Page 6 of Rush

Broderick’s face lights up like he’s won the lottery—pride flickering into a grin before it melts into something softer. He chuckles nervously, eyes dropping for a second.

“Thank you,” I say gently, as I place my hand on his knee.

The music wraps around us like a cocoon—fragile and intimate.

I run my fingers along the edge of the CD case, tracing the letters of my name. Broderick is quiet as he moves to the other end of the couch, settling in slowly. His hands resting in his lap, fingers loosely tangled, fidgeting now and then. He’s watching me with that same unreadable expression. It’s like he wants me to say something, but he knows I won’t.

The music swells, Stevie Nicks’ voice aching through the speakers, and for a while, it’s enough.

But then he clears his throat.

“Elena...can we talk about what happened?”

My stomach flips.

I set the CD case down on the coffee table.

“The kiss,” he says gently when I don’t answer. “I...I need to know what that was.”

I swallow, avoiding his gaze. The guilt threatens to consume me whole.

“I didn’t mean to—” I start, but my voice cracks, and I shake my head, blinking fast. “I’m drunk, and it was dark.”

“I know.” I can hear the hurt in his voice. “I’m not trying to make this harder for you, El.”

Worse, it’s the way it’s painted in his eyes. When I glance over at him, it claws at the broken pieces in my chest.

“Then why bring it up?”

He exhales, leaning back slightly. “Because I can’t pretend it didn’t happen,” he says, his voice rougher now but still soft around the edges. “I can’t sit here listening to music with you, acting like you didn’t kiss me like you meant it.”

I wince.

Because he’s right.

“Brody—” I falter, searching for words. “I’m so sorry—I’m a mess.”

“Hey, it’s okay, I get it.” He holds his hands up in surrender. “I probably should have brought a mop instead of background music.”

I scoff, “I think there’s one in the cupboard.”

“You should probably finish that water,” he teases, with a glint in his eyes. “Don’t want you launching yourself at me again like a deranged little monkey in heat.”

My head snaps up, blood rushing to my face. I did do that. A shocked laugh bursts out of me, slicing through the tension.

“Oh my God!” I say, wide-eyed and appalled.

“What?” he says, grinning like the cocky menace he is. “Just trying to protect my virtue over here.”

I shake my head, but the smile lingers, even as my heart continues to race.

“You’re impossible,” I mumble, but it lands softer than I mean it to, threaded with something gentler, something I don’t quite want to name. And for a moment, I forget all about Alex.

Only for a moment.

“Yeah,” he says with a shrug. “But you kinda like that about me.”

And I don’t answer. Because if I did, I’m not sure I could lie.