Page 74 of Cursed Luck
“Hey, why are you crying?”
Brandy shook her face against him. “Sorry…”
He gave her a few minutes before pulling her back by the shoulders. “What did I say?”
“What was she like?” Brandy said through a sob.
A sad smile tilted his lips. “She smelled good.” He laughed. “She loved to sing to us. It’s probably what I remember the most. She was nice and pretty like you.”
“I’m sorry…”
“For what, Bran?”
Brandy faced the group outside. “For taking her from you guys.”
“Babycakes? What the fuck is wrong? You do this, Edward?” Peter growled, approaching out of nowhere and shoving Edward aside.
“Peter, he didn’t do anything wrong!” she snapped and tugged Peter behind her. “We were just talking about Mom.”
Edward ignored the flash of gold in Peter’s eyes and pressed two fingers under his sister’s chin. “Listen to me and listen well.Youdidn’t take her from us, and most importantly? Notoneof us blames you for her death. Dad made certain when he brought you home that Mom dying had nothing to do with you, hear me?”
Her small nod nearly broke him. Ignoring the massive man behind her, he pulled her into his arms. While he held her, they both wept over the awful cards their family had been dealt. A few minutes later, he wiped his face and noted Peter had given them a private moment.
Edward cleared his throat. “Feel better?”
Brandy scoffed. “Do you?”
They shared a laugh before he hugged her once more. “We better go outside before they come looking for us.”
Brandy chuckled. “You’re assuming Peter didn’t open his big ole mouth.”
He nodded. “How are you best friends with him?”
She shrugged. “Same way I adore your brooding ass. Although, I have to say, Mia’s helped open you up.”
Grinning like a fool, he found Mia as she chatted with Claudia. “She’s the missing piece I didn’t know I needed.”
Chapter 32
Following his arrival, Peter shook hands with the Broderick brothers, which reminded her Edward was still indoors with Brandy and Gia. Every cell in her demanded she search him out the moment a burst of sadness flowed through her. She was sure it was him, but after seeing the exchange regarding Gia, she did not want to intrude.
As if she had summoned him, the two siblings stepped out. It was clear Brandy had been crying, and Edward’s eyes looked off to her too. Searching the crowd, she found Ryan watching the pair, his brows pinched together.
“Everything okay?”she asked.
“Yeah, baby. Just a little heart-to-heart that was long overdue,”he told her.
The two broke off, each heading toward their mate. Edward cupped Mia’s face and brushed his lips against hers.
“You’re everything I didn’t realize I wanted or needed,”he told her.
Mia grinned. “I love you too.”
“What are you doing?” Serena asked in annoyance.
They turned in time to see her shove Peter away. He shook his head, muttering to himself, and moved on to the next female.
Beside them, Claudia covered a laugh with a cough, but Mia could not tear her attention away from Peter long enough to ask what was going on. He moved from woman to woman, his nose flaring as he smelled them and shook his head a second later.
