One More Time (Bremmy 1)

Chapterish 19

"Em," Brooks says, tracing his thumb over the back of my shoulder.

Shit. Maybe he's gonna do it. He's gonna be the one who ruins it. His voice does sound all weird and unnatural.

"Brooks," I answer.

Longest pause ever.

"Are you happy out west?" Brooks asks.

Oh. That's it? "Yes," I answer. "Are you happy in North Carolina?"

"Yea, for the most part." He nods. "Sometimes it's hard."

"Like when?" I ask.

"Like when I can tell my mom is struggling. When I come back here and everything sort of feels..."

"Right." I finish his sentence. Damn it, Em.

"Exactly."

"I think it's good to miss it sometimes. Means it's still home, ya know? If you came back and it didn't feel this way, then there'd be no reason to come back." It's basically how I feel.

"So, since you're staying now... for the week, I mean. Will you go to the Labor Day fair with me?" Brooks asks, smirking.

I laugh and nudge him in the ribs, rolling on top of him. "Why else do you think I stayed?"

"The truth comes out at last," he laughs. Brooks pulls the sheets up over my head, concealing us both in a low tent. "But really?"

I bite my lip to keep from smiling. "I think I could make it work."

"It's a date, then," Brooks says without looking at me. My insides churn. A celebratory churn. Fuck.

"Still on that back field by the fire station. Do you remember summer before senior year? Got kicked out because–"

"Travis and Alex snuck onto the water tower and tried to pour their beers into yours and Nate's mouths." I finish, laughing. "Of course I remember. Hard to forget."

"There is a lot that's hard to forget," Brooks mumbles. He isn't wrong.

I want to agree. To offer any type of signal that I feel the same, but I can't. The problem is there's too much I want to forget.

"Yea then you and Trix tried to sneak us back in. Trix flirted with the guy at the entrance," Brooks says, cracking up. His eyes wrinkle in the corners.

"Tried to flirt." I smirk, thankful he started talking again.

"God, I haven't been to a Labor Day carnival since that one," Brooks says, running his hand through his hair.

"You haven't? But I thought. I mean, you've been home. Unlike some of us," I smirk.

"During school I only really had July off. Then after I haven't really been home. The two years I was home I couldn't really go. I don't know, maybe I made excuses." Brooks shakes his head.

"I know that feeling." I nod, resting my chin on his.

"Seems we've both been trying to pretend."

"I'm doing it better," I say. I kiss him on the lips, V old-fashioned. Nothing too fancy.

"Clearly," he laughs, wrapping his arms around me.

"Hey!" I hit him.

Brooks rolls on top of me and the sheets twist beneath us. The pillows are long gone –tossed on the floor with his shirt and my hoodie and all of my dignity. His room is cool now. Our bodies are cool now.