Chapter 23

He started kissing my neck and worked his way down to my shoulders. I pushed his jacket off and ripped his shirt off, running my hands over his chest. He unzipped my dress and it slid down to my ankles. I slid out of my heels, leaving me in a black strapless bra and lacy boy shorts. He picked me up and laid me on the bed. He stood over top of me and grinned, showing his too cute dimples. "What?" He just shook his head. "Just looking at how beautiful you are, and how lucky I am." He lays on top of me and starts kissing me, taking clothes as he goes down. He kicks his pants and boxers off and slides inside me. Wow! When we finish he collapses on the bed beside me, both of us breathless and sweaty. We slide under the sheets and fall asleep in each others arms.

*

Bruno woke up in the same position he fell asleep in. I looked at Brooke and smiled. She looked so peaceful. I brushed a stray curl away from her face so I could see her better. Her brow knotted together as if she were dreaming about something serious. I couldn't help but smile. She was so beautiful, she had innocent beauty. She didn't flaunt it like models did, she had beauty that was rare, she didn't believe in it but everyone around her could see it. She didn't deserve me, no way. I kissed her cheek and took a cold shower. I threw on my Mickey mouse shirt and a pair of kaki cargo shorts. I slid on a pair of flip flops and left my hair in it's curly form. Then it hit me. I haven't had a smoke since I've been back with Brooke. I looked at the pack then back at Brooke. I needed one now. I grabbed them and my lighter and walked out onto the balcony. I took a long needed drag and started thinking. Brooke doesn't deserve me. She would be alone some nights. I would be so busy with my tour getting ready to start back up. She deserved someone who would never leave her alone at night. Someone who would always be there. I was so afraid of hurting her, loosing her, it made my eyes start to burn with tears. What if I hurt her? I wouldn't be able to live with myself! Was proposing to her the right thing to do? I mean I'm crazy about her, I can't stop thinking about her. But was proposing to her just a promise of lonely days and nights as well as a too busy husband?

*

I woke up to an empty bed. I sat up and saw Bruno standing outside on the balcony. I got up and took a quick shower. I changed into my old Tennessee softball jersey and a pair of ripped up white knee shorts. I braided my hair and walked out on the balcony. When I saw Bruno my heart sank a little. "I thought you stopped smoking?" He looked at me and his eyes were red, almost as if he'd been crying, but he doesn't cry often must just be a hangover. "I forget about it when I'm around you." He said hoarsely. He'd been crying, but why? He closed his eyes and took a long drag, holding it in and slowly letting it out. "What's wrong?" He just shook his head and took another drag. "Bruno." I said sternly. "It's nothing." "Peter. Gimme this damned thing." I ripped the cigarette out of his hand a took the rest of the pack. He leaned over and rested his arms on the edge, burying his face in his hands. "You don't deserve me, your going to alone a lot with me on tour and everything and even if you do come I wont get back till late and I'll always be busy you deserve someone who will always be there for you." Everything just comes pouring out. "Peter! Of all things I don't deserve you! Your famous and rich and good looking......me, I'm just a girl from Hawaii who loves racing horses and playing softball. I'm not pretty like some chicks out there. You deserve like a model, someone who is pretty. I know your going to be busy, and so am I, it's the price of fame. I'm willing to be alone, it's going to happen." "No. No, no, no. Don't ever say that you're not pretty, your beautiful to me. But...." "Peter. Do you love me?" "Of course more than anything, your my world." "Then that's all that matters! We both love each other, that's all that matters. You'll find a way to spend time with me, you always have. Even when we were younger you found a way to be with me even if it risked you getting grounded. "I'm afraid of hurting you though, or loosing you." I hug him. "So am I Bruno. But we've lasted this long I think we can last a lifetime. Things may get rough but no matter what we just gotta stick together and get the best out of the lives we have. I know you would never intentionally hurt me." He hugs me back and we start swaying slowly back and fourth. I start feeling him heave against me. I look at him and wipe his tears away. I gently kiss him and smile. "You think too much." He wraps his arm around my waist and we walk back inside. I grab my suitcase and look at Bruno. "Help me pack?" "What for?" "Bruno I have to leave this evening." "Oh! Right." He helps me pack my things and then we start packing his. "Why do you have to leave so early? Why can't you just leave tomorrow?" "Because I have to talk to the press, do a couple interviews, look at the competition, and I want to work with Farah some more. I'm only going to be gone a day." "I know but that's a whole day without you. I'm gonna be lost!" I laughed. "You have the guys." "But it's not the same! Their not beautiful and lovable and kissable like you!" He walked over and kissed me. "You made it without me for 5 years and then a year....." As soon as I said it I immediately regretted it. "Brookie?" "It was rough out there, sometimes I had to sleep on the streets and I wouldn't be able to eat for days and I love food! But that was then and this is now, Tyler's dead and I'm not. Happy ending for all." He hugs me. "You ok?" I let out a confident sigh. "Totally." We finish packing our things and I look at the clock. "Oh geez I gotta get going my flights leaving for Vancouver in an hour and the airports half an hour away." He helps me carry my things downstairs. It's 2:30 in the afternoon and no one has moved. I have no idea where Phil and Melody are but I have a pretty good idea. Bruno puts my stuff in the trunk and we slide into the limo. I yawn and realize I'm so tired! The whole way to the airport me and Bruno are talking and laughing nonstop I forget about my sudden sleepiness. As soon as we stop a thick silence falls. I get my things and we walk to the terminal. "Well, this is as far as you can follow me my little lost puppy." He smiled and giggled. "It's only gonna be a day......some how were both going to manage." "Not me." He mumbled. "Hey, last time someone had to leave it was for years, thankfully this is only for a day." He kissed me long and hard, both of us not wanting to let go. "Last call for flight 329 to Vancouver." We pull away. "That's my flight." He hugged me and I walked into security. I looked back one final time and he held up his hand and waved like a little kid. I waved back and boarded my plane.

