Chapter 11

(Present)

The room was silent except for his heavy, angry breathing. She just told him about their summer plans and he hasn't said anything in response yet. Instead, she was watching him get his anger in check before he spoke. He sounded like those bulls you see on TV just before they attack; their breathing heavy. Vince pinched the bridge of his nose as his eyes tightened; Brooke could hardly breathe.

"You have got to fucking kidding me Brooke." His voice was low and dull; almost as if he was just too tired to fight again.

"Look Vince," Her voice was confident and stern. "I don't want this to turn out like last time. I'm not staying THAT long, I'm coming back and you could come out and visit and we can talk on the phone and stuff. I'm promising you that it won't be anything like the last time I left." She shook her head for extra measure.

"What the hell gave you this brilliant idea?" Vince snapped. His voice was filled with sarcasm and irritation. Brooke sighed before leaned against him.

"It was a few days ago, when you went to the bar. I was upset and Mia, well she just looked tired Vince. That girl does everything around here and I felt that she needed a vacation and then this happened and of course I want to pull out of it but, I can't do that to Mia. She's already practically packed!" She chuckled softly. Despite his anger, he chuckled low too. "Besides, Mia couldn't go alone; it would be too much for her."

Vince sighed heavily in defeat. If he blew up again he just might lose her and doing that twice in a lifetime wasn't an option. Sure it would suck but, in the end he could handle it. Brooke made sure to reassure him that it wasn't going to be like last time and that helped him slightly. "I'm still mad at you Brooke but, I'm hungry, let's go out." Her lips curled into a smile before they both freshened up before leaving.

Just as their food was being delivered to the table, Brooke's phone rang. "It's my dad." She was hesitant because they usually only talked when it was important. Vince smirked before digging into his food.

"Hi daddy." She answered. Vince watched her closely as she listened to her dad. She talked for a minute before hanging up.

"What'd he want?" Vince asked as he sipped his drink.

"Just wanted to make sure I was coming to my mother's birthday party this weekend." She rolled her eyes before smirking.

"Are you going?"

"Only if you come too." She grinned evilly.

"Aw, come on, don't make me go. Your mother hates me." He whined.

Sure enough, that following weekend, Vince was dressed in the only pair of jeans that he owned that didn't have holes in them with a plain black button up. He was dressed casual but he still felt out of place. These people were all old and rich with their noses constantly turned up. The only thing that kept him sane was Brooke's hand planted firmly in his. It amazed him how different Brooke was from her parents. Sure, her father was tolerable but, he still had his moments where you just wanted to punch him in the face. Her mother Penny, was a completely different story, she didn't even pretend to act nice.

"Hey Mom, happy birthday." Brooke smiled to her mother as she walked up to her. Penny smiled bright but it died when she was Vince; it took everything in him not to glare at her.

"I see you brought Vince." Her smile was completely fake and her voice dripped with disapproval.

Brooke just smiled. "Well he is my boyfriend mother." She was angry but she hid it well.

"Oh," Penny's face really fell at the thought of Brooke getting back together with Vince. "Well, you guys have fun." And with that she walked off in search of one of her friends.

"God, she's such a bitch." Brooke mumbled to Vince who snorted as he nodded in agreement. "Drink?"

"Make it two." Vince stated; Brooke laughed loudly as she pulled him towards the kitchen. Vince eyed the kitchen as Brooke fixed him a heavy drink. He'd never been in her parents' house before; it was definitely nice but too fancy for his taste. Brooke handed him a glass and he quickly took a big swig.

"Come on, I'll show you my bedroom." She purred; pulling him by his shirt towards the large staircase.

(Past)

Brooke looked around the gallery to make sure it was in perfect condition before she went to the front door and unlocked it; ready to start the day. The door wasn't unlocked ten seconds before someone walked in. Today was not the best day for her because she was missing Vince endlessly and she was glad that it was only her co-worker Sawyer.

"Hey girl, I brought you some coffee." She smiled at the other girl.

Sawyer was a very strange girl that she had grown to love during her stay in New Orleans. Brooke recalled the first day she met Sawyer; the way that she confidently put her hand out and introduced herself as Sawyer, that her mother had named her after that Mark Twain novel. Brooke chuckled before shaking the other girls hand and replying with 'I'm just Brooke.' Then she noticed Sawyer's style, to say it was eccentric would have been an understatement; mostly black clothes with splashes of color, dark eye makeup, and a new primary color in her hair everyday. Brooke never understood why she wore tall shoes when she was already pretty tall. Brooke was only about five foot three inches and Sawyer was a good six or more inches taller.

"Thanks Sawyer…" Brooke said as she took a swig of her favorite coffee that Sawyer always brought for her.

