Hiding the impatience, Brandon kept to himself what he was feeling as he watched Regina clean her face up. She’d refused to walk out of the ICU with any evidence that she’d broken down. He wanted to tell her Pat mentioned she knew Regina played it off, that she knew she could freak. She had the right to. This was her father—her daddy. Why couldn’t she be allowed to fall apart? But he knew this was not the time to argue about this, so he waited silently as she reapplied makeup and powdered her red nose.
She looked up at Brandon from where she was sitting and smiled. “Is that good?”
“That’s perfect,” he said, reaching his hand out to her. “Let’s go.”
Regina stood, hurrying over to her father’s side one last time and kissed his forehead then shook her head and waved her hands in her already welling eyes.
“Stop, stop, stop,” she whispered to herself.
“You don’t have to.” Brandon finally addressed the issue, but she shook her head and walked ahead of him out into the hallway of the ICU.
On the way home, Regina explained that her Grandpa Boot was her daddy’s father. She also mentioned her father was the one who had labeled her the brave one early on. “My sisters were always so shy compared to me. Neither ever took chances, and while I wasn’t wild or anything, I did like having fun and trying things they never would. When I was younger and the boys would play baseball outside during the summer, I was the only girl who asked to play with them, and it was because of my dad’s encouragement. He said I was probably better than most of those boys, and he was right.” She smiled. “When I decided I was gonna go to school clear across the country, all my siblings stayed close by, and when I told him I was thinking of applying at Cornell instead of asking, ‘Why so far,’ like my mom did, he immediately smiled and said, ‘Good for you.’” She lowered her voice to an almost whisper as if there were anyone around that could hear her. “My sisters always refer to my dad as a bit cold and indifferent, but I never got that from him. Like with my grandpa, we always had a special bond.”
She was quiet for a moment, and Brandon turned to see if maybe she was crying again, but to his relief, she’d fallen asleep. Since she slept the rest of the way home, Brandon had plenty of time to ponder the day’s happenings. With Regina’s dad being in the hospital for what probably would be the rest of the week, Brandon was fairly certain any talk or even thoughts of Sofie and her family were the last things they’d be discussing in the coming days. As much as he wanted to know exactly what Regina had been getting at just before her sister called, he wasn’t anxious to feel what he’d begun to feel during that conversation. Infuriatingly, somehow his past with the Morenos was coming back to haunt him.
~*~
Regina
Walking into her parents’ dining room, Regina was surprised to see Alex and Romero there now too. When she’d stepped into the bedroom to see her dad almost a half hour earlier, only Valerie had been there with Bell.
Regina got the distinct feeling that whatever they’d all been discussing was cut short when they heard her coming. It was oddly quiet for a moment; then both Alex and Romero greeted her with Romero walking over to hug and kiss her. “How is he?” he asked.
Frowning, Regina shrugged. “Asleep now, but I got to talk to him for little while before he knocked out. He’s doing better, I guess.” She turned to Bell. “Why does he seem so listless?”
“Gina, he’s recovering from major surgery,” Bell reminded her, motioning for her to take a seat at the table with them. “You can’t expect him to be all chipper so quickly. Mom said the meds make him sleepy too.”
Regina frowned, taking the seat next to Bell and Romero across from Valerie and Alex. Bell poured her some coffee. “Thank you,” Regina said, reaching for the creamer and sugar. “How’s Mom doing?” she asked, turning to Bell.
She’d driven out to see her dad several times this week but hadn’t been there yesterday. Today was only her dad’s second day home. Her brother, Art, took their mom to the supermarket today while Bell and Regina stayed and watched over their dad. Pat was on her way as well. It’d been this way the whole time. Her mother hadn’t been left to deal with this alone even one day, but Regina still worried. Her mother had her own high-blood-pressure issues, and stress only added to it.
“She’s hanging in there,” Bell said, nodding as she sipped her coffee. “You know her. She’s like you, a real trooper during a crisis.”
Regina refrained from frowning, and after inquiring on whether her mom was taking her own meds, she reminded Bell she’d be willing to take time off if they needed her to come and stay with her parents for a few days. Bell assured her they had it all under control. Then Bell changed the subject to something Regina had given very little thought to all week.
“Did, uh . . .” She cleared her throat and glanced at Alex and Valerie. “Did Brandon tell you about him and Sofie?”
Him and Sofie. God, she hated how that sounded. She stirred her coffee, preparing herself to not sound defensive or jealous, though she was suddenly feeling both again.
