Page 90 of Written in the Stars
Brendon shut his eyes, briefly since he was the one leading. “It’s... nothing to worry about. Don’t take it personally.”
Sure, because that was easy. Elleneverdid that.
“Easier said than done, though, right?” Brendon stole the words right from her head. “I know. Don’t let it get to you. Darcy knows what she feels. I’m serious. Darcy’s crazy about you, you know that, right?”
“You think so?”
He looked at her like she was crazy. “Elle. Come on.”
Elle bit the corner of her lip.
“I’m serious. Darcy keeps her cards close to the chest, but you’d have to be blind not to see how she looks at you.”
Elle knew how itfeltwhen Darcy looked at her. How it made her stomach swoop with an intensity that stole her breath, made her flush from head to toe, turned her inside out.
“How does she look at me?” she asked, out of curiosity’s sake, mostly. “Humor me.”
“Darcy looks at you like...” Brendon’s lips tugged to the side, his brow furrowing. A smile inched its way across his face, both his dimples gleaming. “She looks at you like you hung the moon.”
If that wasn’t the greatest, most beautiful, cheesiest thing Elle had ever heard, she didn’t know what was. Cheeks aching from the spectacular grin she had no hope of controlling, Elle ducked her chin. “You think?”
Brendon chuckled and when Elle lifted her head, he was staring off over her shoulder with a faraway look in his eyes. “I’d kill to have someone look at me like that, you know?”
Brendon had made his entire life about helping everyone else find their happily-ever-after and he deserved one of his own. If it could happen for her, it could totally happen for him.Shouldhappen for him.
“Your dream girl is out there somewhere.” She cuffed him lightly on the arm. “She probably has no idea you’re out here, a total catch who’s just waiting for her to stumble into your open arms.”
Brendon barked out a laugh. “I’ll take your word for it. Though I’m beginning to worry she lives on the opposite side of the world or something. Opposite side of the country, at least.”
“That’s easy. Take a road trip.”
“I’d search every city if I had—” Something over her shoulder caught Brendon’s attention, his eyes widening. “Shoot. One of our investors just walked in. Do you mind if I...?”
She stepped back, waving him off with a smile. “Go. I should go find your sister.”
Brendon looked grateful. “I think I saw her talking to Mom by the chocolate fountain.”
So the chocolate fountain was where Elle headed, becausenothingabout heading in that direction sounded like a bad idea. If Darcy wasn’t there, there’d still be chocolate. Win-win.
As luck would have it, Darcy was by the fondue, and so was her mother. Brushing her fingers against the edge of her dress, Elle approached. But just as she was almost close enough to announce herself, a group of three women whose giraffish height was only exaggerated by the stilettos on their feet stepped in front of her, cutting her off. She edged around them, approaching Darcy and her mom from behind instead.
“That was when I thought that’s all it was.” Darcy’s mom finished her champagne and set the glass aside, swaying slightly. “Then Brendon’s telling me you’re crazy about Elle and you’re telling me it’s complicated. She seems a little flighty, is all I’m saying.”
Darcy scoffed. “That’s rich, coming from you.”
“I know I wasn’t always there, but I’m trying.”
“You know nothing, Mom. And you definitely don’t know her.”
“And you do? How long have you known her? You thought you knew Natasha, didn’t you?”
Darcy’s shoulders curled forward. “I know Elle.”
“God, I—” Her mom grabbed another glass of champagne.
“What, Mom? Just say it.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were in love.”
