She reels off a list: “Our friends, your friends, your family, us. Members of Leon’s staff, and anyone and everyone who isn’t blind, can see the heated glances, the sidelong stares, the way you hug as if you are long-lost lovers when you just saw each other days ago. Everyone can see it, Erika. Plus, I overheard your brother mentioning it to Lily at the wedding.”
I bang my glass down on the table much firmer than I mean to. “My brother?” I ask, completely taken aback.
“Yes.” She nods. “Ash said something about how, when you left Huck at the altar, maybe you had finally realized Leon’s who you should be marrying. Then something about how you two should go on the honeymoon with Leon and how you’d be perfect together.” Valerie points at me. “You’re off to Bora Bora, yes?”
“Yes,” I reply in shock.
“Mom.” Leon slams his hand down on the table as if he’s trying to get her to stop talking.
“What? I’m only telling you what I heard.” Her voice has an air of innocence, but I think she did this on purpose. Leon’s mom never inserts herself into drama or any of Leon’s private affairs, but somehow, I feel Ash, Lily, and Valerie are up to something. Now that I think about it, my own mother might even be involved too. Scratch that, I don’t think it, I know so.
Leon covers his face with his hands, then slowly drags them down as if trying to hide something.
“Did Ash and Lily say something to you last Saturday?” I ask him, eager to know everything.
“Yes,” he replies, to the point.
“What did they say?” I need to know.
“I’m not telling you in front of my parents,” he replies, looking sheepish.
“I don’t care. I want to know,” I say firmly, dropping my napkin onto the table.
His eyes nervously flit from his mom to his dad, then back to me, before he says, “Ash gave me his support to…” He stalls, taking too long to continue.
“What, Leon? Spit it out. Or I will call him myself.” My words fall rapidly out of my mouth, annoyance now working its way into my curiosity, and I yank my cell phone out from the pocket of my jeans.
“Don’t do that.” He reaches over and tries to grab it from me, but I move quickly and clutch it tighter between my fingers. “Erika, please, just give me a minute, and I’ll explain.” He then asks his parents to leave us alone, which they do, looking amused by our confrontation, while my head is spinning from the news that my brother—the one who was hellbent on ensuring that Leon and I would never, or could ever, be athing—told Lily that Leon and I would beperfect together.
I’m stunned.
“What did Ash give his support to?” I ask as soon as we’re alone. I want answers.
Now.
Though I might already know what he’s about to say. It’s a gut feeling, a niggle, that Ash may have given him his blessing for us to be together, but I could be wrong because if that is it, then it’s crazy. Why now?
Leon clears his throat and draws each word out slowly. “Ash gave me his blessing to tell you that I have had feelings for you for a while now.”
I sit bolt upright in my chair, and a weird sensation flutters in my stomach.
Nerves, excitement, anger?
I still haven’t figured it out.
“And,” he starts, “he suggested we go to Bora Bora together.”
Wait, what? “So you knew I was going to ask you to come with me?”
“Yes.” He blinks once and then twice.
All the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together perfectly. “Did Lily, Ash, and my mom discuss that before they arrived at your place?”
“They did,” he replies, his voice now sounding strained by that admission.
At least he didn’t deny it.
But hang on a minute.
