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“So do you,” she said. “I can’t believe you’re here. I had no idea that—”
“Me either,” I said before she could finish. We both fell silent again, and I wasn’t sure how many beats had passed before laughter erupted down the hall—a reminder that we weren’t alone. I needed to cut to the chase and hoped Brooke wouldn’t mind. “Look, they’re going to be here any minute, and we need to be on the same page about what we share about… us.”
Leah and I had both dated a lot before we started seeing each other, and neither of us had ever felt the need to havethattalk—the one where you tell your partner about all your exes. So, Brooke had never really come up, and I was happy to keep it that way. Not because I wanted secrets, but because it didn’t matter. We all had pasts, and Leah was my future.
Brows drawn, Brooke glanced over my shoulder to the doorway.
“Look, Liam knows I had a relationship before him, but I hardly think this is the time or place to get into specifics.”
My brain skipped like a record.Arelationship? As in, just the one? I couldn’t help but wonder if that held the significance I thought it did, but I added it to the list of questions piling up that I’d have to ask later.
“I agree. So, let’s just keep the details to ourselves. If they ask, we can talk about the classes we shared or the parties we both went to, and that’s it.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said, almost a little too easily.
The Brooke I knew couldn’t keep so much as a surprise party a secret, but she was okay with this amount of subterfuge?
“Great,” I said, not wanting to be outdone.
Her lips pulled into a tight smile, and I matched her expression as silence closed around us like a thick fog.
She spoke first, eyes wide and probing. “So… you’re getting married.”
And suddenly, the air was even thicker.
“I—”
“Who’s hungry?” Leah trilled as she entered the room. Her face fell once she saw us, and I thought we were busted. “You haven’t even sat down yet?” she said.
I exhaled. “We were waiting for everyone else. Where would you like us?”
Leah examined the long cherry wood table. “Let’s mix things up, shall we? Mom and Dad will take either end. Liam and I will take the side closest to the door, and you and Brooke can sit opposite us! That way, we can grill you both.”
Her goofy, sweet smile would have been just what I needed if the potential grilling didn’t feel like I’d just been escorted into an interrogation room. If Brooke was feeling the same way, her face was no longer showing any signs of distress.
Relax, man,I said to myself.You have a plan. Just stick to it.If all else failed, I could change the subject and put the focus back on the family. After all, I was pretty damn curious to know more about my brother-in-law-to-be.
“I’ve got salmon,” Liam said as if my thought had summoned him.
“Yum,” Brooke said with a smile. “Can I help with anything?”
“Absolutely not.” Liam placed the hot dish down and scooped her up into his arms.
Brooke giggled, and my stomach turned a little.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” he asked Brooke, then cupped her cheeks and kissed her, long and slow.
I briskly moved to the other side of the table. I didn’t need to fucking see this.
Leah shut her eyes tightly. “Ew, bro. Get a room.”
Liam broke the kiss, and I released the breath I’d been holding. “We’ve got one,” he said, “and we’ll be eager to get there right after dinner.”
I gripped my chair so hard that my knuckles turned white.
“Liam,” Brooke said, laughing. “Stop. Your sister does not need to hear that.”
Leah shook her head and shrugged. “I told you. Alcohol.”
