Page 79 of Choose Us

“Is that what that was? How did you know where to find me?” Then it clicked. “Paula?”

Brooke nodded before sheepishly playing with the buttons onher jacket.

“She gave me a mouthful about how stupid I was for leaving you, then a long disapproving chat about my choices in Japan, but she agreed flying back to London to try and win you back was the best idea I’ve ever had.” Brooke’s gaze darted around theparking lot.

Wait, whatdid she say?

“You came back for me?” I asked softly.

My body was in disbelief. I’d gone from the highs of a strong day in court to this euphoric feeling I couldn’t describe.

“Yes.” The sun made the freckles on her nose stand out. The brown of her eyes looked golden.

“Why?”I whispered.

“You know why.”

My briefcase was weighing me down, so I dropped it to the floor. Brooke took the opportunity to grab my hand.

“I love you, Holly. I was naive to think I could forget that. Leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. When I saw you again all those feelings came rushing back. They were more overwhelming than when I left you. It became clear to me how big a mistake I’d made.”

Brooke placed her denim jacket on top of my bag and reached to cup my cheek. “I’m sorry foreverything.”

“What about Takara?”

“Me and Takara were never serious. It was pretty much done when I told her I’d always been in love with someone else.”

Is this a dream?

I reached out and touched her arm, her shoulder, her neck.

She was real.

“What about your dad?” I cringed. I knew the answer would involve another lie. What tale had she told him this time?

“He’ll probably never talk to me again, or at least not for a long time, but that’s his problem now.”

My eyes widened. “Wait, what? You told himthe truth?”

“How else was I going to justify moving back to London? Saying I loved my job as a paralegal just wasn’t going to cut it.”She smirked.

“You’re moving back?” I said in a low almost inaudible tone. “Where? How? Why do I feel like I’m dreaming?”

I reached forwards and touched a strand of hair lying across her chest.

“Have I died and goneto heaven?”

She looked me dead in the eye; her eyes squinted slightly to avoid the sun’s glare. The expression created tiny little creases in the corners of her eyes that made her even more appealing.

“No, this is so much better than heaven,” she whispered.

The palm of Brooke’s hand fell from my face to my neck and stoppedon my chest.

“I haven’t figured out a lot of things yet, but I would prefer to talk about that later. Right now, all I want to do is—”

Before she finished her sentence I pressed my lips hard against hers. Years’ worth of anguish and sorrow poured out into that kiss. She wrapped her hands around my back as I pulled her in closer. My hands ran through her hair. I felt her body close in on mine, and the world around us fell away.

When I pulled away her eyes remained closed. Our foreheads pressed together. I could smell her; the sweet aroma of a body spray unknown to me, but she smelt like summer. It was a coconut and citruscombination.