Deal With My Best Friend

That Reminds Me

Eliana's POV

So I let loose.

For the first time in a very... very long time, I allowed myself to pàrty with my friends.

I partied all night, taking a drink now and then. Not too much!

Brooks wouldn't let me. He was acting like the protective big brother– as always!

Either way, I. Let. Loose!

For the first time in a long time, I felt like dancing and partying away as if there was no tomorrow.

But don't worry– Brooks stayed by my side the entire night, making sure I didn't do anything bizarre or utterly stupid to make me regret it later.

It reminded me of my high school years when he and I would attend school dances together.

I never wanted to attend with any other boy but him. Not because any other guy didn't ask– plenty of guys in town asked me to be their date, but I always turned them down.

As a teenager... I only had eyes for Brooks, even though I knew we could never be.

As always– Brooks scared away guys who approached me. He was still the protective man type, just like when we were kids.

That's what I love about my Brooks. He's so mature.

So caring.

So loving.

So brotherly.

I wrapped my arms around him, carelessly as we danced the night away, laughing and drinking as the place filled with people and surrounded us with loud music and neon lights.

Time flew by without notice, my feet ached. I ignored Calvin and his endless phone calls through the night.

My heart panged when I was shown by my assistant that my mother-in-law also tried to call, but I nodded, waving her off and telling her to ignore the calls.

"I will visit her tomorrow. Let it go to voicemail, I'm not in the mood to entertain their needs. Tonight– we dance and party all night." I raised my beer with one hand, the other rested around Brooks' mid back.

"This round is on me!" I declared, as I took a swig from my beer.

The crowd erupted in cheers as they lifted their drinks and continued to dance.

Anyway, before we knew it, the owner of the place came down and asked us to leave– in a nice way of course.

"It was a pleasure to have such distinguished guests. Please, come again. You are all welcome here any time. But I'm afraid my workers are eager to go home for the night." The owner though she was a woman in her thirties, was beautiful and in great shape.

However, it was nearly four in the morning and they wanted to go home, so we didn't object.

"Thank you for your hospitality. We indeed had a wonderful time." My assistant said as she tried to hand me my card to pay.

Brooks softly gestured, placing a hand over the card, and held his card out.

"Absolutely not. Sherri, put the tab on my card. It wouldn't be proper for me to let a lady pay." He says, his voice soft, deep, and full of sincerity

"Brooks... always the gentleman. I'm giving you a discount just for that. Come visit any time. I will make sure you and your girlfriend are well treated." She says, making everyone look at Brooks with affection.

"Oh no... we're not–" I tried to explain.

"Thank you, Sherri. I will be sure to bring everyone here again for a good time. Have a good night." Brooks cut in.

Sherri smiled, giving her employee a gesture to take the card and process payment.

Brooks signed the bill and gave them a hefty, but I mean very hefty tip to each of the workers.

I stumbled to walk, making Shannon and the rest of my friends chuckle as we tried our hardest to hold on to each other as we made our way to the car.

"Oh no you don't. None of you is in a position to drive home right now. I will drive you guys home. Come on." Brooks adds, making me grunt as he holds me by the side.

I felt a cold shiver, making my skin go goosebumps.

Then I felt it... my stomach churned, and the discomfort under my tongue with the urge to throw up.

"Oh no... I think I need to-" I managed to say as I pulled away from Brooks, running to the back of his car and letting it out.

It was disgusting, bitter, and suffocating as I began to throw up.

"There, there... I told you you were drinking too much. You never listen, short stack!" Brooks says as he slowly takes my hair, combing it back, away from my face.

He takes the scrungy from my wrist, and delicately combs my hair into a ponytail as I continue to throw up.

"I know... I should have listened to you but–" I said right before I began to throw up again.

Brooks chuckled, nodding his head as he softly rubbed my back to comfort me.

"Stubborn girl!" He says softly, sighing as he stays by my side until I'm all done.

Then he helps me clean up, making sure I don't get my shoes and clothes dirty.

"Come on, let's get you home." He says as he helps me get into his car, sitting me on the passenger's seat.

The girls are cramped in the back, already asleep.

"He chuckles, nodding in disbelief.

He sits in the driver's seat, adjusting his rear-view mirror.

"This takes me back to when we were in college, first year when you'd call me in the middle of the night to pick you up after a party." He said with a smile.

Then it faded, looking at his rear view mirror and clearing his throat, looking away toward the window of his car as he sat there, gripping his steering wheel tightly.

"Until you started dating that moron and... it was his job to pick you up." He says, making me chuckle as I rest on his passenger seat.

"Yeah. I remember. You would come pick me up in pj's, half asleep, and furious. You'd say... do you have any idea what time it is? I've been worried about you all night! You have to stop partying so much, Ellie!" I say, pretending to be him.

I chuckled, making him chuckle as we sat in his car.

"Good times," I admitted, making him nod.

"Good times." He says softly, pressing the ignition on, and begins to drive home.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go in there with you? It's pretty late and it looks like maybe he's still in there waiting for you?" Brooks says as he looks at the lights still on inside my home.

After a long night of crying, going back to being happy, partying, and crying again... I know. I get it!

I'm a mess!

But yes... the night was a damn roller coaster, especially with Brooks there with me.

I felt... I could finally let go, express myself, let everything out. I was just too exhausted to think of anything other than wanting to get to bed and sleep by the end of the night.

"I'll be fine. Thank you for dropping me off, Brooks. You're still the best." I said, placing my hand on his cheek.

He smiled, pursing his lips into a thin line and sighing.

"Alright. Have a good and restful night you party animal, and no more crying. We'll get through this. I promise. I'll have your car dropped off tomorrow. Let's do lunch tomorrow before I gotta head out to Tulum," he says, making me nod in agreement as I close my eyes feeling my eyelids heavy.

"Alright. Remind me why you have to go to Tulum again?" I asked, closing one eye and forcing the other open as I struggled to stay awake.

It was way past three in the morning and I needed to be up in three more hours to get to work on time.

I've lost count of how many times I have said I would no longer stay awake so late but yet here I was again... getting little to no sleep before I had to be at the office.

He chuckles, ruffling my hair and making me slap his hand off playfully as I puckered my lips.

"I'm going to Grandma's new house. I'm having the place renovated before she moves in." He says, reminding me of our earlier conversation.

"Right. Tulum!" I said, raising a finger lazily and yawning.

Brooks chuckles, nodding his head.