Page 153 of Our Little Secret

“Some greater force, yeah.” Leah had that dreamy look in her eyes that Brooke found irritating. “This time, Brookie, it’s different. With Eli. I mean it. He’s definitely ‘the one.’”

“What do you know about him?”

“Everything I need to.” Some of her dreaminess evaporated. “Why?”

“Have you checked on him? Met his family? Any of his friends?” She tossed the nearly melted ice chip into the sink.

Leah didn’t answer, but her blue eyes darkened.

“I knew it!” Brooke said. “You can’t marry someone you don’t even know!”

“We connected immediately and—”

“Do you even know if that’s his real name?” Brooke said, feeling herself unravel. “I mean, really, what do you know about him?”

“Enough!” Leah said. “I know enough. And I know the way I feel when I’m with him. Happy. Special. Safe. Loved.” Her voice was rising. “You could be happy for me, you know. Would it be that tough? Why do you always want to ruin my life?”

“No, no! This isn’t about me ruining anything. This is about him.” Brooke pointed to the door. “And you planning to marry a virtual stranger!”

Neal stepped between them. “I think what Brooke is trying to say is that this is all so sudden. So fast.”

Leah angled her chin upward to glare at Neal. “Well, sometimes fast is better than slow! At least I know where I stand with Eli.”

“Isn’t that what you thought about Ryan and Harrison and Sean?” Brooke reminded her. “Dear God, you married them all. And you almost walked down the aisle with Robert Whatever-his-name-was!”

“You left one out!” Leah charged and stared straight at Neal.

“For God’s sake, I’m just saying that you should slow down,” Brooke said.

“Why?”

“To be sure.”

“Iamsure. That’s what I’m telling you. And I came here to make up with you and to share my happiness and spend the holidays and have you witness my wedding and . . .” She started to choke up, tears filling her eyes.

“I can’t stand this,” Marilee said from the living room. “It’s all . . . it’s all just crazy.” Not looking back, she ran up the stairs, Shep following.

“Why can’t you just be happy for me?” Leah demanded.

“I want you to be happy, but I just want you to think, Leah,” Brooke said, grabbing her sister’s upper arms. “And this time with your head instead of your heart.”

“Think? Like you did, when you started fucking Neal behind my back, when you stole him away from me by getting pregnant?” she spat.

Brooke released her grip, pushing her sister away.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Neal interjected.

“Not true?” she threw back and Neal’s jaw tightened as she stared at him.

A vessel pulsing by his eye, Neal said quietly, “Ancient history.” But a fleeting shadow of guilt passed over him.

Leah finally broke the stare down. “I knew this was a mistake. Coming here. I told Eli we should just elope. Go to Vegas. Buthewanted to come up here. Practically insisted on it. ‘Let’s start out strong,’ he said. ‘I really want to meet your sister and her family,’ he said, and I thought he was right! Obviously I was mistaken!”

The front door opened, a gust of icy wind following Eli inside. With a bottle of champagne tucked under one arm and a duffel bag over his shoulder, he dragged a huge roller bag behind.

“This conversation is over,” Leah muttered between clenched teeth, then pasted a smile on her face and spun to face him. “Let me help you!” she said, rushing to the front hall.

“Got it.”

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