part 22

She hit send on Danielle's name in her contacts list as the elevator doors opened on to the lobby floor. She rolled her eyes at one of the blonds who was flirting with theguy at the main counters. She slipped her arms in through her coat just as Danielle picked up.

"Brooklyn?" Danielle asked confused.
"Hey Danielle." she responded holding the phone with her shoulder to unlock her Jaguar. "I really need to talk to you."
"Of course, of course" she said the pep coming back into her voice. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Um yeah." she said remembering the bruise beginning to yellow on her cheek. "I'll explain everything when I see you."
"Where do you wanna go? I can go for some coffee!"
"No." she said before Danielle could continue. "I really don't want to be 'out' right now."
"Well, I'm home. If you wanna come over." she said her voice losing the pep.
"Okay, I'm on my way now. Give me 10 minutes." she said as she started her car to allow the heater to do its job. "Just promise me you won't jump to conclusions before I tell you what happened.
"Oh okay?" Danielle asked once again confused.
"I'll explain it all, be there soon."

She let her forehead fall against the steering wheel. She knew she'd have to tell her about her face eventually but she wasn't ready to admit that she had thought about cheating on Nicklas. The more she thought about it the worse she began to feel. Before she had a chance to think exactly she was going to tell her, she was already walking into Danielle's apartment lobby. The door man smiled then raised a confused look when he saw her left side. She dropped her head and pressed the 3rd floor button on the elevator wall. She smiled as an elderly couple got on when it stopped on the 2nd floor. They stood in front of her, their hands interlocked. The woman rested her head on the man's shoulder as he placed a small kiss on the top of her silver head. She still had a happy smile on her face when she stopped in front of Danielle and Mike's apartment 201B door. She was barely on her second knock when Danielle ripped open the door and pulled her in by her shirt.

"You know what Brooklyn?" Danielle started, a little pissed off. "I don't...oh my god! What happened? Did Nicklas? NO! I'll kill him-"
"Woah!" she said cutting her off. "You promised you wouldn't jump to any conclusions. I've done enough of that for both of us. "
"I'm sorry." Danielle said finally letting go of her shirt. "You just really had me worried."
"I'm sorry, I just...I didn't want to talk about it over the phone."
Danielle sighed. "Come sit down, spill everything to me!"

Danielle took her hand and sat her down on the living room couch. Their apartment was bigger than hers. The living room was filled with light from the french style doors that led to a large balcony that over looked a snow covered garden style yard. Three small children were putting the finishing touches on their lop sided snowman. She smiled and turned back to Danielle. She was still in her pajamas, a pair of red silk pants and a white tank top. Her blond hair falling down out of a high messy bun. Her brown eyes masked by a light black rim of leftover eyeliner. She took a deep breath and began.

