Prompt: Luka - "I don't want everything we have to come down to this one decision. We can get past it. You did what you had to do, it doesn't mean we can't be together." - 'ER'
He held his breath as he waited for her answer. This wasn't how he had wanted her to find out. Okay, he hadn't want to her to find out, period but she had. That couldn't be changed now. All he could hope was that she could understand why he had did what he did.
He couldn't take the silence any longer. "Look, Rachel, this is New York. The city where dreams are made and shattered. People do what they have to do to make it. Things that they sometimes aren't proud of. Am I proud of being an escort? No. But I needed the money to pay for tuition. It's a way to make ends meet. Please understand."
Rachel nodded slowly at his words. "I can but it has to stop."
"You mean . . ."
Rachel nodded at him. Brody had hurt her by hiding this from her but that didn't change the fact that she was falling for him and she could understand his do anything to make it desire. She was driven by the same thing.
"I'm willing to give us a second chance. I get that you did what you felt you had to do but I can't continue to date you if you're still making your extra money that way, no matter how lucrative it is. We can get past this but you have to agree to put it behind you."
"I can!" Brody said reaching out and taking her hand. "I will. I'll figure out someway to make the extra money I need in a more respectable fashion. One that I don't have to hide from you."
Rachel took her free hand and placed it over the hand Brody was holding her own hand with. Her heart felt lighter with the decision though there was some fear. She knew he could easily break her heart again but wasn't love worth that risk.