“What Sofie?” Pat took the pie but peered at Regina.

“Alex’s sister,” Bell said, handing Regina a slice.

“It wasn’t a thing,” Regina reminded Bell, knowing full well she was now sounding defensive, but she didn’t care. This entire topic was beyond annoying.

“Wait,” Pat said. “Sofie and Brandon? When? How long ago was this?” She turned to Bell with a frown. “I thought Sofia and Eric were one of those couples that have been together since childhood?”

Once again, the reminder that Brandon had been the only one to tempt Sofia ever, not to mention the fact that he’d refused to stay away from her—even took a beating for her—was not helping Regina’s growing insecurities. She’d now have to deal with seeing them react to one another every time her sister had something where all the Morenos were invited, and that happened a lot. There was no question now that Brandon was an equally significant part of Sofia’s past as she was in his.

Even though this subject had made her lose her appetite, Regina ate quickly. She was so over talking about this that all she wanted to do now was leave.

“This was a long time ago,” Bell explained, “before Sofie and Eric got married. Brandon grew up in the same neighborhood, so she’d known them both just as long.”

Of course Pat pressed on as Regina continued to inhale her slice of pie. “So Eric and Sofie weren’t always together? She was with Brandon before Eric?”

Regina pushed her chair back, unwilling to hear more about Brandon and Sofia’s longtime relationship. It obviously ran far deeper than Brandon had made it sound. She stood up, picking up her coffee cup. “I gotta go.”

Bell looked up at her, instantly apologetic. “Oh, honey, I hope you’re not upset. I didn’t mean to—”

“Upset about what?” Pat asked. “If it was that long ago, what does it matter?”

“It doesn’t,” Regina said, trying to sound as assuring as she could. Then she forced a smile, glancing back at Bell. “And I’m not upset. I just have to go. I didn’t realize how late it was.”

She knew Pat well enough to know she wouldn’t be letting this go. They could talk all they wanted about Brandon and Sofia when she left, but Regina didn’t want to hear another word about it.

The whole way home she replayed everything that had been said. Then she replayed the conversation that had begun to escalate between her and Brandon on their way home from the baptismal party, before they were interrupted by Pat’s call. All week she’d pushed it to the back of her head, slowly convincing herself she didn’t have to continue that conversation ever.

Now she wanted the truth. The whole truth. She believed Brandon when he said he loved her. She felt it in the way he looked at her, held her, and kissed her. But after today’s revelations, she just needed something that would confirm he was completely over Sofia, because now she wasn’t so sure Sofia was over him.

Brandon grew up in the same neighborhood, so she knew them both just as long.

Was it possible Sofia had grown up torn between Brandon and Eric? Could seeing him after all these years have reawakened feelings from the past? Had she actually followed Regina into Bell’s house that day so she could try to find out more about her and Brandon? Shaking her head, Regina decided that was crazy. But she knew herself all too well. This would fester away inside her if she didn’t at the very least finish that conversation she and Brandon had started after the gathering. What had him so worked up that day? There was only one way to find out. She’d ask him.

Chapter Twenty-Two

They still hadn’t talked about downsizing their living arrangements to just one place. There was no rule yet either as to whose place they’d be staying at each week. It just sort of happened. Regina was buying her place while Brandon was leasing, so it was likely that when it happened they’d end up in her place. This week they’d been at her place all week. Brandon had driven there after they’d gone to the hospital because Regina had mentioned she needed to get some things from her place, and they’d stayed there all week.

Brandon was in the shower when she arrived. She plopped onto her sofa, feeling completely exhausted. This week had been such a drain on her emotions. Just as she drove up and saw Brandon’s Jeep in front of her place, she’d started having second thoughts about bringing up the whole Sofia thing again. Did she really want to have this discussion this week? From the way he’d acted on the way home from the gathering, she knew there was potential for it to get ugly. But that was just it. The Morenos were a major part of her sister’s life, and Bell was a major part of Regina’s, so it was inevitable that they’d be running into Sofia and Eric again and again. Regina wanted this behind them. Whatever happened between Brandon and Sofia or whatever they had was in the past, but she didn’t want any surprises. Every new thing she discovered today alone had been a blow, and she was ready to just rip the bandage off once and for all—get it all out in the open.

Bell had called her twice on the way home, but Regina wasn’t up to talking about what she knew her sister was likely calling about. She’d let both calls go to voicemail, and she saw she had one now, so she hit the voicemail button to listen to it.

“Gina, please don’t be mad at me. The only reason I brought up Brandon and Sofia again was because I wanted to make sure you knew I wasn’t trying to insinuate anything about him. Everyone agrees it was all in the past and you have nothing to be upset or worried about, okay, sissy? Call me, please. I wanna hear you tell me you love me and you forgive me. I’ll be waiting.”

Regina smiled, hanging up and hitting speed dial. As soon as her sister answered, she said exactly what she wanted to. “I love you, and there is nothing to forgive because you didn’t do anything wrong.”

She heard Bell let out a sigh of relief. “Oh good, you know I hate it when we fight.”

For the first time that she could remember all week, Regina laughed. “I’d hardly call this a fight, and how could you hate it when we never do?”

