She knows.
I’d sensed she knew, but now I knew she did.
“You know?” Brooke asked, looking completely embarrassed.
Aria rolled her eyes again. “What do you think I am, some blockheaded fool? Of course I know. I dropped several hints before I left. It was so over the top that I thought you’d guess I knew, but you probably weren’t listening.”
“Why didn’t you just say?” I had to ask.
“Really?” The sarcasm rippled in her voice. “Dad, come on. Anyway, I was making it easier for you guys to tell me with tonight’s dinner. I was expecting something more along the lines of awe have something to tell youconversation, not that you didn’t get up to anything over the summer.”
“You seem okay with it,” Brooke stated, looking surprised.
“Of course I’m okay—I’m ecstatic.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you to think I didn’t care about you,” Brooke confessed.
Aria shook her head. “No way. I would never think that. First, because you aren’t like some people who try to butter me up with fake compliments so they can get to my dad, and next, because you were my friend first.” She did a sassy one-shoulder thing and smiled.
Brooke chuckled and looked back to me.
“I didn’t know if it would upset you that I’d moved in on one of your friends,” I said to Aria. That was true.
“Nope. Anyway, I’m going to dash. Brad wants to go see a movie.”
“The new Avengers?” I enquired, trying to stifle a groan.
“He does want to see that, but I told him I’d be seeing it with you instead. I figured you’d want to watch it at some point.”
I was stunned. “You’re going to watch it with me?”
She nodded, stood up, and gave me a kiss on my forehead.
“See you guys later.” She giggled and skipped away.
I watched her go, thinking back to that first night Brooke had come to dinner. It had been months since then, and so much had changed.
Brooke stood up and made her way over to me. I pulled her into my lap and she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“We should have talked about how we would tell her.”
“Yeah.”
“You have the most amazing daughter. I’m so honored to be her friend.”
She lowered her head to kiss me and I held her close, closer, not wanting to let go, not ever.
“I can’t get enough of you Brooke. I just can’t.” Something told me I never would.
“I can’t get enough of you either.” She exhaled, and it was the closest I’d ever seen her get to breaking through this no-strings-attached rule of ours.