 *Vancouver racetrack*

"Brookie are you ok? You don't look so hot." Frankie asked. I had only been at the track for a hour but it felt like 4 days. I had bruises all over, which was weird because I don't bruise easily and I hadn't really done anything to get them. I had finally figured her out. She had an amazing ability. She was able to keep her breathing steady and then she could explode as soon as I released the reins. But I had to be careful because I didn't want to release the reins too early. Sometimes I would have to hold the reins tight just so she wouldn't just run. The vet said her tumors in her eyes that was making her blind had stopped growing, leaving her with some visibility but she could vaguely see anything unless it was bright out. I stopped Farah and slid off. "I'm...Whoa." I got really dizzy. "I'm...f...fine." Next thing I saw was blackness. I awoke in a car gasping for breath and disoriented. "What the hell just happened?!?!" "Whoa there Brookie, you past out after being on the track for only an hour we just left the hospital. Don't you remember? You woke up earlier? Anything?" "No, nothing." "The doctors did some blood work and they sent it off to specialist." "Specialists?" "They said something seemed off, they don't have the technology so they sent it off. They said you should get the results back tonight." "Oh.....where are we going now?" "Your hotel room.....damn you don't remember anything do you? We discussed all this already." "Oh." I said quietly. I stay awake the rest of the drive until we get to the hotel. I grab my things out of the back and we walk into my room. It's nice, really big and spacious. I set my stuff down and my phone starts vibrating. It's a number I don't recognize. Frankie walks in and I put it on speaker. "Hello?" "Ms. Daniels?" "Yes?" "Hi I'm Doctor Reynolds, we have your test results back." "And?" The doctor tells me what it is and everything in my body freezes.

*

Bruno had just finished helping the guys clean up and pack. I stripped down to just my boxers and climbed in under the cool sheets. It felt so weird without Brooke's cheerfulness and energy. I laid on my stomach and sighed. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but I kept tossing and turning. Something didn't feel right. Maybe I just couldn't get comfortable with the thoughts of Brooke not being here on my mind. I sighed angrily and closed my eyes. Slowly my body started to relax and I drifted off. But my sleep was filled with horrible dreams.

*

I look at Frankie and his jaw is dropped, his eyes are about as big as a fifty cent piece and he's pale as a ghost. My phone falls out of my hand and hits the floor with a bang. A piercing scream escapes my lips and tears come pouring down my cheeks. The next thing I can remember is Frankie cradling me on the floor and him telling the doctor we would call back. "Ohmigod! Ohmigod! Ohmigod!" I start going into a panic attack. "Brooke calm down." I think that's the first time he's ever called me by my real name. "Calm down?! Calm down?! I'm supposed to be getting married to my best friend, I'm living out my dream again, I'm riding a horse that has a blessing, and you're telling me to calm down?! I'm dying Frankie! I have leukemia in case you didn't hear!"