Like He Never Left

chapter 26

*rubs hands together maniacally*

--

"Hey Colt, Brooke!" Tommy hollers from his place on the stairs, smiling widely at us. "Didn't know you guys would be here, too." He hops the stairs and bounds over to us, eyes twinkling. 

SueEllen, Josie, and James follow close behind. SueEllen's belly gets a little rounder every time I see it, and I'm so excited for her as I imagine two tiny beings inside there. 

I feel Brooke perk up considerably when she sees the group walking over to us, and she puts on an impressively fake smile. Wrapping an arm around my bicep, she leans into me, and I blink, shocked, at her total change of behavior. 

I'm a little upset that she's only displaying affection for show, but I'm just happy she's close to me willingly and I let it go.

I look up to catch James's eye, nodding curtly at one another, and I watch Sue roll her eyes at us. "Ridiculous," she scoffs. 

"Yeah, Brooke—"

"I saw the ad in a travel magazine I picked up at the airport, and I thought it'd be fun," Brooke interrupts, and I have to hold back an eye roll. I mean, it's what I was going to say, so I guess it's fine, but also, that's exactly what I was going to say. 

Tommy listens intently to her, wrapping his arms around SueEllen's shoulders from behind her subconsciously, and SueEllen and Josie exchange a secret look at Brooke's words. I've never ever been able to decipher what they silently say to each other when they do that. I probably never will.

"Your first plantation tour?" Tommy asks.

I catch Josie's eye, and she arches her brows in a questioning manner, wordlessly asking if everything is okay.

"Yep," Brooke confirms all bubbly-like, and my stomach twists at her facade. 

I hold back an exasperated eye roll and nod. We're fine. Everything's fine.

"You're going to love it," he assures, and Brooke smiles at him.

"I'm sure I will. Colt's told me all about how you guys used to come here." She rests her free hand on my chest, looking up at me through her lashes. "Says he knows all the best spots."

I'm so stunned by her words that I let my guard slip, and every emotion conflicting inside me pushes their way to the surface. I don't know exactly what he sees on my face, but when Tommy and his ear-to-ear grin look to me to undoubtedly confirm with excitement because he believes her, his eyes dim when he sees what's on it, and his eyebrows furrow the slightest bit. 

He knows. He doesn't know what he knows yet, but he's not stupid. Something's up, and he's going to figure it out. 

He looks back to Brooke and continues their conversation, though holding back his prior enthusiasm, and I watch the wariness stay. 

Glancing at Josie, I see her picking apart Brooke with that calculating gaze of hers that she wears when she knows something's amiss, and James is just totally oblivious to all that's going on. Hell, I guess I am too in a sense when it comes to my fiancee. 

I just don't understand why Brooke is lying. I don't say anything because I don't want to embarrass her in front of everyone else, but I'm not going to let this slide and let her get away with it. 

They've been nothing but accepting of her. They don't deserve to have their kindness thrown back in their faces. 

The arm that Brooke is digging into throbs from how tight her hold is, and I attempt to subtly pull my arm away, or at least loosen her grip from around me. She only squeezes me tighter and pats my chest with the hand already on it.