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“What are you talking about? What event? And how could you not recognize Brooklyn? I know it’s been six years, but your memory is usually a lot better than that.”
“The wine tasting even out in California,” she said, glancing over at me. “Remember? You received an invite and you told me about it, but you said you weren’t going. I looked into it, and I had to be in Cali at the time, so I went.”
Abe frowned. “Why did you go to California? And why not tell me?”
“It was something to do with the wedding, so I didn’t think you needed to know,” she said impatiently. Then she froze and stared at me with wide eyes and her jaw dropped. “Wait, she’s Brooklyn?”
Abe rolled his eyes. “Is that only registering to you now? Yes, she’s Brooklyn, and we went to the wine tasting event. How the hell did I not see you?” He turned to me with confused eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me you saw her there?”
“I had no idea it was her,” I said awkwardly, shrugging my shoulder. “I told you already, there was no way I could have recognized her.”
He turned his gaze to his sister. “Fine, then, you. How did you not recognize her when you’ve definitely met her plenty of times before? I know she’s changed, but it’s not that much. Or is it just that you haven’t seen her for so long?”
“Well, it could be that,” Maria said defensively, puffing her cheeks up a bit. At Abe’s frown, though, she wilted. “All right. I was out there with my fiancé, and I might have been a little intoxicated from the wine. I was all over him until this woman came over and started spewing some stuff, I just…didn’t look at her closely.”
I watched the siblings chat, still caught up in the cluster fuck this whole mess was growing into. So, not only was Paul two-timing Nora, but he was even using Abe’s little sister.
“What exactly happened and how come I don’t know a thing about it?”
“Uh, you might have actually sent them, you just don’t remember,” I cut in. “Remember that man, and the woman that was closer to him? I think you might have seen at least their backs before—”
Abe frowned, and we both waited for him to figure it out. I knew when he did, because his eyes went wi
de open and he turned to look at me.
“Wait a minute. Don’t tell me...Paul? And my sister. He was with her at the wine tasting event?”
I nodded slowly, and he cursed.
“Who the hell is Paul?” Maria asked, frowning. She still hadn't caught up, and she had her hands fisted on her hips as she faced the two of us. “What the fuck is going on here? And who the hell is Paul, anyway, his name is Chris.”
Abe and I both looked over at her, surprised as if the penny was slowly, but surely falling and we were all seeing that something was wrong and it ended and started with the man that his sister and my best friend were supposed to be marrying soon.
Chapter Seventeen
Abe
After the confrontation between Brooklyn and my sister, they shared info about Paul, or Chris as Maria and I knew him, and even Nora was brought into the conversation. Brooklyn didn’t stay as long as I wanted her to, but I knew she wanted to be there for her friend, so I drove her back. I parked against the curb, and waited for her.
“Sorry about this,” she murmured, looking over at me. “But I think I need to tell her about this, now.”
“You didn’t tell her before?”
“I was still thinking it over. And I guess a part of me hoped Paul…or whatever his real name is, would call her and tell her everything, but I don’t think he has. She’s going to need me, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to see you again.”
I sighed, already having guessed that much. It was regretful, because Brooklyn didn’t have a lot of time to stick around. I wasn’t sure if there was a possibility of me moving out to California, not unless we opened up a company branch there, and even then, it would take a lot of maneuvering before I could go and stay there. Before I considered that, I was going to try and ask Brooklyn to stay in New York with me.
The only reason I hadn't yet, was because I was afraid she wouldn’t be willing to give up the life she had for me. Cali was all the way across the country, and even though the fastest flight could take about five hours, it would still be a hassle to move back and forth. So, I was holding back for the moment, but I knew, when it came time for her to leave, I wasn’t going to be able to let her go.
“You can go in and see her,” I said, giving her an encouraging smile. “It’ll be tough on her, but she’s always been strong. She’ll get over it.”
“She was really serious about this, though,” she said worriedly. “I mean, she was going to marry the guy, you know?”
“He was probably tricking her, the same way he tricked my sister. Once she knows everything, it’ll hurt, but she will try to forget about him. I don’t know Nora that well, but I do know she doesn’t waste thoughts on people that don’t deserve it.”
Brooklyn sighed as she pulled off her seatbelt. “Let’s hope it’ll be that way this time. Sorry for holding you up. You probably need to go and stay with your sister, too, huh. I can't believe he would go after someone so young. He’s the same age as me and Nora, so he should be seven years older than her.”
I chuckled at her disgruntled look. “There are people in relationships with a bigger age gap. But don’t worry, I’m not going to let him off just like that. I’ll make a few calls around and try to find him. Maria said she came back with him from California, but she’s not sure where he is right now.”
