At Larry’s request, Jaden calls Brooke and asks her to come to Montana—so she won’t be alone at home while he’s away.”

 At Larry’s request, Jaden calls Brooke and asks her to come to Montana—so she won’t be alone at home while he’s away.”

Jan 26,2026

Larry sat alone in his office long after sunset, the glow of the desk lamp casting long shadows across the walls. His mind wasn’t on work anymore—it was on Brooke. The thought of her being alone back home unsettled him more than he cared to admit. 😔

Brooke had always been independent, strong in her own way, but lately, Larry had noticed changes in her behavior. She was restless. Impulsive. Making choices that didn’t sit right with him. And then there was her boyfriend—the one who seemed to appear every other day, always lingering too long, always too close. Larry didn’t trust him. Not completely. Not with Brooke’s heart, and definitely not with her safety.

That night, Larry picked up his phone and scrolled to Jaden’s name. He hesitated for just a moment before pressing “Call.”

Jaden answered on the second ring.

“Hey, Larry. Everything okay?”

Larry exhaled slowly. “Not really. I’ve been thinking about Brooke.”

There was a pause on the other end. “What about her?”

“I don’t like the idea of her being alone while I’m away,” Larry said firmly. “Her behavior hasn’t been… stable. And that guy she’s with? He’s always around. Too much. It worries me.”

Jaden understood immediately. He knew Brooke too well. He had seen the patterns Larry was talking about—the emotional highs, the reckless decisions, the way she trusted people too easily.

“So what do you want me to do?” Jaden asked.

“I want you to call her,” Larry said. “Tell her that Bethany is alone in Montana and needs her. Ask her to come stay there.”

Jaden raised an eyebrow. “You’re using Bethany as the reason?”

“Yes,” Larry replied without hesitation. “Because Brooke won’t listen if I say it’s about her. She’ll get defensive. But if she thinks she’s needed, she’ll go.”

There was a brief silence. Then Jaden said, “And the real reason?”

Larry’s voice softened. “I don’t want her alone. I want her somewhere safe. Somewhere we can see her. Somewhere she’s not making decisions that could hurt her.”

Jaden nodded, even though Larry couldn’t see him. “You want her in front of your eyes.”

“Exactly,” Larry said. “Where I know she’s okay.”

Jaden leaned back in his chair. He understood now. This wasn’t control. This was fear. This was care. This was a man trying to protect someone he loved from herself and from the wrong people around her. 💔

“I’ll call her,” Jaden said. “I’ll tell her Bethany needs her and ask her to come to Montana.”

“Thank you,” Larry replied quietly. “This means a lot to me.”

After they hung up, Jaden didn’t waste time. He dialed Brooke’s number.

She answered with her usual bright tone. “Jaden! What’s up?”

“Hey, Brooke,” he said gently. “I wanted to talk to you about something important.”

Her voice shifted. “You sound serious.”

“I kind of am,” Jaden replied. “Bethany is in Montana, and she’s not doing great. She’s really alone right now.”

Brooke frowned. “Bethany? What happened?”

“She’s struggling,” Jaden said. “And honestly… she could really use you. You’re the only one she’d feel comfortable opening up to.”

There was a pause. Jaden could hear Brooke breathing on the line, thinking.

“You want me to go to Montana?” she asked slowly.

“Yes,” Jaden said. “Come stay with her for a while. She needs you. And… it would mean a lot.”

Brooke hesitated. “That’s really sudden.”

“I know,” Jaden said softly. “But sometimes the people who need us the most don’t get to wait.”

Silence again. Then Brooke sighed. “Okay. If Bethany needs me, I’ll go.”

Relief washed over Jaden. “Thank you, Brooke. You won’t regret it.”

After the call ended, Jaden sent Larry a short message:

She’s coming.

Larry stared at the screen for a long moment before closing his eyes. A deep breath escaped his chest.

For the first time in days, his heart felt a little lighter. 💭

Brooke would be somewhere safe. Somewhere calm. Somewhere she’d be watched over—not controlled, but protected. Away from the chaos, away from the wrong influence, away from the decisions that could destroy her future.

Larry knew one thing for sure:

Sometimes love doesn’t look like freedom.

Sometimes love looks like worry.

And sometimes… love looks like making the hardest choices just to keep someone safe. ❤️

If you want, next I can: • Make it more romantic • More suspenseful • Or more like a novel scene / drama script 🎬