"Are you okay?" Sawyer asked concerned as she clocked in.

"It's just one of those days." Brooke replied gloomy. Sawyer just gave her a small smile and nodded her head. Brooke never offered up information about why she was in New Orleans or why she was always so sad but Sawyer had caught her on more than one occasion looking at her cell phone sadly at it was easy to tell that it was about a guy. But, Sawyer never pushed her because if she had wanted to talk about it then she would do it on her own.

"So I was thinking maybe we could get together again and hang out." Sawyer stated as she leaned against the counter. Brooke thought about it for a minute before smiling with a stiff nod. "Cool but, we should hang at your place because my air conditioner is broke." Sawyer scrunched up her face in agitation; this wasn't the first time that damn thing broke.

"Okay, sounds like a plan." Brooke said as a customer came in to pick up his painting.

"Brooke, Sawyer." He grinned at them both. Ben was a regular customer; a young, rich professional who loved buying art and he also adored Brooke but she had turned him down countless times. Sawyer smirked at Brooke before she walked away; leaving Brooke to deal with him. Brooke glared at the back of her head before turning and smiling at Ben.

"Ben, how have you been?" Inside, Brooke was cringing.

(Present)

"Hey Dom?" He was standing at the kitchen counter looking over some bills while casually drinking a beer.

"Yeah Mi?" He looked away from the bills to look at her. She smiled at him before climbing on the counter next to him. "Brooke and I had an idea…"

"This can't be good." Dominic mumbled to himself. Mia shushed him before she continued.

"We were thinking about driving to the East coast. Myrtle Beach specifically."

"Before graduation?" He asked her; she could tell that he didn't approve it already.

"No, no, after graduation, in the summer." Mia corrected him quickly. You could see his shoulders fall in relief.

"Okay, and how long were you guys planning to stay?" He asked as his eyes started to skim the bills once again.

"The whole summer." Mia replied sheepishly.

"The whole summer?! Are you nuts? No way!" He was definitely caught off guard by that one.

"Oh come on Dominic, it's just a long vacation, I'll be back before you know it. Besides, you have to remember, I'm an adult and I really don't need your approval. But I love you and want you to approve." Mia's face was stern.

"Mia." He drew out her name in a warning tone. Just then Brooke walked in. Mia was glad for the support.

"Brooke please tell him the plan." Mia growled in frustration. Brooke instantly regretted coming in the kitchen but, she knew that she had to stand up for Mia and make Dominic stop being so damn hard-headed. Brooke sat down and began the plan

(Past)

"Wow, this is really nice." Sawyer said walking into Brooke's cozy apartment that just never seemed to feel like a real home to her. All she could see was Vince scolding her in the back of her mind that she knew where home was and that she needed to be there. Brooke nodded and went to the fridge; pulling out too wine coolers for them to sip on. This was the first time Sawyer had ever been to her place and it showed. She was all over the place just looking at all the pictures she had taken that hung carefully on the walls.

"You took all these?" Sawyer said pointing nowhere in particular. Brooke nodded. "You never told me you were this good, I mean these pictures are serious, you've got talent.

Brooke blushed just slightly. "Thanks Sawyer." She casually leaned against the wall.

"Who's that?" Sawyer said pointing to the picture of Vince sitting on the swing in the dark. Brooke smiled to herself as Sawyer scanned more of the pictures waiting for her answer. "In fact, that guy is in a lot of these pictures." She waited as patiently as she could while Brooke found the strength to tell her about it.

"He uh, was my boyfriend." She said slowly; it hurt much to say that he just wasn't anymore. "We were together for oh, two years or so." She tried to shrug it off before she lost it.

"Why'd you guys break up?"

"Because I left LA for my trip." Brooke said gulping down half of her drink.

"Aw yes, that trip of yours that I hear so much about." Sawyer grinned at her. "So he was the one?" This made her become more serious.

"That's what I thought." It came out a little more bitter than she first intended it to be. She finished off her cooler this time before throwing herself on the couch. Usually when they hung out like this they would watch movies and gossip but, not tonight. Instead, Sawyer listened while she told her how they met and the way that they were and then explained the breakup and how she hasn't talked to him in a long time but, the couple of times she tried to call, he didn't pick up the phone.

Sawyer looked at her new found friend sadly before comforting her. "You know, after all this, the only thing I can really say is go home." That wasn't what Brooke was expecting from her. "I mean, I love you to death and I don't want you to go but, what do you have here? You won't date anyone, you're sad all the time; you're here alone except when I'm around." The list could have gone on and on. "Just go back to him, or at least back to LA, that's your home B." Sawyer smiled lovingly towards her before putting a protective arm around her shoulder.

"I think your right." Brooke whispered. "I have to go home."