“What about him and Sofie?” she asked then lifted a shoulder quickly meeting Alex’s eyes. “I mean I know way back something happened between them that didn’t exactly go over well with you, your brothers, and Eric since she was already with Eric, but I didn’t ask for details.”
“But he did tell you then?” Bell asked, sounding a little relieved, then gave Alex an I-told-you-so look.
Regina studied Alex’s strange expression for a moment then glanced back at her sister. “He’d told me about a girl in his past.” Regina thought about how Brandon said Sofia hadn’t even been a girlfriend. Yet she’d left such an impression on him. “He said it was someone he grew up around and later they’d had an experience. But it wasn’t until the baptism that I realized it was Sofie.” She turned back to Alex. “He had no idea either that I knew her or that he’d be running into all of you guys again.” She shrugged. “Like Romero said that day, ‘Small world, huh?’”
Valerie touched Alex’s arm, who frowned in reaction to Regina’s response. Then Bell spoke again a bit cautiously. “Did he mention what that experience had been exactly?”
Regina eyed Bell, feeling a little uncomfortable, especially given Alex’s reaction. Thoughts of Brandon and Sofia had lingered most of the week, but her father’s health had taken front and center in her mind.
“It’s been years, Gina,” Alex said suddenly. “I’m sure he’s a different guy now. And like I told Bell, as smart as you are, your judgment of character is likely spot on. I’m sure you wouldn’t get involved with someone unless you knew exactly what you’re in for. I wasn’t even gonna say anything, but it just didn’t feel right to not at least mention it.”
Regina peered at him curious now. “Mention what?”
Alex glanced at Bell as if it might be better if she told her instead of him. “Did he mention that he and Sofie’s brothers never got along?” Bell asked again, her tone a bit too cautionary. Regina was torn between being nervous or annoyed by that.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “He said something like that.”
The Morenos had always been sweethearts, as far as Regina was concerned. She didn’t want to tell them that she knew the main reason they’d been upset with Brandon was because they wrongfully blamed him alone for the indiscretion he and Sofia had had while she was already seeing Eric. From what Brandon had told her, Sofia had been just as willing. If they chose to be delusional about their sister’s innocence, that was one thing. She wouldn’t even go there unless she was forced to. But if they thought they were going to point fingers now and she’d sit there and allow it without defending Brandon, they had another think coming. So she braced herself for what Bell or Alex might mention to her next.
“Alex was just concerned because growing up it seemed Brandon’s character wasn’t always the most honorable,” Valerie explained, her tone as cautious as Bell’s, and now Regina decided it was annoying.
“It’s not e
ven about the way he was when we were kids.” Alex shrugged. “None of us were perfect, and people grow out of stuff like that. It’s what happened later when he got back from the Marines after having been gone a few years. We all thought he’d gone on the straight and narrow and then . . .” He paused, and before he went on to say what Regina knew was coming, she interrupted because she didn’t want this to get ugly.
“He told me, Alex.” Regina informed him. “He and your sister shared a moment—a kiss—even though she was already with Eric.” She shrugged to show it was nonissue for her. “He thought they’d made a connection, especially since she allowed it.” She made sure she got that part in but wouldn’t harp on it. “He was wrong, and she admitted they’d made a mistake.”
“Honey, are you sure he didn’t have the faintest idea that you knew the Morenos?” Bell’s cautious tone was even gentler now. “That being with you would give him possible access to being around Sofia?”
“What?” Regina asked, completely insulted now. “No, of course not. He had no idea. When he told me about her, he mentioned her name, but it’s a common name. It never even dawned on me it might be this Sofia.” She turned to Alex now, attempting only for Valerie, her sister’s longtime friend, not to glare at him. “And there was no way he would know I had any association with any of you.”
“Sweetheart, I never said—”
“No one is accusing him of anything, Gina,” Bell interrupted Alex, touching Regina on the arm. “And Alex never once insinuated that this was the case, hon. It was just something that occurred to me just now.”
“Well, it’s not,” Regina said, no longer holding back her irritation.
She saw Valerie and Bell exchange glances, and then Bell took a deep breath. “Did he tell you that, even after he was warned to stay away from Sofie, he followed her to the beach to insist on talking to her? Then when she told him again that he needed to stay away, he showed up at their home, insisting on seeing her?” Bell asked with a wince. “That he was completely drunk and caused a huge scene just outside their home? And only after he’d been beaten pretty badly did he finally leave?”
Now Regina was stunned silent. She turned to Alex and Valerie. Both looked at her with sympathy. “Brandon stalked Sofia?”
