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“I was going to help with your bags, but now I’m wondering where all your stuff is. The girl I remember never used to pack light. A certain bedroom closet comes to mind.”
Jesus.I clocked every one of her features, suddenly worried that I’d crossed a line—said something else to upset her by mentioning the past—but after a beat, one side of her mouth tipped up.
“I think we’ve established I’m not the girl you remember.”
No truer words…I thought, making my way back to Leah.
“Oh my god,” she said, looking at Brooke’s bag. “I’m awful, aren’t I? Taking so much? It’s just that I never know what I’m going to need, and I prefer to have options, you know? What if the weather changes? Or we get a last-minute invite to a party?”
Brooke smiled. “I completely understand—no judgment here. I packed light because Liam and I don’t like checking luggage at the airport.”
“If they lose your bags,” Liam said, coming out of the house, “you’re screwed.”
Leah laughed. “Still ever so practical, bro. And you’ve found someone who shares your opinion? Hold on to her.”
“I intend to.” Liam leaned over and kissed Brooke on the lips.
Again, with the PDA,I internally groaned. At least they’d cool it on the drive over.
As if on cue, a car pulled into the driveway and Leah’s mouth dropped open. “They didn’t.”
Robert and Lillian came outside.
“Oh, I think they did,” Liam said, equally incredulous.
“Surprise!” Lillian sang. “We got you a limo!”
“Wow,” Brooke said on an exhale. “I haven’t been in a limo since...”
“Prom,” I said in unison with her. One more thing she and I had in common.
Leah looked at us quizzically. “Really? We take limos all the time—usually to fancier functions. It’s so over-the-top, it’s fun.”
The driver stepped out of the black stretch limo and piled our luggage into the trunk as Leah, Brooke, Liam, and I got into the car and spread out. Leah and I sat on one side, Brooke and Liam on the other, the awkwardness between me and Brooke like a fifth passenger I wished would get the hell out of the car.
We cruised along for several minutes before anyone spoke, Liam being the first to break the silence.
“Does anyone want some champagne?” He picked up a bottle in a bucket of ice next to a cheese plate and fruit tray.
“No thanks,” Brooke and I both said in unison.
Leah glanced back and forth between us. “You both must be so tired.”
I shrugged. “You know I’m not much of a morning person.”
“You never were,” Brooke said.
Shit.I looked at Brooke, wondering if she realized what she’d just said, but a blank expression looked back at me.
Leah raised an eyebrow. “How did you know that? I thought you guys didn’t hang out much.”
Brooke froze, her cheeks whispering pink.There it is...
Leah and Liam exchanged glances, clearly waiting for one of us to respond. But this wasn’t the time or place to get into this conversation. It was supposed to be a one-on-one thing, private, where both of our spouses would have time to digest.
“We didn’t,” I said, trying to ease in. “Not at first, but—”
“We dated,” Brooke blurted out.
