An Unexpected Love Story (Love Story Book Two) by Rachel Schurig Page A

“John, I wish you weren’t going.”
    He looked at me in the darkness, surprise clear on his face. “Really?”
    “Of course. I’ve had a really great time with you. I wish…I wish it didn’t have to end.”
    “Brooke,” he sighed. “You know I have to get back. We talked about this. I thought we both agreed it would just be this weekend.”
    “I know,” I said quickly, feeling mortified. “I know you have to go home. I’m just saying…I wish things were different is all. This was a good weekend.”
    He pulled me closer to him in the darkness of his suite, wrapping his arms around me. “It was. A really, really great weekend.”
    I wanted him to tell me that he wanted things to be different, too. That we could figure out a way to make things work. I wished he would invite me to Chicago. I realized, in that moment, that I would go anywhere he asked.
    What the hell is wrong with you, Brooke Murray? I thought to myself furiously. You do not go chasing after some guy you barely know. This isn’t you. I felt so disgusted with myself that I wanted to get out of that room, away from John and the memory of how great we were together. I was about to pull away when John started to speak.
    “Brooke,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “Things in my life are really complicated right now. There’s…there’s some crap going on that has been making things hard for me.”
    “Oh my God,” I gasped suddenly, a terrible thought occurring to me. “Are you married?”
    “No,” he said, chuckling. “God no. But I am having some family issues. I can’t tell you how amazing it was to get away from all that this weekend. And then, to find you here…it was one of the best weekends of my life, Brooke. I really mean that. Thank you.”
    His words brought both a stab of remorse as well as a measure of comfort. He clearly wanted nothing more to do with me after he left, but at least what we had shared had meant something to him. I hadn’t imagined how great we were together—he had seen it too. I could be satisfied with that.
    “I’m glad,” I whispered against his chest. “I’m glad you showed up at my door.”
    “Me, too.” John lifted my chin with his finger, forcing my face up to look at him. Softly, he kissed the tip of my nose before moving down to my mouth. I sank into his kiss, wishing I could forget the last ten minutes and just enjoy the last of my time with him. But I couldn’t. I understood where he was coming from, but it didn’t change how I felt. The spell had been broken for me, and I didn’t think I could get it back.
    I pulled back. “I’m gonna head home.”
    The confusion was evident on his face. “What?”
    “I want to sleep at my place tonight. You have your meeting in the morning and a long drive ahead of you, and I have a busy week. We should just say good night so we can both get some rest.”
    “Brooke, come on. Stay. Don’t be like that.”
    I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “I’m not upset, I promise. I would just rather say goodbye to you now, instead of waking up to do it all over again in the morning. Okay?”
    He looked at me for a moment, then sighed. “Okay. If that’s what you want.”
    “It is.”
    I got out of bed and fumbled in the darkness for my dress. I pulled it over my head and slipped into my shoes, feeling John’s eyes on me the entire time. Once I was dressed, I walked back to the bed and sat down next to him. “Drive safe tomorrow, okay?”
    “I will.”
    I leaned down and kissed his lips, one last time. “Goodbye, John.”
    “Bye, Brooke.”
    I knew, if I stayed a moment longer, I would regret my decision and end up spending the night. So I stood and made my way to the door, only turning to look at him once before I slipped into the hallway. His expression was hard to make out in the darkness, but I could have sworn he looked sad.
    I didn’t think to give him my phone number. There was no point, really. We’d had a great weekend together,