Chapter 4 Back into the past

"You're getting married? Again?"

Brooklyn didn't want to believe it, but the fact remained that if her mother got married to Leo, then everything would be more complicated.

Sophia nodded, her hands taking Leo's. Kimberly poured herself a drink, while Xander remained quiet, not saying a word.

"I can't believe you're doing this," Brooklyn added, extremely annoyed that her mother was serious about the wedding, "This is the third time you're getting married. What makes you think this is going to work out better than the rest?"

"If mum wants to get married, then let her," Kimberly chipped in, raising her glass to her mouth for a sip, "It's her life and her choice. Nobody questioned your choices when you walked in here with a child,"

Kimberly was pushing it. She was making references to Hazel and Brooklyn knew she wasn't going to sit back there and take it.

"For your information, my child has a father and he's very much alive,"

Well, she didn't know about his existence until a few minutes ago, and now she was sitting right next to him.

"Whatever,"

"You both need to calm down, – all of you," Leonard spoke out, his tone fierce and harsh, "We need you all to support us and our decisions, and that is why we're all here as a family,"

Brooklyn scoffed. A family? Hell no. They were better off as strangers.

"When is the wedding?"

Brooklyn forced herself not to look at him. His voice didn't change that much, it only got deeper and smooth.

"Three months from now," Sophia chipped happily, and Brooklyn couldn't deny the fact that her mother was so excited about the wedding.

Three months? Wasn't it too early?

Just as Brooklyn tried to say another word, Zayne interrupted her with his annoying question, – like he was dying to know the answer since she walked in.

"So, tell us Brooklyn, Who's the father of your child?"

All eyes turned to her. But she could feel the heat of only one person, – Alexander.

Brooklyn struggled with her answer. Her eyes darted to Hazel who was busy playing on Sophia's phone. She swallowed hard, hoping her daughter wasn't paying any attention to the conversation that was going on.

"I– I don't think you need to know,"

"Of course, we need to," Sophia cooed, leaning forward towards her, "Did you get married secretly to him? Is he here in LA? When is he coming? I can't wait to see the father of my beautiful granddaughter,"

Brooklyn felt her hands turning shaky, and suddenly, beads of sweat broke on her forehead. She hadn't planned for this moment, neither had she prepared herself for the questions and answers. They had thrown her off guard, and now she was tongue-tied.

A hand grabbed hers slowly, squeezing it gently. The gentle feeling... the soothing... the relaxation it gave her... it was Xander holding her with a reassuring smile on his face. It was just as if he noticed her nervousness and was trying to help her save face.

"You must be exhausted from your journey. Do you want to go somewhere?"

Brooklyn's lips quivered as she stared into his eyes. Those same eyes... and those words, they were responsible for all of her actions six years ago.

"No, I'm– I'm fine. Actually, I– I'd like to take my leave," she pulled her hands and eyes away with a jolt, reaching for her purse and standing up to her feet.

Everyone stared at her, their facial expressions differing. She knew they had a lot of judging and processing going on, and right now, she just couldn't face them.

"Hazel and I flew in late today, so we haven't really rested," she began explaining, retrieving her coat from the server as she got to her feet, "It's almost her bedtime and I need to make sure she sleeps early," beckoning to Hazel, she uttered, "Come on, sweetie, let's go,"

Hazel reluctantly stood up, her little hands pulling Sophia into a hug before going to her mother, "Goodnight Grandma, I can't wait to see you again,"

"Aww... she's so sweet," Sophia felt her eyes forming with tears, and she couldn't bear the thought of Hazel leaving.

"Where are you guys staying? You can join us in the car on our way home. There are tons of rooms for you and Hazel,"

The last thing Brooklyn wanted was to be at her mother's house, or even seek help from her. She was better off staying at a hotel.

"No, we're fine. We're checked in at a hotel not far away,"

"A hotel? Why don't you go to your mother's place?" Leonard added, sounding concerned for both of them.

"She still holds a grudge,"

Kimberly wasn't wrong, the grudge of what they had done to her still lingered.

"It's nothing, we're absolutely okay. Come on, Hazel let's go," she pulled her daughter by the wrist slowly, trying to make sure she was being careful.

"Xander, please take them back to the hotel and make sure they're safe,"

Brooklyn halted in her tracks the moment she heard his father say those words to him. Xander? Take them in his car when all she was trying to do was avoid him like a plague?

"You really don't have to-"

He was already up from his seat and holding his car keys. Before Brooklyn could blink or say another word, Xander had carried Hazel in his arms.

Brooklyn couldn't stop staring at him and observing all his features. She noticed he had more tattoos than the last time she saw him, and he had gotten quite taller too. But, the discovery she made was the fact that he and Hazel looked so alike! It was too obvious not to be seen.

"Honey. Can you see?" Sophia chimed happily to Leo, "If they hadn't just met today, I would have said that Xander was the father of Hazel... I mean, look at the striking resemblance between them,"

Brooklyn felt her ears echoing words she couldn't hear clearly. Her mother had stated the painful truth, – and it scared her, so she just tried to laugh it off before any of them pondered much about it.

