Chapter 2 If only brooks noticed

Summer's Pov

She slid effortlessly into the booth, crowding right next to Brooks. She didn't even look at me. Instead, she leaned over and planted a loud, lingering kiss right on Brooks’s cheek.

My breath caught in my throat. I sat there, frozen, staring at the two of them as the world seemed to tilt..

Brooks didn't look uncomfortable. He didn't look guilty. Instead, he wrapped a possessive arm around Taylor’s waist, pulling her closer against his side, his face glowing with a bright, happy smile.

He looked across the table at me, his expression completely radiant, entirely oblivious to the fact that he had just shattered my heart into a million jagged pieces.

“Surprise!” Brooks beamed, tightening his grip on her. “Summer, you’re the first person I wanted to tell! We talked it out over the phone a few days ago, and we realized we couldn't bear to be apart. I knew you’d be happy for us.”

Taylor finally turned her gaze to me, her lips curling into a subtly triumphant, possessive smile. Her eyes swept down to my green skirt and tight sweater.

“Yeah, Summer,” Taylor purred, leaning her head against Brooks’s shoulder. “Brooks told me how much you helped him through the breakup. It’s so sweet how supportive you are of us. Like a little sister.”

The words felt like a physical slap to my face. The noise of the diner faded into a dull roar in my ears. I forced my muscles to move, forced my lips to stretch into a horrific smile, even as the tears began to burn the backs of my eyes.

“I'm so happy we finally passed that stage, and look” she held up her left finger, and there was a ring. “An engagement ring! Isn't that nice?” She forced a smile.

“I figured out I wanted to take this to the next step” Brooks placed a soft kiss on her cheeks, and I had to blink twice to force the tears that were building up in my eyes.

“Yeah,” I choked out, my voice hollow and distant, like it belonged to someone else. “That’s... that’s great. I’m really happy for you guys.”

The harsh clatter of a heavy ceramic mug hitting the diner table was the only thing that kept me from dissolving into the vinyl booth.

“Here are those cheese fries, man,” the broad-shouldered waiter murmured, sliding a massive, grease-glistening plate between us.

“Thanks, man,” Brooks beamed, completely unaffected. He immediately reached for a fork, focused on the food, while Taylor pressed her shoulder harder against his, her gaze fixed on me like a hawk watching a wounded rabbit.

The green skirt that had made me feel pretty and brave just ten minutes ago now felt like a sign broadcasting my humiliation. I could feel Ali’s eyes on the back of my head from the counter, but I couldn't turn around. I couldn't let her see the defeat written all over my face.

“So, Sum,” Brooks said around a mouthful of fries, oblivious to the vice crushing my chest. “What were you saying before Taylor got here? You said you wanted things to change?”

Taylor’s fingers stilled on Brooks’s arm, her perfectly shaped eyebrows rising in silent challenge. She was waiting for me to break.

I swallowed the hot lump of tears, forcing my lips into the most convincing casual smile I could manage.

“Oh, it was nothing important,” I said, my voice thin. “Just... with the new semester starting tomorrow, I was just saying I want to change up my routine. Focus more on my studies. I’m taking a really heavy course load this term, so I probably won't be around the rink or the apartment as much as last year.”

Brooks blinked, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face. “Oh. Really? But we always hang out on Tuesday nights. And you’re still helping out with the team equipment, right?”

“I am, but my hours are changing,” I lied, the hollow ache expanding with every word. “I just really need to prioritize my GPA if I want to keep my department scholarship.”

“Well, academics are super important,” Taylor chimed in. She patted Brooks’s chest. “We shouldn't distract Summer from her little books, sweetie. Besides, you’re going to be so busy with the pre-season scrimmages, and we have that couples' cabin trip planned for next month.”

Couples' cabin trip.

Every syllable felt like an earthquake. Brooks just nodded along, blind to the subtle warfare across the table.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Brooks muttered, though he still looked at me with a lingering frown. “Just don't become a total stranger, okay, Sum? You’re my rock.”

Your rock?. The irony was crushing. I was his rock, but Taylor was his world.

“I won't,” I choked out, the pressure behind my eyes reaching a breaking point. I couldn't sit here another second. If I stayed until the check, I was going to cry in front of Taylor.

I abruptly slid out of the booth, my knees shaky.

“Hey, where are you going?” Brooks asked, looking up in surprise. “You haven't even touched the fries.”

“I just remembered I left a textbook locked in the athletic department office,” I stammered, pulling my purse strap over my shoulder. “The building closes in fifteen minutes, and I absolutely need it for my eight-a.m. lecture tomorrow. I’m so sorry to run out on you guys.”

“Oh. Okay,” Brooks said, thrown by the sudden exit. He started to slide out. “Let me walk you out to your car at least..”

“No!” I blurted, a little too loudly. Taylor’s eyes flashed. I softened my tone and took a step back. “No, really, stay. Eat. You guys just got reunited, don't let me ruin it. I’ll text you tomorrow, Brooks. Welcome back.”

Before he could protest, I spun on my heel and marched toward the exit. I didn't look back at Ali as I passed the counter, but the bell above the door hadn't even finished chiming before I heard her heels hurrying behind me.

“Summer! Wait up!”

The cool night air hit my face, but it didn't stop the first hot tear from spilling over. I quickened my pace toward the student parking lot, my vision blurring.

“Summer, stop walking!” Ali called, catching up and grabbing my arm. The moment she saw my face, her expression melted into pity. “Oh, sweetie. I am so, so sorry. I had no idea. I thought they were completely done.”

“She was there, Ali,” I whispered, the dam breaking as a sob escaped. I covered my face with my hands, my shoulders shaking. “They got back together over the phone. He looked so happy. He told me I was the first person he wanted to tell because he knew I’d be happy for them.”

Ali pulled me into a tight hug, letting me cry against her shoulder. “He’s an idiot. A blind, oblivious, total hockey-brained idiot,” she muttered, rubbing my back. “And Taylor is a manipulative little viper. She did that on purpose.”

“It doesn't matter why she did it,” I sniffled, pulling back and wiping my cheeks. “The point is, I lost before I even had a chance to fight. I’ve spent three years waiting for the perfect moment, and tonight I dressed up like a fool just to watch them kiss. I feel invisible, Ali. I feel completely invisible.”

“You are not invisible,” Ali said fiercely, grabbing my face. “You are beautiful, and you are brilliant. If Brooks is too stupid to see what’s right in front of him, then he doesn't deserve you. We are going to go back to the apartment, we are opening that wine, and we are going to figure out how you’re going to survive this semester without losing your mind.”

I managed a weak nod, letting out a shaky breath. Ali was right. I couldn't let this destroy me.

We walked the rest of the way to my car in silence, the weight of the heartbreak settling into a dull ache. By the time I drove home, dropped Ali off, and climbed into bed, I felt completely drained.

I stared up at my dark ceiling for hours, the image of Brooks’s happy smile burning in my mind.

When my alarm blared at six-thirty the next morning, I felt like a zombie. I dragged myself out of bed and caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My eyes were puffy, my hair a tangled mess.

I didn't care. I pulled on faded gray sweatpants, an oversized university sweatshirt, and beat-up sneakers. I shoved on my thick black-rimmed glasses and grabbed my backpack.

Today was the first day of the fall semester, and I was just going to fake my way through it. Little did I know, my day was about to get more complicated before I could even leave the house.