AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter One
Brooklyn watched from the living room window as Blaine climbed out of his black Chevy, its chrome rims flashing in the afternoon sun. He stepped out of the car with a smooth grace and reached into the backseat. Brooklyn studied him, admiring his broad shoulders and the way his jeans clung to his well-toned backside.
But he felt nothing. Not even anger at being betrayed yet again. Brooklyn had already passed that point of sorrow and rage. He was now driving in the I-don’t-care lane and was ready to get off this broken highway called a relationship.
Brooklyn watched as Blaine approached the entrance to their home. He couldn’t believe that he was here once again, facing the same situation he had experienced so many times before.
He had been fooled by Blaine’s looks and charm too many times in the past. How much more could he take? Why was he still standing there? Blaine was very attractive, but that didn’t mean anything because looks could be deceiving. There was no way to tell what was underneath a shiny coating of lies and deception until it got scratched off and revealed the truth.
Was that worth everything they had gone through together? Brooklyn felt his anguish increase as these questions lingered in his mind, but he refused to voice them. What would it matter? It wasn’t as if Blaine would tell him the truth.
“Why are you standing at the window?” Blaine asked as he walked through the front door and tossed his jacket onto the hook on the wall.
God, Brooklyn had wasted so much of his life on this guy.
“Are we going to go through this again?” Blaine asked with a heavy sigh as he looked at the packed bags. “We both know you aren’t going anywhere. You might as well save the dramatics and unpack. I’m too damn tired for another argument tonight.”
And that was all Brooklyn needed—Blaine’s indifference.
Walking past the man, Brooklyn plucked the bags from the floor by the couch and headed toward the door. His eyes burned, but he refused to shed any more tears.
“Fine, go.” Blaine opened the front door for him. “But don’t think I’ll care how you feel this time.”
Blaine followed Brooklyn outside to his car, his breath coming out in quick puffs as he watched Brooklyn store his bags in the trunk. Part of Brooklyn wanted to stay and talk it out—to make things better between them.
But the familiar sting of betrayal reminded him why that was impossible. Blaine had broken his trust too many times for it to ever be fixed.
Brooklyn paused for a brief second, and their eyes met one last time before he turned away without a word. Why let the man know how much this relationship had meant to him once upon a time? His words would only fall on deaf ears.
“You are one sorry excuse for a lover,” Blaine said with a tone filled with contempt. “I should have dumped your ass a long time ago.”
Brooklyn’s chest tightened as Blaine continued to berate him with a barrage of insults and accusations. He had heard it all before, but this time he was determined to walk away and never look back.
Brooklyn ignored his now ex-boyfriend as he opened the door to his car and slid into the driver’s seat. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but anywhere was better than here. He loved the house they shared, but living together no longer made it a home. Brooklyn wanted something more—a place filled with love and security. Not arguments and betrayal.
As soon as he started the car, Blaine was at the door, a dark and deadly scowl on his face. “Get your ass back inside, Brooklyn. Stop acting so damn childish,” he snarled. “What’s wrong with you?”
Brooklyn pulled the seat belt over his slim body and clicked it into place. He had felt nothing when Blaine had driven up, but deep down inside, he was mourning the loss of what could have been a very loving and happy relationship.
But Blaine couldn’t keep it in his pants.
Putting the car into reverse, Brooklyn slowly backed down the driveway. He refused to look at Blaine. Even if he did, it wouldn’t change his mind. But he didn’t want to give Blaine the impression that he was hurt by giving the man one last glance.
A wave of relief washed over him as he put Blaine in his rearview mirror. The car hummed as he drove away, each rotation of the wheels taking him farther from his old life. His knuckles tightened around the steering wheel, and he ran his fingers through his hair before shaking his head. “Good riddance,” he muttered under his breath.
The streets melted together until Brooklyn found the main road that would take him out of Clover and eventually to a motel room—his new home for the night. He knew it wouldn’t be long before he was back on his feet again. As an experienced freelance interior designer, all he needed was his laptop and he could work from anywhere. He had no worries about money in this new chapter of his life, but the emotional toll this whole process had taken on him was another story entirely.
Brooklyn flipped the headlights on, illuminating the road ahead of his sedan. Night had descended like a curtain, and it was dark and quiet as he drove away from the small town he’d called home. Brooklyn’s only mission now was to put as much distance between himself and Blaine as he could—no matter what the cost.
He had a friend who lived in Ridgeway. A guy from his childhood. He would call Marcus after he filled up his tank and was back on the road. Hopefully Marcus still had the same phone number. They’d been thick as thieves in their youth, and Brooklyn prayed he could tap into their friendship until he was back on his feet.
With that thought in mind, Brooklyn nixed the motel idea.
He pulled into the gas station just outside the town limits and stepped out of the car. A single streetlight hummed above him as he walked along the uneven pavement toward the convenience store. The neon sign flickered as he pushed open the door and walked inside.
“Hey, Brooklyn,” Mrs. Delphi said from behind the counter. “How are things going?”
Brooklyn gave her a warm smile. “Just fine, Mrs. Delphi.” Striding to the cooler, Brooklyn grabbed a power drink. He would need it if he was going to drive to Ridgeway. It was a long way, and he didn’t want to start dozing at the wheel.
