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From the corner of his eye, Aiden could see the blond guy still watching them, even if he’d taken a few steps back from the railing. He gave her a smile – making it extra wide for their audience of one. “We were right here waiting for you.”
11
“So let me get this straig
ht, you’ve gone from having no guys interested in you, to having two guys vying for your attention at Delmonicos? Damn, girl, I didn’t know you had it in you.” Ally sat back on the sofa, lifting up her glass of wine in salute.
“She’s a dark horse.” Ember grinned at them both. “What were you doing with Aiden, anyway? Last I heard he hated your guts.”
“He wanted to meet Nick,” Brooke told them, carrying a bowl of chips into her living room. “It wasn’t about me at all.”
“That’s bull.” Ally never was one to mince her words. “He took you guys out to lunch, that wasn’t only about Nick. And what’s the odds on Alex happening to pass at the exact same time? I’ve never had two guys fighting over me. You’re so lucky, Brooke.” She faked a swoon, making them giggle.
“They weren’t exactly fighting,” Brooke pointed out. “Aiden stayed at the table with Nick, and Alex left after a quick conversation. The two of them never even met.”
“Because if they did, they’d end up fighting,” Ally said. There was no persuading her otherwise.
“What did Alex want?” Ember asked. She was painting her toenails with Brooke’s Plum Princess polish. It wasn’t often the three of them got together – thanks to their work schedules, Brooke’s school work, and Nick. But when they did, it felt as though all the years had melted away, and they were back to being three best friends from school. Something about it warmed Brooke’s heart.
“He claims he was passing by. Said something about taking a walk on a beautiful day.” Brooke wrinkled her nose. The whole thing was weird. It made her spine feel all fizzy. As though somebody was shooting forty volts through it.
“He claims?” Ember repeated, grabbing Brooke’s clear top coat. “You don’t believe it?” She shook the bottle, making the tiny metal ball inside clink against the glass. “So why do you think he was there?”
“I think my mom must have told him where I was.”
Ally grabbed a handful of chips. “She told him you were out with Aiden? Did she think he was going to hurt you or something?”
“I didn’t tell her I was with Aiden. I told her I was going to lunch with some friends. She must have put two and two together and made seven. She probably thought I was with you two and it’d be cute for him to drop by.”
“So all that stuff about him not pushing you for a date was a lie?”
Brooke grimaced. “I’ve got no idea. The whole thing was weird. And I was so embarrassed. I told Aiden there was nothing going on, and then he sees the guy twice in two days.”
“Whoa, you’re going to need to back up a minute.” Ally lifted her hand up, waving a chip in the air. “You told Aiden about Alex?”
“He saw Alex walk me home on Saturday night.”
Ember’s mouth dropped open. “Aiden was here on Saturday night?” She looked around as though there was some evidence of his visit to Brooke’s bungalow.
Brooke frowned. “Yeah, that’s what I was telling you.”
“This is all out of sync. Let’s start from the beginning. Last I heard, you told Aiden about Nick and he pretty much told you to screw off. What’s happened since?”
For the next ten minutes, Brooke filled them in on the happenings of the previous weekend, stopping to answer their questions whenever they interrupted. Ember finished her toenails, screwing the cap back on the bottle, and sliding it onto the table.
“You reconnected with Aiden Black,” Ally said, when Brooke had finished talking. There was a sigh in her voice. “Who would have thought it after all these years?”
“It wasn’t about reconnecting,” Brooke protested. “I was there to keep an eye on things.”
“Whatever you want to believe.” Ally took another handful of chips. “Man, these are good. I really shouldn’t be eating them.”
“So he wants to get to know Nick,” Ember said, always the one who thought deeper about things. “How does that make you feel?”
Brooke leaned her head against the chair cushion. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m pleased, of course I am. Nick deserves to know his family, and now that Joan’s gone and Jamie is wherever he is, Aiden’s all there is left. But it’s like this part of my life I’ve managed to keep buried for so long has come back up. Everything was under control, and now it feels…” She trailed off, trying to think of the right words. “It’s like when you have a bottle filled with three different colored liquids. They’re all pretty and separated. Then somebody shakes it up, and they all swirl together into a brown mess, and you’ve got no idea if they’re ever going to settle down again.” It had taken years for her to get her life back, and she wasn’t quite there yet – not until she finished her degree and got a full-time job. The future had seemed so clear, but now? It was as murky as that imaginary bottle.
Ember grabbed the wine, topping up their glasses and passing them to Brooke and Ally. “Did you ask your mom if she sent Alex over?”
Brooke shook her head. “I haven’t seen my parents all week.” She’d been avoiding them, not wanting to answer any questions about Alex – or, God forbid, Aiden. Who knew what Alex had told her mom and dad.
