Brooklyn lingered in the library later that evening, pretending to be absorbed in her notes. In reality, her thoughts kept circling the same two names: Bryant and Mani.
She'd told them she needed space, but somehow the universe wasn't listening.
When she finally packed up and stepped outside, she nearly collided with someone leaning against the railing.
Bryant.
He straightened when he saw her, surprise flickering across his face. "Brooklyn."
Her heart stumbled at the sound of her name in his voice. "Were you waiting for me?" she asked carefully.
He shrugged, looking away. "Maybe. Or maybe I just needed air."
For once, he didn't carry that usual smug grin. His eyes were shadowed, his shoulders tense, like he was carrying a weight she couldn't see.
Brooklyn hesitated, then asked softly, "Are you okay?"
He gave a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Funny question. People don't usually ask me that."
She tilted her head. "Maybe that's the problem."
Silence stretched between them, and for a moment, Bryant looked like he might actually open up. His jaw worked, his hands fidgeted like he wanted to say something he couldn't.
Finally, he muttered, "I'm not the guy Mani makes me out to be."
Brooklyn blinked. "I never said you were."
"But you've heard the stories," he said, his voice low. "Everyone has. The parties, the girls… the screw-ups. And maybe some of it's true. But that's not who I want to be. Not anymore."
Her chest tightened. This was not the cocky, untouchable Bryant everyone else saw. This was someone raw, someone struggling to be understood.
Quietly, she said, "Then prove it. Not to Mani. Not to me. To yourself."
For the first time all evening, his gaze lifted to hers. And the look in his eyes—grateful, vulnerable, almost desperate—made her heart ache in a way she couldn't ignore.
"Brooklyn…" he started, but then stopped, shaking his head. "Never mind."
She wanted to press, to demand the words he swallowed back. But instead she just nodded and stepped past him, her pulse racing.
And though she didn't look back, she felt his eyes following her until she disappeared into the night.