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“Calling her ain’t begging,” Slim said. “Maybe she been waiting on you. I ran down on Jayla ass so fucking fast when she went missing I ain’t even have to say shit.”

Brooks exhaled through his nose, jaw tight. “I been making the first move from day one. I’m good. She wanna keep running? Imma let her.”

Brooks wasn’t sure why everyone was so invested and shocked about him lowkey being in love. He was a grown man, and it ain’t never been about no pussy. Money was the motive, the mission until that changed. It changed and he wasn’t running from it, ducking and dodging. He was ready.

“Cap,” Kirk coughed. “Biggest cap I ever heard. Nigga, you been checking your phone every five minutes since we got here. Call her.”

“Man, whatever.” Brooks stood up, stretching. “We gonna sit here analyzing my love life all night or we gonna turn up? Cause I ain’t fly to Denver to be on a Dr. Phil episode with y’all.”

The boys laughed, letting him off the hook. But they weren’t wrong. Brooks felt physically ill when he woke up the next morning and she was gone. No note, no text, just the lingering scent of her perfume on his pillows. He’d laid there for an hour, staring at the ceiling, reminiscing about the night they’d had.

He’d debated on calling her, pulling up at her spot. But if she slid out in the middle of the night, it was for a reason. He wasn’t going to force her. Taylor needed to choose him. He’d done nothing but damn near break his leg standing on business for and about her.

They pre-gamed for another fifteen minutes until heading out. He’d tried hyping his self up on the ridethere. It didn’t work.

They were now at Slims’ party. He was surrounded by beautiful women, the liquor was flowing, music thumping through the speakers, but his mind elsewhere. His attempts at moving on weren’t happening how he thought. With heavy shoulders, Brooks tried to enjoy himself, had a few drinks, rapped a few lyrics, but his heart wasn’t in it. His heart wasn’t in Denver.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He snatched it up too fast, already scowling at himself, until he saw her name. He closed his eyes. The noise of the party, the music, the laughter, the scent of weed blurred into nothing.

He let it ring once. Twice. A part of him wanted to make her wait, to return the favor. But his thumb was already swiping before he could stop himself.

“Speak.”

Silence.

Not the kind he expected. Not that you mad at me, silence women played when they wanted control. This was different. He heard the static of the line, the kind of shallow breathing that told him something was wrong.

His chest tightened. He almost said her name, but her voice coming through stopped him.

“Hey Brooks,” she whispered exhaling.

“Two weeks, Tay?” He bit out. “It took you two whole weeks to hit my line. A nigga been in agony, and you hit me with some soft-ass ‘Hey Brooks’. Why you leave like that huh?”

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved. He hated how good it felt to hear her voice. But behind thatrelief was irritation. Deep. Hot. She had him out here feeling shit. And obviously doing it alone. He’d been obsessively thinking about her. Wanting her. His vibe had been off. Everything at work was pissing him off. He’d barely even been staying home.

“I needed some time to process what happened between us. Clean up this mess.” She sounded small, uncertain. He didn’t like that. Someone had made his woman retreat.

Brooks exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his head.

“We had a good time like grown people do. What was there to process?”

Taylor swallowed. She wasn’t stupid. She heard it. Felt it. Knew damn well what he wasn’t saying. Things had shifted between them, and there was no use pretending otherwise.

She closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the steering wheel of her car. “Yeah, but…” She uttered. Frustration dripped in her tone. He wasn’t getting it. “You have no idea what you did to me, do you?”

Brooks’ jaw twisted. “No, Tay, I don’t. All I know is I gave you the night of your life and woke up in an empty bed. That shit was foul.”

“I know,” she said quickly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do after... after that.”

“I did what you asked me to do,” he said. “Provide good dick and good vibes. I’m still confused baby girl.”

Her eyes snapped open. “That’s not the point, Brooks.”

He let out a short laugh, low and unimpressed. “Then what’s the point? ‘Cause all I hear is excuses as to why I ain’t heard from you in two weeks after youslipped out of my bed without so much as a, bye, a kiss my ass, or anything. You could’ve robbed me and I would’ve respected that more.”

She clenched her fingers around the phone. “I’ve never, neverrrr.” She stopped, dragging her lastneverout, exhaling hard. “Ever experienced anything like that before. The way you touched me, the way you made my body shake. I didn’t know what to do with all of that. I still don’t.”

Brooks inhaled slowly.