In the Back of My Mind

His warm chocolate eyes had her captivated as she was sucked back in to the memories that haunted her mind. All the birthdays, all the dates, all of the minutes that they spent together; All of it had become crystal clear in her mind again just like flashing a movie past her eyes.

He had gotten much more muscular since she had last seen him, not that she was complaining, but his physical appearance wasn’t helping the fact that she so desperately wanted to kiss him again, just to feel his warm lips against her own once more.

“Excuse me,” Brooklyn rushed, leaving her clutch next to Olivia and Zacky on the bar. “I need to use the bathroom,” She said, dashing off around the corner to where the restrooms were, but instead of taking a right, she went left and walked out of the building.

Taking a deep breath, she let the salty sea air burn her lungs. She ignored the fact that she was the only one that was on this side of the building and welcomed the silence. She needed a minute or two to think.

Because currently, she was freaking out.

Startled by her own thoughts, she didn’t even notice the fact that someone else had joined her outside.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

She turned her head to see who she had just replied to, when she was greeted by the sight of Brian, standing with his back against the wall, top three buttons of his shirt unbuttoned, exposing his tanned, muscular chest, and his hands jammed down into the front pockets of his jeans. She folded her arms over her chest, shifting her weight from foot to foot so that her heels didn’t cause her toes to go numb.

His brown eyes trapped her turquoise ones in a long, intense stare, in which no words were being spoken, but everything that needed to be said, was being said.

His eyes gazed over her features once more, taking in her entire appearance. She had changed so much since he had last had any sort of one on one time with her. So much, that the memories that he held on to, were slowly disappearing and being replaced by the new ones he was making.

“Brooklyn,” He spoke, after a long period of silence.

“Don’t talk to me,” She snapped.

“Brooke…”

“I said don’t talk to me.”

He furrowed his brow, “Why?”

“Because,” She half laughed, half choked back tears. “Everything I wanted to ever say to you, I already wrote down and now I have nothing left to say to you.”

Brian pushed himself off of the wall, taking a small step towards her, but still keeping the distance between them. “Then let me talk,” He suggested. “Just listen.”

After he got no response, he decided to go ahead and tell her everything that was on his mind.

“First off, I need to apologize for what an ass I made of myself. I should have never told you that you were settling because if I would’ve known better, I wouldn’t have said that and lost you. Brooklyn, my world was a fucking mess without you in it and I beat myself up every day for letting you go. I was stupid. I really fucking was.”

She stared down at her painted toes, peeking out from her heels. She didn’t know whether to cry or throw herself at him or kiss his face or run away or what. She was absolutely floored by what he had just said.

“I read every one of your posts since you left…” He said hesitantly, thinking that it may get a response out of her.

And it did.

Her head jerked up, looking at him with a puzzled expression. “You what?”

He gulped, swallowing what air he had left into his lungs. “I read all of your posts online,” He repeated.

“You did?” She said, with a glimmer of sincerness in her eye.

“Yeah,” He nodded, taking a step towards her, feeling the heat from her body.

“You never said anything on there…” She said cautiously, raising one brow in a questioning manner.

“I did.”

“You did?”

He nodded softly. “I did, well, I did once,” He corrected. “I was too nervous that you would find out who I really was if I commented on every post that was about me.”

“They aren’t all about you,” She stated sternly. “They’re about other people too.”

“Come on Brooke, you think I’m going to believe that?”

“I was kind of hoping you would,” She said shyly, avoiding looking at his face.

It was now his turn to cock his head, smiling that silly little grin he used to whenever he knew that he was right. That same shit-eaten grin that turned her on and made her feel like such a girl.

“You missed me, didn’t you?” He accused.

“No, I don’t.”

“Brooklyn…”

She huffed, picking up her head and peering into the eyes of the man she still had so many feelings for. Caught in a gaze, she dropped her eyes again, concentrating on the rocky ground beneath her feet.

“I miss you,” She whispered.