I called Gabby to tell her that I was back, she was not happy that I didn't even call her once while I was in the hospital. I explained that my time in the hospital is best when I'm alone. It was a little back and forth but she was happy that I was well again, and back home.
"You ready for dinner?" Gabby walks into my bedroom, as I straighten out my dress. I didn't want to go out tonight, but Gabby said she was single and wanted to go out and meet someone new. I didn’t want to go out, but Gabby said that it would be good for me to get out, after being in hospital, she said I needed to get back to normal life.
I haven't told her about Atlas, because I didn't know how to tell her, I had fallen in love with a capturer. It's the whole modern Beauty and the Beast. She would've thought I'm crazy, or the situation was crazy, and to be honest, I'm just not in the mood to have a million questions thrown my way.
My glance moves to my phone on the bed and see Rhys’ name flash again, it must be the fifth time today.
"Hello," I answer the phone as I tell Gabby to give me five minutes.
"Brooklyn, Atlas said he needs to talk to you, and we are coming as well-"
"I'm going out, and now that I know you will be at my apartment, I won't be coming back here," I tell him and end the call.
I asked for time, and I suppose two days is enough time for Atlas, and now he wants to talk to me. I still don't know what I can say to him about what I want. I don't know what I want.
"Ready," I walk out of the bedroom, and over to Gabby.
"You look smoking, dinner then the bar," she tells me as she goes to take a selfie of us.
"You look amazing too, feels like forever since I went out," I say with a smile. I have to say I'm excited to be going out and having fun again. Being stuck in the house was horrible, and I’m happy to be free again
"Because it has been, I still wish you told me, I would have been at the hospital every day to keep you company," Gabby tells me as I grab my bag.
"I know I'm sorry, but I'm here, so let's have some fun." We walk out of my apartment, and down the street. "So single, how do we like it?" I ask her.
Gabby broke up with Simon, because he got a job, and the long-distance was going to be hard for them, they both agreed this was the best way.
"Hard, but I know that my prince is out there somewhere," she links her arm with mine as we continue to walk down the road. "It would be amazing if we dated brothers, or at least best friends."
"Yeah, I need to find a man that can look past all the broken parts of me," I say with a laugh in my tone. Gabby stops walking without warning, making me almost fall.
"If a man can't love you for a scar you have because you fought to live, then he doesn't deserve you," Gabby shouts at me.
I remember the words that Atlas said to me, about how I shouldn't have to hide my scar, and told me that I was beautiful, and so is my scar.
"I know, and one day that man will come," I tell her with a smile. Thinking about a man just like that, only he loved the organ behind the scar.
As we walk into the restaurant, we follow the waiter to our table and give him a drinks order.
"You planning on coming back to work?" Gabby asks as we both look through the menu.
"Not sure yet," I reply, not sure if I'm staying or if I go back to Atlas. I’ve thought a lot about things in the last two days, and every second all I’m thinking about is Atlas.
"Well, in the meantime, we have to go out together," Gabby looks up at the waiter as he puts down our drinks. "To a good night, and more to come," she says as she picks up her glass, and so do I.
A shiver passes through me when I feel him. My heartbeat shoots up, and I try to locate the source of this situation, but I can’t find him anywhere.
If I wanted to stay away from Atlas, I don't think I could, the pull my heart has towards him will never leave me. It's been two days since I saw Atlas, and my body misses him. I miss him. If it was all simple, I wouldn't even have to think twice about it, and I would be there with him. This is not simple. This is crazier than anything else.
"One, two, three," Gabby counts, and we take another shot. The music is pounding, the bar is full, and a few others from work have also come out tonight.
"That’s it for me, I can already feel it going straight to my head," I tell her.
"Oh come on, I'm catching you up on all the lost time." Gabby points to her empty glass as the bartender walks past. "After this shot, we are going to dance," she tells me as she turns to face the dance floor.
I still haven't been able to shake the feeling that eyes are on me, watching me. I've had the feeling someone is following me, too. I keep thinking it's Atlas, but I can't see him when I look around. I'm going crazy, that's all this is.
"You know that guy hasn't stopped looking at you, and his friend is super hot." Gabby taps my shoulder as she talks, and at that moment I know who she’s talking about. "I want the friend," Gabby adds as I turn to face Atlas.
There he is, sexy blue eyes pinned directly on me. I shake my head a little as my heart tries to pound its way out of my chest.
As the bartender places the two shot glasses on the counter, I take them both and down them, making Gabby stare at me.
"They’re coming here." Gabby's voice gets a little higher as she grabs my arm, I have no idea which one she likes between Aiden and Rhys, and at the moment I don't care.
"Brooklyn-"
"I have nothing to say to you." I turn around to face him, but I can't look into his eyes. "Atlas, I wanted space."
"You know him?" Gabby shouts.
"Gabby this is Atlas, Rhys, and Aiden," I tell her and it answers my question which one she is drooling over. She puts her hand out to Aiden. Oh god, she has no idea what she is getting into there.
"I know, but I had to see you." Atlas takes a step closer to me, but I put my hand up to stop him. Atlas looks at Aiden as he moves closer to the bar with Gabby.
I look over at Rhys. "I tried to stop him, but even I got worried. You've not been answering my calls," Rhys tells me. I have no idea why, but I like him. He seems like he doesn't have a wall up, what you see is what you get, sometimes you can tell that he's thinking, but most of the time, he puts his worry to the side, and will have a smile on his face.
I push through them not wanting to talk to either of them at the moment, as I get to the dance floor, to walk past everyone to leave, but I feel Atlas’ hand on my arm as he turns me to face him.
"If you can, please talk to me." Atlas tells me, I finally look into these eyes, and they do look like they've lost something, lost his love again.
"You want this heart so fucking much, I'm more than happy to rip it out and fucking give it to you," I shout at him. I don't know why I've lost my anger, but right now, I want to just scream at him to leave me alone.
As I walk away, I feel a hand on the back of my neck, Atlas pulls and turns me around, my face close to Atlas'. "You say these words again, and it will piss me off." Atlas steps closer to me, pulling me into him, and starts moving a little to the music, to make it look like we are dancing. "I'm sorry, in so many ways, I'm sorry. I know no matter what I say it won't change your mind, but these two days have been like hell. Pain that I've never experienced before. Hurt so much worse, knowing that you might not come back to me. Knowing that I love you, and I didn't even try to fight for you. I'm here fighting for you, I will be here to fight with you when you need me." Atlas' finger moves down the side of my face, making my body shiver a little. "I love you, Brooklyn, and I will do whatever it takes to prove to you that I love you."