"Two days ago while Nicklas was in New York I thought I'd go home for the weekend. I hadn't called or seen my parents since I moved down here a six months ago, I figured it was time to go make sure everyone was okay, anyway no one was home so I just hung out in alone in my old room. That's when my ex-boyfriend showed up."
"Oh no!" Danielle broke in.
"Yeah, he of course made me feel like shit, when he's the one who cheated on my during a party everyone we knew was at. He brought up Nicklas and called me a whore. I tried to walk away and he pushed me against the wall. My reaction was to defend myself, I hit him and..." she started to cry.
"Oh Brooklyn!" Danielle said pulling her into her arms.
"There's more." she said curling into Danielle's arm. "After I came home, Nicklas completely freaked out. Which I expected but he made Alexander stay with me to make sure Brody-"
"Your ex?"
"Yeah. Made sure he didn't come back. I kinda spilled things to him.."
"Like?" Danielle asked.
"Like Nicklas being so calm and down to earth and how I need a wild night to just let loose and well.."
"He made a move?" Danielle said.
"Yeah...and."
"You let him, and now you feel bad."
"Yeah exactly! I don't know what would've happened if Nicklas didn't call."
"Are you and Nicklas fighting?" Danielle asked.
"Yeah. When he called I heard a girl say she wanted to 'see his sexy body' and I over reacted like I always do. Completely freaked out."
"Okay." Danielle said stopping her. "Let me make sure I understand. Brody hits you. Nicklas makes Alex stay baby sit you to make sure Brody keeps his distance. Alex makes a move, you let him because you need the excitement. Nicklas calls, interrupts. You hear another girl get mad. And that's what you're fighting about. and then..?"
"I came here." Brooklyn said.
"Right you came here." Danielle said taking a deep breath. "Okay it's 1:30 the game starts at 2, so they're probably warming up. Michael will call at 5 so...we've got 4 1/2 hours to figure this out. Trust me Brooklyn this happens."
"What?" she asked pulling away from Danielle's hug. "Cheating on the boy of my dreams?"
"Hey I cheated on Michael." Danielle said with a laugh.
"What? With who?"
"Matt."
"Bradley!?" Brooklyn said in shock. "No way!"
"Yeah they had a girlfriends game, where you bring your girlfriend or wife, and he was flirting with some slutty brunette the whole damn time, he even signed her fucking chest! Well I told him to burn and I ended up banging Matt in his car that night."
"How did.."
"Michael take it?" Danielle said laughing. "He flipped out. Moved in with Brooks for a week. One night I was doing dishes and he came home without saying a word picked me up and, oh I tell you..best sex ever!"
"Well I don't think any of that will be happening."
"Why not?" Danielle asked confused.
"I don't think he would want our first time to be just to prove he's better than Alexander."
"Oh? You're still a virgin?"
"Well, to Nicklas." she said with a little laugh.
"Well I promise everything will be okay and you'll lose that Nicklas virginity. I mean he doesn't even need to know about Alex, since nothing happened."
"I don't know how long I can keep that quiet."
"Then you tell him that you were upset so you came on to Alex but you stopped before anything went down or..well up but you know."
"I hope so."
"You look exhausted."
"I am. I haven't slept in a while." Brooklyn said rubbing her eyes.

Before she knew it she was passed out on Danielle's couch she woke up to Danielle whispering on the phone in the kitchen.

"No Michael she's really upset, she's asleep, no its not that noticeable, I think she has make up covering it, no I'm not going to ask her, I don't care, tell him he needs to call her and explain, Michael Green! That's what I thought, thank you, bye baby.

She shifted on the couch which got Danielle's attention. She sat down her tea and smiled. Brooklyn groaned and sat up.

"What time is it?"
"Almost 6."
"Oh god! Alexander!" she said reaching for her phone.
"Has called you 4 times."
"Babysitters" she said with a laugh. "I better get home."
"Yeah you better."
"Thank you Danielle." she said her eyes tearing up again.
"Brooklyn." she said taking her hands. "Everything will work out fine."

She nodded, hugged her and made her way to the parking lot. She laughed as Alexander called just as she started her car.

"I'm on my way." she said skipping the hello's.
"You better. You say before game Alexander I be home, it after game Brooklyn!"
"I'm leaving now."
"Well you have 10 minutes, I call again."
"Bye."

She made it back to her apartment lobby just as the snow started again. Once again she found the blond sitting on the main lobby counter. Her skirt barely covering her underwear. She pressed the up button as the elevator. The blond caught her eye and smiled.

"Hi Brooklyn." she said in an annoying high pitched voice.
"Mmhm." she said rolling her eyes. "Where's the other slut?"
"Huh?"
"The on you're always with."
"Oh you mean Bre?" the blond said just as the elevator doors opened.
"Excuse me?"
"Her name is Bre. I'm Cady." she said putting her hand out for Brooklyn to shake it.
"Where is Bre?"
"Um she said something about going to Detroit except she wouldn't tell me why, stupid slut keeping secrets."
"Oh!" Brooklyn said grinding her teeth. "I know exactly why she went to Detroit."