“You know what I mean,” Bell said, laughing softly. She must’ve been home now because Regina could hear Romeo in the background, squealing loudly. “Seriously, I wouldn’t have even asked Alex and Valerie to come over and talk to you today if I knew it would upset you. Sofia is a sweetheart and all and completely devoted to Eric, but the news was kind of a shock to me, so I figured it would be for you too. Alex was fairly certain that Brandon probably hadn’t told you anything about it. I hated for someone to mention it one day and catch you off guard. That could be uncomfortable. Even from what Valerie finished telling me today on the phone after you left, there isn’t a whole lot to the story, but still, if it were me, I’d hate for something like that to be brought to light in a crowd with me being the only one who didn’t know. It could make things very awkward, and I just didn’t want to risk that happening to you.”

Regina sat back slowly. Even hearing Romeo’s squealing laughter, which usually made her smile, couldn’t shake the ugly feeling she suddenly had. Valerie had called her back and told her more? She glanced up at the stairway and listened for the shower. It was still going.

“Belly Bell?” she started very apprehensively, but if she got all the information she needed to know from her sister, maybe she could avoid having to have this conversation with Brandon at all. “I’m almost afraid to ask, so please be gentle with how you lay it on me, okay?”

“What?” Bell asked, no longer laughing and also sounding as nervous as Regina.

“All he told me,” she said, lowering her voice when she heard the shower upstairs turn off and she got off the sofa, “is that they had a moment—a kiss.”

She heard the bathroom door open upstairs, so she started for the front door. Once outside, she continued. “He said she took it back right after and that was it.” She squeezed her eyes shut, afraid to ask her next question, but she had to. “What else did he leave out?”

Bell exhaled dramatically, and Regina knew that wasn’t good, so she held her breath, chewing the corner of her bottom lip. “Okay, so she called me back to tell me what she couldn’t say in front of Alex. Sarah told her it was a little more than a kiss. But you can’t say anything, Gina. Sofia confessed this to Sarah only. Her brothers and especially Eric don’t know this.”

Feeling the same irrational anger she’d felt on that ride home begin to simmer inside her, Regina gripped the phone. “How much more? Did they sleep together?”

“No,” Bell said quickly. “Well, at least I don’t think so.” Bell lowered her voice as Regina braced herself. “Valerie said it was an actual slip that Sarah even told her what Sofia had shared with her. Apparently, it’d been so long since Sarah had even thought about Brandon after you guys left Sunday, she and Valerie started talking about the incredible coincidence and how awkward it was to see Brandon for a moment there. Then Sarah mentioned how guilty Sofia had felt about the whole thing back then. Hold on,” Bell said and went quiet for a moment. Regina heard a door close and suddenly Romeo’s screeching was gone. “I came out onto the porch because I don’t want Romero to hear. Anyway, Valerie said when she asked Sarah why Sofia felt so guilty over just a kiss it was as if it dawned on Sarah that she hadn’t actually told Valerie everything. She made Valerie swear not to say anything, but even then, Valerie said it seemed as if Sarah backpedaled and toned it down. All she said was that the kiss Sofie and Brandon shared was a little longer than she’d first admitted. It actually took place in his bedroom, and Sofie confessed to Sarah that she enjoyed it more than she should have. Val says she thinks maybe there was more to the story, but it was obvious Sarah felt bad about what she’d already let slip.”

Bell paused for a moment, and the very thought sunk into the frothing cesspool of jealousy at the pit of Regina’s stomach. Of course Sofia enjoyed Brandon’s kisses—but maybe there’d been more?

“What Sarah did tell her, and again, this was strictly between her and Sofie, was that before Brandon reported back to duty,” Bell paused again almost as if she hesitated to go on but then she did, “she ran into him one last time, and he told her he was in love with her.”

The door opened behind Regina, and she turned to see Brandon standing there shirtless and wearing a pair of basketball shorts ,the kind he always put on at night before getting in bed and stripping down to nothing. This look usually excited her, but at the moment, she felt nothing but utter seething jealousy.

“Hey,” he said, looking a bit perplexed. “I thought I heard the door close. Why are you out here?”

Val says she thinks maybe there was more to the story. He told her he was in love with her.

Regina pointed at her phone but said nothing as Bell’s words played back over and over in her head. Brandon’s brows came together for a moment before he nodded and went back inside.

“Was she in love with him too?” she whispered as soon as the door closed.

“Shit! I didn’t even think to ask,” Bell said, sounding irritated with herself. “I think Valerie would’ve mentioned it, but Gina you have to promise you won’t say anything to Brandon. Valerie said it was obvious Sarah felt very uncomfortable about having let it slip. The only reason Valerie even told me is because, like me, she agreed if it were her it would definitely be something she’d want to know, and she thought you should.”

“I won’t say anything to him about that.” Regina assured her, though she wasn’t making any promises. “Is there anything else?”

“No, that’s it. Honey, you’re not upset, are you? It really was a long time ago.”

“No, no.” Regina shook her head. “I’m fine. It was a long time ago, but like you said, it’s better to know everything upfront, right?”

The call was cut short when Romeo’s squealing started up again and it turned into whining. Bell had to tend to him. Regina was getting ready to pull the plug anyway. She knew Brandon was probably already wondering why she’d taken the call outside—something she hadn’t done once since they’d been staying with each other.

She walked back in to find him sitting on the sofa. It immediately felt odd because he was just sitting there doing nothing but waiting, yet already he appeared on edge.

“How’s your dad?” he asked.