[BROOKE'S POV]
"I'm sorry," I said as I pulled away. It took Kyle more than a minute to process everything that had just happened.
Well you see this was happened, after Alex, Jack and Rian came in the doors, shock raced through my veins knowing that Zack would be right behind them. I had to think quickly and do something so as not to make small talk or a silly and awkward conversation with him. Kyle was just washing some utensils and somehow, I panicked. When they rushed out the doors, I knew exactly what was about to happen next. Knowing Zack, he won't just let something weird pass him by. He had to check it out before actually leaving the scene. So I grabbed Kyle by the collar and kissed him just in time to watch Zack freeze and then slowly go out the door. For a moment there, I thought tears sprung from his eyes but I was too far away to actually see. Probably it was just the light or maybe there was something in my eye.
"Umm, what was that for?" he stuttered as he slowly started to regain composure.
"Ex-boyfriend," I said embarrassed. I never should have done that. I might need to look for a new job.
"Ah, I see," he said with some kind of bitterness in his town. He fixed his now wrinkled collar as he went back to the sink to actually do his job.
"Look, I'm really sorry, I just panicked." I said feeling bad about using him for wrong reasons. He is a great friend and I just disrespected him greatly and I feel awful for doing so. Damn, I hate adrenaline rushes. They make me do crazy things.
"Trying to show him you moved on?" he asked carrying the tray of washed utensils. "That's not always a good idea," he said and I looked down. He set down the tray on the table and was putting the utensils in the right drawers. At least I thought that was what he was doing.
To my surprise, a pair of shoes appeared right before me and a hand lifted my chin up. I was looking into his bright blue eyes and for a minute, we just stood like that and then I looked away. "Brooke, I know how you feel and I forgive you and with you, I don't care if I'm just the stupid rebound. For you, I'd do anything," he said and he was about to kiss me but I moved away.
"Look, I don't think I can handle another relationship," I said walking to the other end trying to look busy. I think I probably made the worst mistake of my life by turning down a really hot guy but at the end of every day, if I'm not happy with where I am, then what's my life for, right? If I'm not happy with it then why live?
"Then I can wait," he said and I turned to face him. Now that definitely caught me off guard.
"Kyle you don't have-"
"Trust me, I can and I want to wait." He said firmly as he walked towards me. I was starting to get scared. "Even if it took forever," he said taking one of my bare hands and kissing it.
I bit my bottom lip as he stared at me and gripped my hand tighter in a comfortable way. "Thanks," I said taking my hand out of his grasp.
He smiled at me and turned away so that the customer who came in wouldn't suspect anything. He served the customer and I gave him his order thinking about what he just said. Honestly, I've never heard anything more sweet and romantic and I have never heard of anyone say that in real life. And what's even more unbelievable is that it was me he would wait for. Truthfully, he deserved someone better. Someone who would take him without excuse whenever he asked or someone who would definitely care for him no matter what. All in all someone who would return his feelings in a greater amount. I just make tear him down and rip him to bits and even I don't know why. Zack already probably moved on already. I mean he seemed more buff and all. He probably worked out more but well who knows anymore? I'm sure I don't. Maybe his new girlfriend does though but why am I thinking of him now? This is getting crazier by the minute and I don't even know why. I just tend to make things complicated in really complex ways and it's getting on my last patient nerve.
I watched Kyle work his way around the counter and back and observed. Now I know I shouldn't judge him by his looks but even if I did, he'd still pass my qualifications. He was this slightly buff guy who was probably part of some kind of sports team in high school who had dark brown hair, blue eyes and a killer smile. His looks made road kill out of me and I refuse to go out with him? How could I be so rude? I surely don't know what I'm missing. Oh wait, one more thing I forgot to mention was that his kiss is perfect. It's as if he was sent from up above to try and make my life a little bit easier. I thought about so many things that could happen to us if we were together but shrugged them all off knowing that they'd never ever happen in this life time.
"Hey, Brooke, can you hand me your pen? Mine's all out of ink," he said and I nodded as I gave it to him.
"What are you going to do with a pen?" I asked curiously. Seriously, he didn't need one. All he did was punch items into the cash register and withdraw and deposit money. I don't see how a pen can fit in the picture.
"You'll see," he said winking cheerfully. I nodded and walked away wiping the counter.
I wondered about why he was so cheerful. I mean shouldn't he be mopey and all or maybe acting bitter around me? This was kinda unexpected and inappropriate but who am I to tell him what he should feel exactly? If he wants to be happy then I might as well let him be.
The day ended shortly after a tall bearded man left the shop leaving Kyle and I to close up. Laurel ran off like an hour ago because she had this thing with her family. I didn't really mind because she always left like that. I kinda got used to it so Laurel leaving like that wasn't much of a surprise.
I walked to the back and folded my apron and got my bag. I went out of the back room just in time to see Zack and Kyle in a conversation in the middle of the shop. Zack didn't seem all happy like Kyle. His eyebrows furrowed and met at one end and their conversation was heating up. Just when Zack was about to take the first blow, I ran right in front of Kyle and got hit in the gut. It knocked me over to the floor and for a second, my breath got shorter.
"Now look what you did!" Kyle said hovering over me as I was holding the painful part tightly.
I tried to speak but couldn't. "It's all your fault dumbass!" Zack exclaimed as he walked over to the other side.
"I wasn't the one who stuck a punch and hit her!" Oh this was going to be hard.
"If you just let me see her, this wouldn't have happened," Zack said through his teeth. I managed to get up on my knees. I crawled over to one of the chairs and sat up. I blinked rapidly trying to endure the pain but the blinking didn't help at all. It just made me sorta dizzy.
"Stop it," I whispered looking at the ground. No one seemed to answer so I looked up at both of them.
They were both looking at me nervously and I just took in deep breaths.
"Brooke, I didn't mean to punch you," Zack said bitterly but I can tell that he meant it although I wasn't quite sure.
"Uh, Kyle, I'll take it from here," I said and he walked to the back door. Well maybe stomped would've been a better word for it but either way he left us alone. I waited for him to exit the shop before I started to talk to Zack.
The pain didn't really wear off so I got up to get some ice but almost ended up falling on the floor. Zack prevented that and helped me walk over to the freezer so I could get some ice.
"Can you uh, get me a towel please?" I asked and he nodded. This was starting to feel a little odd.
"Where are they exactly?" he asked me with a less bitter tone.
"Drawer on your left," I directed and he got a white fresh towel and handed it to me. I opened the freezer and leaned on the wall for support. Once I got all the ice in the towel, I placed it against my stomach. His fists were like brass knuckles or maybe even worse. Either way I've never felt that much pain.
"So what did you want to talk about exactly?" I asked squinting every now and then as the ice stung my skin.
He heaved a sigh before starting a conversation. To be honest, I've missed him terribly but I really didn't want to be with him anymore, at least that's what I think. But I was really eager to know what he wanted to tell me. So I listened hoping this wasn't another way to get me hurt again.