"chapter 21- second chances"

"you prepping for the new york show?" amanda asked resting her hand on her soon to be husbands shoulder.

"i'm telling you, they look beautiful, but something's missing ." steve replied glaring at a few different designs.

"i'm sure you'll come up with something great dad." brooke said shoving food in her mouth.

"hopefully." steve said.

"we're starting our teen line soon. so i was thinking brooke & emma we should meet up after school, discuss some options." steve suggested.

"i cant today. sorry." brooke said heading for the door.

"where do you have to be?" her father asked concerned for once.

"promised jordan we'd see a movie. but i'll see you guys later? yeah?" brooke said running out the front door.

"does she seem weirder than usual." emma said sipping her ice coffee & the parents shrugged.

last period of school rolled around & jordan hadn't seen brooke all day. jordan decided he'd drive over to her house to see what was going on. he rang the door bell & steve answered the door.

"hey jordan." steve greeted surprised.

"hey is brooke home, i texted but she didn't answer." jordan replied.

"no she's not here right now, but trust i'll make sure she calls you later." steve laughed.

"okay have a good night." jordan smiled walking back to his car & heading home.

the sun had set & brooke creeped into the house trying to be as quiet as possible. only to find her dad on the steps waiting up for her.

"hey." her father greeted.

"hey." brooke replied.

"how was the movie?" steve asked.

"it was boring." brooke laughed.

"boring. that's too bad. tell me again, who'd you see the movie with?" mr madden asked trying to refresh his memory.

"jordan." brooke stuttered out.

"don't say jordan because he came here looking for you." steve revealed crossing his arms.

"dad, listen." brooke explained.

"yeah, you should've given your boyfriend a heads up that you were lying to me." her father sighed.

"okay i didn't go see a movie." brooke admitted.

"keep going." her father demanded.

"i was with mom. i've been going to see her now a couple times after school." brooke revealed.

"doing what." her father questioned.

"catching up. she wants me to model some designs for her & maybe she'll let me live with her this summer." brooke smiled.

"she told you that?" her father asked.

"yeah about the designs, but not exactly about the staying with her this summer." brooke disclosed.

"brooke, she's going to disappoint you." her father sighed.

"i don't know why you just can't forgive her." brooke huffed.

"i wouldn't even know where to begin." her father groaned.

"people make mistakes, dad. whatever happened to second chances?" brooke asked as she headed upstairs to her room leaving her father on the steps thinking.

steve had loved brookes mother with every bone & every atom that made up who he was. but madison wilde always wanted things her way, or no way. she had a bad habit of running away when things got hard, and when their marriage started to cave in. she did the only thing she knew how to do, she ran. leaving steve with the responsibility to raise a teenage girl all alone & leaving brooke waiting for the day her mother would come back.