To her, they were strangers. And he was never going to find out about Hazel, no matter what. She was going to make sure he stayed out of their lives for good.

"Let's go, Brooklyn," Xander's voice jolted her out of her reverie, "Hazel's almost falling asleep, we need to make sure she's in bed,"

He was a good dad.

What on earth was she saying and even thinking about?

He was going to become her stepbrother in a few months...

*

"I never expected to see you again,"

Brooklyn turned her face towards the busy streets, leaving him to continue the conversation he had started.

Hazel was sleeping peacefully in the back seat, and she was seated right next to him as he drove them straight to the hotel.

"Are you naturally quiet? Or you're just surprised to see me?"

She heaved a sigh. Starting a conversation with him was something she didn't want to do.

"I just don't want to talk to you,"

He nodded at her response, and for a moment, Brooklyn thought he was going to stop speaking, until he said a word she wasn't expecting to hear from him.

"I missed you. Honestly, I never stopped thinking about you and–"

"-Can we just not have this conversation? I really don't want to talk about it,"

He kept quiet, and for the next few minutes, all he did was turn the steering wheel.

"I searched for you, Brooklyn," she muttered under her breath, realizing he wasn't going to give it up, "You left without saying a word, not even your name,"

"It wasn't really important," she sat upright and turned to face him as he drove, "What happened that night was a mistake, Xander. A reckless one-night stand that wasn't supposed to happen. It was nothing serious,"

"I thought the same thing until we had sex,"

Brooklyn swallowed hard at the word 'sex', her cheeks flushing hotly and turning pink.

"It was just sex, nothing was–"

"It wasn't just sex, Brooklyn," it was the way he called her name, - the tone, the emotions, the power... "It was something more to me. You– you were a virgin,"

She swallowed hard again; this time, embarrassment threatened to beat her up fully. Why did he have to bring that up again?

"Xander, please–"

"- If I knew you were still untouched, I wouldn't have given in to your request," he made a sharp U-turn, and Brooklyn had to look back and check if Hazel was up or hearing their conversations.

"It's– it's all in the past now," she breathed out, forcing the words out of her mouth, "I've moved on, and honestly don't even think about that day,"

"But I still do," he turned to look at her, and for once, she didn't turn her face away, "For the past six years I've done nothing but think about you. And I'm so mad right now that another man has already touched you with his hands and got you pregnant. If you hadn't run away, I'm sure Hazel would be mine,"

Brooklyn shifted uncomfortably in her seat, suddenly feeling something in her throat. Xander was doing something to her with his words.

Her defenses were crumbling right in front of him...

If only he knew no other man had gained access to her body since the day he made love to her...

If only he knew Hazel was his...

"Thanks for driving us," she appreciated the moment he pulled in front of the hotel, feeling relieved that the conversation was going to end now that they had gotten to their destination, "I'm grateful,''

He didn't say anything. Rather, his eyes scanned the whole environment, and he remembered that it was the same hotel they had spent the night together.

"You still remember this place," he uttered with a smile, taking off his seat belt, "I can see you've been thinking of me just as I've been thinking of you,"

"I'll get Hazel," Brooklyn tried to ignore and escape his words, but he wouldn't let her. His hands reached directly for her wrist, pulling her back into her seat to face him.

"You've been thinking about me, right?"

"No," it came out as a whisper, with her eyelids blinking repeatedly and her heart racing at a faster pace than usual.

"I know you're lying," his eyes pierced directly into hers, making her forget herself for a minute, "I've missed touching you,"

He was having the same effect on her as the first time and after so many years. He had just the same seductive tricks and it was as if he had gotten better at it.

"Kiss me,"

He ordered, but in a slow, seductive tone while leaning closer to her. They were so close to each other and she could feel their noses almost touching. Brooklyn couldn't resist him, no matter how hard she tried.

"I– I can't," she breathed out slowly, sounding almost out of breath with the tension that was building inside of her.

"Why?"

If he continued using that tone on her then it wouldn't take long before she stripped herself naked for him.

"Hazel... Hazel's in the car,''

She watched him pull away almost immediately after hearing those words, and that wasn't the only thing,- his facial expressions and body language changed.

"I forgot you're taken now," he gritted his teeth, using a tone she hinted to be anger, "I'm sorry for crossing my boundaries. I'll take my leave when you and Hazel get safely inside,"

Pangs of frustration and a bit of anger flooded through Brooklyn's veins. It was weird to think that she was disappointed he had stopped flirting with her. Secretly, she was yearning for his touch and hoping he would do more to her body.

"Xander, I-''

"-I've got somewhere to be, I'll help you carry Hazel inside,"

He opened his side of the car and got out, trying to get Hazel from the back seat.

Brooklyn bit down her lips, fighting the urge not to cry.

She had feelings for him that couldn't be denied. But now? He wasn't reciprocating them, all because he thought she was with another man.

Xander...

She was not going to stop until they continued from where they had stopped six years ago...

Not even when they become step-siblings.