I look away from her. This damn hospital bed is like a prison.
“Tyson, I’m so sorry about your accident,” she says to me, and I try to block out her voice. “Look, we need to talk. The guy you saw in my room is not what you think, you stubborn asshole,” she states to me. She has some nerve calling me that.
“How can you call me names?” I respond angrily and turn my head in her direction ready to blow up and give it to her.
Her gaze catches mine, and then her hand is holding mine. My body deceives me, and I feel the usual spark. “Tyson Caine, I promise you that Chad is my lab partner and nothing more. I swear on my father and Dylan’s life,” Brooklyn declares to me as her eyes bore into mine.
“I love you, Tyson, always have and always will. You are stuck with me until we are old and gray if you will put up with me for that long,” she adds, and she leans in to kiss my lips. She kisses me with all of her heart, showing me what I mean to her, showing me that she is serious about spending forever with me.
How could I be so stupid? How did I ever doubt her? The one person who I trusted more than anyone, and my ridiculous overreaction has caused me to end up in the hospital yet again, and what’s worse, I forgot just what Brooklyn meant to me.
“I feel so stupid. I made a huge mistake. Can you ever forgive me? I knew all along you would never cheat on me. I just let my mind and anger take over,” I explain feeling so pissed with myself.
“It’s not your fault, baby,” she tells me kissing me again. “It’s my fault for leaving. I never should have taken the scholarship,” she adds, and my eyes widen.
“Don’t say that. It is a fantastic opportunity, and you will be a Broadway star,” I assure her.
“I honestly don’t care about any of that, Tyson. All I care about is being with you. I’ve missed you so much the last few months, and my heart hurts being away from you,” she tells me with sincerity.
“Brooklyn you have no idea how much I’ve missed you. The days have been unbearable.”
“Well, we don’t have to be apart anymore, Tyson,” she declares.
“It’s only eight more months, and we will be together,” I say, and it feels like an eternity.
“I couldn’t deal with any more days let alone weeks or months, so I’m moving back. I spoke to the dean at Indiana State University, and he has accepted me on as a late admission,” she tells me, and I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
She is moving back! No more long distance relationship! But it’s her dream, dancing is her love, her life.
“You can’t throw away your dream for me, Brooklyn,” I declare to her truthfully.
“I’m not throwing away anything. The biggest thing in my life right now is you and me. Dancing is important, but it’s just something I do.”
“You, Tyson Caine, are a part of me, my every being, the first thing I think about in the morning and before bed. You are that feeling you get when you taste your favorite kind of ice cream. Dancing is a love of mine, and it shapes who I am. But you complete who I am. Without you, I feel broken and like a part is missing. I can dance here, I can and will still follow my dreams, but right now, all I dream about is you, and honestly, it’s been a nightmare not being in your arms every night.”
It’s time for a fresh start. Turns out Dad’s life insurance has set Mom up until retirement. We are excited to sell our old place since it has a lot of bad memories—the beatings, Dad and his drinking—so we would rather start fresh somewhere completely new.
The money is still raw for Mom, but it’s a blessing in disguise. The new place is modern and doesn’t need a lot of work.
I take Mom shopping for some extras for around the house—new cushions, a painting, and candles.
“I really like these dark blue pots, Tyson. How about we choose some nice plants and put them on our front porch near the stairs?” Mom asks, and I nod. Seeing her smile and having so much input about her home warms my heart.
Jimmy made most of the decisions, and he mostly said no to everything Mom suggested or would just turn up with anything he wanted to buy.
If she had bought something, he would always ask her, “How did you pay for that? Why did you buy that?” He was always negative. Well, there is none of that now.
When we arrive at our new home, it’s so wonderful to see our friends who have come to help Mom unload her furniture and unpack.
Tyler and Tommy have a few friends helping them. Brooklyn and Cassie are cleaning all of the windows, and Jacob, Buzz, Emmet, and Jay are trimming the overgrown trees.
Mom starts to cry. “Oh Tyson, you have some amazing friends, my dear son,” she exclaims hugging me.
“We are family. We stick together and help each other out,” I respond.
I follow Mom’s eyes, and I see Jessica, our new stepsister. We have now caught up with her at least five times, and so far, she seems nice and pretty normal. She may be the result of an affair, but honestly, she and Mom are thick as thieves these days. Mom always wanted a daughter, and well, maybe this is her wish.
“A housewarming gift,” she tells Mom as she hands her a large sunflower in a pot. “A sunflower symbolizes a long life, good luck, and happiness. I wish you all of that,” she declares to Mom.
“You know what; I think those sunflowers might just be onto something. I believe this new chapter in our lives is going to be sensational,” Mom responds smiling. She holds my hand, and Jessica’s in the other as we walk down the path of our new home.
Brooklyn comes leaping up to me. Careful not to hurt my shoulder, she embraces me tightly, then we kiss like it’s been days apart and not only one hour. The true meaning of happiness is Brooklyn. I can’t fucking wait to spend the rest of my life with this sensational and amazing woman who I love with all of my heart and soul.
The End
“You have reached the voice mail of Tyler Caine. Leave me a message, and maybe I’ll call you back and maybe I won’t.”
I’m Tyler Caine and I have a reputation to uphold. Best quarterback in Cedar Lake Indiana. Middle brother in the Caine household. Player, womanizer and ladies’ man. I have the ladies lining up.
But…
Maybe I’m just finally growing up; I’m getting tired of the same routine, the cheap chicks after cheap kicks, the brainless cheerleaders who are only good for one thing…
Could I finally be ready to be a one-woman guy? Is there really that one chick out there that will transform me and make me want to be better for myself and for her?
At the end of the day I’m itching to get those butterflies and fall in love. Can I actually prove to the world that I’m capable of greatness on and off the field?
Well, I’m going to give it a good shot…
TYSON CAINE: Book 1 in the Brothers in Arms Series (Brothers in Arms Book 1) Page 18