Page 52 of Brooke
“No, it wasn’t.” Brooke crossed over to the bed and sat on Thea’s side. “And neither is this. I’m sorry you were so upset you had to tell Nanine.”
“I thought she could help,” Thea said, chewing on her bottom lip.
“She did.” So had Axel, but she couldn’t say that yet. “Thea, I’m so sorry for being the worst friend ever. I felt like shit for failing you and feeling left out, and I messed up what should have been a completely joyous moment for you.”
Thea launched herself at Brooke and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry too! Because I was so swept up, I didn’t think about anything but finding the dress and seeing myself in it and imagining how I would look to Jean Luc on our wedding day. I’m a bad friend too! I didn’t think of you. Nanine told me not to worry. That you would understand. But I didn’t think about you until I was on my way home.”
“You could have left that last part out, Thea,” Dean murmured, setting his phone aside with a wince. “Now, you two, as your sort of roommate and best friend arbiter, I pronounce you best friends once again. I’m off to my honey.”
He kissed Brooke on the cheek, whispering in her ear, “You sure you don’t want to tell me who you were out with?”
She gave him her best ball-busting stare.
He predictably covered his front and yipped for good measure. “Hey! I’m planning on using this shortly.”
“Get out, Dean, but thank you.” She felt her heart filling with more wild emotion. “It means a lot that you stayed.”
“I know.” He turned to Thea. “Come on and kiss Brooke good night. Then I’ll walk you to your door and head home.”
“I can walk by myself,” she protested, uncurling from under the covers and straightening them sweetly. “It’s only a few blocks.”
“Paris is changing, and I’d feel better walking you home, Dorothy.”
She gave him a frown. “You know I hate the Dorothy from Kansas thing, Dean. Why can’t anyone remember I’m from Iowa?”
“Middle states all run together.” He tagged her hand and drew her over to Brooke. “Kiss and make up.”
She and Thea stared at each other before wrapping their arms around each other again.
“I love you,” Thea whispered.
God, that rare phrase, one she’d only heard from a handful of people. Not all of them had continued to mean it. But Thea did, and so did she. “I love you too, and tomorrow, I hope you’ll try your dress on for me while we ooh and aah over it and have champagne.”
When she pulled away, Thea’s tired eyes were glistening with tears. “Deal.” They shared a smile, and Brooke’s heart settled back into place. Axel was right. They were going to be fine. “Tomorrow. Whenever you get up.”
“I’m going to sleep in.” Thea gave a jaw-cracking yawn. “I never stay up this late.”
“Come on, Dorothy,” Dean said, snagging her arm gently. “We need to get home before the wicked witch finds us.”
“Not funny, Dean.”
Brooke’s mouth slid to a smile as they both stopped in thedoorway and gave a little wave before disappearing. She rubbed her tired, burning eyes and thought about texting Axel. Because he’d been her port in a storm tonight and she wanted to tell him…
That she was falling totally in love with him. And that she didn’t want to imagine a time when she couldn’t talk to him about something, anything.
She touched her chapped lips, still sensitive from his kisses. Tonight she would have stayed, but he’d been right. She resolved not to bring another crisis to him.
Their first time should not be anything but joyous and about them.
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
The next morning, for the first time in over a year, Brooke Adams slept in.
She awoke before seven and stretched languorously as she reached for her day planner, her dream of Axel and his gentle hands and understanding eyes still warming her insides.
MY DAY