That was a far cry from the tidbit he’d shared with her about this.
“I wouldn’t call it stalking, G.” Alex said. “We never heard from him after that day.” He shrugged. “He was drunk. People do all kinds of stupid shit when they’re drunk.”
“I heard that.” Romero laughed.
Alex turned to Valerie. “It’s not that big a deal really, but Valerie didn’t feel right not saying anything. Like I said, it’s been years. We’ve all made mistakes in our past.” He shrugged again. “Shit happens.” He turned to Bell as he pushed his chair back, and Valerie begun to push hers back as well. “I seriously doubt he had a clue Gina knew us. Brandon’s no dummy. If he’s with your sister, it’s because he knows what a catch she is.”
Alex winked at Gina, and under normal circumstances, she would’ve felt flattered. Instead, her mind was swimming with questions. Mostly she wanted to know if there was more she didn’t know. Alex and Valerie may’ve wanted to make sure Gina knew about this, but neither seemed eager to share anymore.
“Thank you for letting me know,” she said, standing to see them off, since they were obviously leaving.
They both nodded and then hugged her good-bye. Alex once again reminded her that what they’d just told her was a long time ago and even said that if her gut told her Brandon was a good guy then he probably was.
Romero started in on Alex about their new SUV. Bell had already mentioned to Regina that she and Romero were in the market for a new SUV as well. Just like that, the subject of Brandon was axed as the two couples began talking about Alex and Valerie’s Escalade.
Regina excused herself to the bathroom, saying her final good-byes as the two couples walked out the front together. They were now completely engaged in the conversation about how much room the back of the escalade had for the strollers and other baby things they constantly traveled with.
After using the bathroom, she peeked in on her dad again. He slept soundly, and she smiled, but her mind was still on Brandon. Romero and Bell walked back into the house just as she walked out of the hallway.
“Come sit and talk some more, Gina.” Bell said, pointing at the dining room table.
“I’m gonna call my uncles,” Romero said, turning back to the front door. “I wanna make sure everything’s still cool with the kids.” He shook his head. “I told them to just stay home. I’m surprised those two ain’t banned from Chuck E. Cheese yet.”
Bell laughed, turning back to Gina. “The first time they took Mandy, Max got stuck in one of the tubes. Another time they nearly got in a scuffle with a dad whose kid was hogging one of the games she wanted to play.”
Regina smiled, glad that Bell wasn’t jumping right back into the subject of Brandon. She was still trying to digest everything they’d just told her. She didn’t think she could take anymore.
Just minutes after Romero walked out, Pat walked in, holding a pie. “I just missed them?” she asked with a frown.
“Alex and Valerie?” Bell asked then nodded. “Yep, they left just a few minutes ago.”
“Oh well,” Pat said. “More pie for us. It’s Razzleberry, Bell. Your favorite.” She turned to Regina as she set it down on the table. Bell was already on her way into the kitchen. “I’ll get chocolate cream next time, babe.”
Regina smiled big at the pie. It was just what she needed to get her muddled mind off Brandon and Sofia. Bell came back with plates and silverware.
“Seriously, Gina,” she said as she set the plates down. “I hope you don’t think I was trying to insinuate that Brandon was in any way using you for his own ulterior motives. He seems absolutely love-struck with you. Even Mom and Pat thought so, didn’t you?” she asked Pat as they both took seats at the table.
Pat nodded but looked confused and turned to Regina. “Why would you think Bell was insinuating he was using you?” She then turned to Bell even more quizzically, lifting a brow. “What ulterior motives would he have?”
God no! The last person she wanted to be having this conversation was Pat. She tried getting Bell’s attention so she could give her a look that would make her stop. If anyone knew how critical Pat could be, it was Bell. Already she’d questioned Regina a few days prior about Brandon’s rank and if he was planning on moving up or if he was happy where he was.
Over the years and after a lesson well learned with her scumbag ex-husband, Pat had eased up a bit on butting into her siblings affairs, but she could still be quick to judge. Regina was in no mood to hear her take on Brandon allegedly taking advantage of Sofia—no matter how long ago it was. She’d enjoyed riling Pat in the past with Ricardo the beach bum, but this was Brandon. She’d be damned if she would let Pat speak badly of him.
Unfortunately, Bell was too busy slicing pie to catch Regina’s pleading expression. “Regina’s Brandon and Sofie had a thing once upon a time.” Bell said, handing Pat a plate with a slice.
“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.
Breaking Brandon (Fate) Page 25
