed to be with her, and this was just an extension of that pull.

I had to be strong.

But when minutes passed and she didn’t return, I had to look for her.

“Brooke.”

She sniffled and lifted her face. The sound cut through me, and I frowned as I looked at her. She wouldn’t turn around and face me, but in the full-length mirror in the back of the room, I saw her reflection.

She was crumbling, shoulders low and her head hanging down. She was falling apart with a wretched agony. Her lower lip trembled as she blew out a long breath. Staring at the floor, she shook her head and told me, “I’m fine.”

I wouldn’t have believed her even if she said it without that wobbly, weak tone.

“You’re not.”

She looked up then, locking her gaze on my reflection. “I’m fine,” she repeated, even weaker as she faced me directly for the first time since she put that dress on earlier. Her beautiful green eyes shone with unshed tears, and she gulped back a sob. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” I may hate myself for wanting her and missing her, but her hiding in a bathroom in tears would never be okay. Ever.

I stepped toward her and she tucked her face to the side, refusing to look at me this close.

“I’ll be okay. I just needed a minute.” She wiped at her face, delicately dragging her fingers under her eyes.

Fuck, she couldn’t give up. Even as she crumbled, she’d try to be strong and not break.

“I just couldn’t handle changing and having to stand in front of everyone and let them see me when I wasn’t sure if I looked all right. It made me nervous. And I felt ugly. Like the ugly fraud who didn’t belong to begin with.”

I lifted my hand to touch her arm, but I dropped it, thinking twice.

“I felt so ugly and unprepared and alone.”

She lifted her face to me and drew in a shaky breath. At the first tear that fell, my heart ached for her. It was my undoing. I broke down the walls I built up since finding out she wanted to sabotage me.

“Brooke.” I licked my lips.

“I’m sorry I hid. I just needed a minute.”

Another tear fell, and I couldn’t fight it. I didn’t want to resist it anymore. I reached up and cupped her face with both of my hands, tilting her to look at me. I wiped my thumbs over her cheeks, smoothing away her tears. “Please don’t cry.”

My words had the opposite effect. More fell, and I wiped them away. “You’re beautiful.”

She clenched her eyes shut and only opened them when I stepped closer.

“You are beautiful, Brooke. I wish you could see what I do.”

She blinked quickly and her lips trembled. “You don’t. You don’t see me because you won’t even look at me.”

I shook my head. “I have. I can’t help it. I will always be drawn to you.”

She looked down again, and I brushed my thumbs over her cheeks again. “Because I see who you really are. You are beautiful.”

I tipped her head so she would look at me. Those watery eyes broke me.

“You are beautiful because you are so resilient. And courageous.”

She sniffled.

“Kind. Honest. Selfless.” I stepped closer, boring into her with my stare. “And that ass?”