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“So it’s been going on all this time. It was in the air when you and Ian invited me to join you, with the whole pretending-to-be-Brendan business, and no one ever told me.”
“I’m sorry,” Diana said softly. “We swore to keep it a secret. The last time it happened was in December, when we came to visit Brendan in DC.”
“Inmyfucking city!” Sonia thundered, rising from her chair.
Diana stood up too, looking shocked. “Sonia, you don’t own Washington, DC.”
No, and she didn’t own Brendan either. So why was she acting like this? What had he done to her?
Sonia yanked back the sliding glass door and strode into the bedroom.
Brendan rolled over, his brown hair messy and tousled. His long-lashed eyes fluttered open. Damn him for looking so heartbreakingly beautiful as he sat up and smiled at Sonia.
“Sunshine? Hey, what’s wrong? Come here.” He held out his arms. A day ago, she would have melted into them. “I — oh.” His gaze flicked to Diana, entering the room. “Hey, Di. Everything okay?” His sleepy smile faded, smoothing out into a bland expression. Only his watchful eyes hinted that something was happening behind the pretty face.
Sonia couldn’t stand it. Everything she loved about him was slipping away.
“Were you ever going to tell me?” she asked quietly.
Brendan’s eyes widened. He thrust his hands into his hair.
“I’m sorry, Brendan,” Diana said quickly. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like this. I couldn’t keep it in anymore.”
Brendan took a deep breath. “Goddamnit, Di.”
“Wereyou?” Sonia persisted.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s because you wouldn’t have! At least Diana wanted to be honest. Unlike you.”
When Sonia saw Brendan’s expression, shocked and hurt, she almost regretted what she’d said.
“Sonia, you promised me you’d believe in you and Brendan,” Di protested.
“No.” Sonia shook her head. “You asked me to, but I never said yes.”
Brendan climbed out of bed. His eyes were shadowed from too many late nights, and he held himself carefully. His gaze flicked to the harness on the floor.
“Sonia, I swear I was going to tell you. I was waiting for the right time.”
“Oh, so you could figure out how to make yourself look good? So you’d come out a hero for getting Ian and Di together? You always take care of everyone, Brendan. Good thing that includes yourself too. What, you can’t bear the thought of your brother having something you don’t? Have you sharedallhis girlfriends?”
Brendan’s forehead creased. “Di and Ian are together because of me. Diana is who she is today because of me. This whole fucking wedding weekend, with us all standing here in this room way too early in the morning, happened because of me.”
“Jesus,” Sonia breathed. “You’re such a narcissist.”
Brendan’s cheeks flushed, and Sonia had the uncomfortable realization that she knew him well enough to say exactly what would hurt him the most.
“Tell her, Diana,” Brendan insisted. “Am I right?”
“More or less,” Diana said quietly. “But you’re coming on pretty strong.”
“I’m sorry,” Brendan’s voice softened. “I really wish you had let me tell her.”
