Chapter Text
"Jen, could I have a word please?" Brooklyn asks softly, subconsciously running her hand up and down her arm. It wasn't often that she showed nerves, but this was one of those times.
"Sure, what's up?" Jen asks, glancing back at Brooklyn before continuing to do her makeup for the day.
Brooklyn swallows nervously, "Obviously, I took Levi on the date last night, and he was saying it was time for him to make a choice between me and you… and the next thing I know, he's kissing me."
The words linger in the air, and Jen slowly puts down her brush before turning around, "He did what?"
"I pulled away immediately, told him that it wasn't right for him to be kissing me while coupled up with you, and although I understood the sentiment of him showing me that he means it, I don't think it was right for him to do."
Jen tilts her head back and sighs, "Thank you."
"For what?" Brooklyn asks, deeply confused. She would've been fuming if the roles were reversed, and even if the anger wasn't directed at the girl, she knows she wouldn't have been able to thank the girl.
"For being honest," she says. "You had no reason to tell me, and you did anyway - I appreciate that. How do you feel about it?"
"Honestly?" Brooklyn hesitates, sighing. "To me, he's basically cheated on you, and I've always heard if a man is willing to cheat with you…"
"He's willing to cheat on you," Jen finishes. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. You know, if he'd told me before the date, I wouldn't refer to it as cheating because he would've ended it, but he didn't."
"I am sorry, Jen," Brooklyn tells her. "He said he'd pick me at the recoupling and I would like to explore things with him, but I don't know if I trust him. And if I'm being honest, he's not even the person I fancy most - he's just the person who fancies me in return."
Jen doesn't ask who she's referring to, and Brooklyn is grateful for that fact, and that fact alone.
That night, after waking up alone, Brooklyn steps out onto the terrace, finding Levi and Cherry; he has his arm around her waist, and they're kissing. She stands silently, watching the seemingly hesitant but long kiss.
As they pull away, Cherry spots Brooklyn, gasping, "Oh my god, Brooklyn!"
Levi immediately jumps up, "I can explain."
Brooklyn looks up towards the sky, trying not to cry, and she shakes her head, "You don't need to."
"I didn't mean for this to happen," he insists.
Brooklyn responds to that by laughing; she doesn't think it's funny, it's just ironic that 24 hours ago, he was saying he was picking her – properly. And now, he's kissing a girl that hadn't even been in the running.
"I should've known," Brooklyn tells him, and then shakes her head. "No, actually, I did know. I knew in my gut that this was likely, and you proved me right."
"It's not like that," he says. "We didn't mean for this to happen."
Brooklyn stands there, staring at him with tears sliding down her cheeks. She hated it when people saw her cry, but she couldn't help it – even though he wasn't the guy she fancied most, it still hurt that he'd do that to her.
"Brooklyn," Cherry pleads, "you have to believe us."
She doesn't get a chance to respond, with Tim and Jake stepping onto the terrace.
"Right, I'm coming out here to lay down the law; Brooke, didn't you tell them to shut it?" Tim asks, his arms crossed over his chest. Brooklyn glances back at him, and his face softens before directing his temper at the other two, "What the fuck is going on out here?"
"Shut up, Tim," Levi snaps, and Brooklyn closes her eyes for a brief second, trying to compose herself.
"Levi was kissing Cherry when I came out here," she fills in. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some space. And Levi-"
She pauses, throwing a glare at him over her shoulder, "You can sleep on the sofa."
As Brooklyn slips past the two boys, Tim begins to lay into Levi, leaving her with a bittersweet warmth in her chest – yes, she was hurting, but someone had her back without question.
Brooklyn finds herself sitting out in front of the Villa – she couldn't bear being in the bedroom but couldn't stay on the terrace, leaving her in a tricky spot. But she's not alone for long.
"Thought you'd be out here," Tim murmurs as he throws a blanket over her shoulders, sitting down next to her. "Cherry is on the daybeds, Levi is on the sofa – Jake thought it would be best if Cherry didn't go back to bed, either."
Brooklyn nods, unsure what to say to that, "Thanks for the blanket."
"You're welcome, can't have you freezing to death," he teases before sighing. "Sorry I didn't come up there with you."
"It's fine, just glad I went," she confesses, finally turning her head to look at him. "At least he can't hide it… Tim, what am I gonna do?"
She knows she has to end it, but it's going to leave her single yet again and the only other person she wanted didn't want her.
However, Tim isn't aware of this and he just chuckles, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, "We're going to go to bed, and tomorrow, you'll drag the truth out of him before cutting things off – plenty of lads around here would want to be with you, make him regret it by moving on."
He stands, offering her a hand, and she takes it, letting him lead her back to bed.