A Heart to Trust, A.L. Brooks [speed reading book TXT] 📗

that bad breakup up with my last girlfriend, so I thought two to three years being single would be perfect.”

“But then she met you.” Broderick gave a dramatic flourish of his arms. “And her cunning plan crumbled.”

“Idiot.” Olivia tutted, but her eyes sparkled as she gazed at him. She looked back at Jenny. “But yes, I met you. And then…” Her voice sounded a little rougher, more emotional. “Well, being on my own, pretending to be straight, and trying to pretend I wasn’t attracted to you, was very difficult.”

Jenny’s brain was in danger of exploding. “I…” She shook her head. “Holy fuck.”

Broderick chuckled and patted her shoulder. “Exactly.” He leaned back in his seat and looked from Jenny to Olivia. “I don’t think you need me here now, do you?”

“I doubt it. Are you going out? Because you don’t have to leave.”

“Thanks. I’d rather not. The weather out there is crap.” He smiled. “You okay if I just hang out in my rooms?”

“Yes.” Olivia turned to Jenny. “Is that okay with you? He and I each have half the apartment, so we can move to my rooms if you want to carry on talking. Or we can stay here. Or you could, um, leave. If you want to, obviously.”

Jenny didn’t know what she wanted particularly, except she definitely didn’t want to leave. She had a ton of questions and waiting until another time for the answers was a nonstarter. “I’ll stay.” Her voice was a little croaky from the dryness in her mouth, the nerves in her belly. She took a gulp of water. “I have questions.”

Olivia snorted. “I’m not surprised.”

Broderick stood, leaned down, and kissed Olivia’s head.

“Hey, thanks for telling me all that.” Jenny met Broderick’s eyes.

“You’re welcome.” He gave Jenny a quick wave before leaving the kitchen.

“He seems like a nice guy.” Jenny twirled her water glass in her hands.

“He is. That was, well, that was a pretty big deal for him, telling you about himself. He’s only been out to me up until now.”

“His family don’t know?”

“No.” Olivia shook her head, a small frown on her face. “His mom, who you’ve met, is a sweetheart but very traditional. He feels she would never understand him, so he’s kept it from her. The downside is she’s kept trying to set him up with the single or divorced daughters of all her friends for years.”

“Ugh, messy.”

“Indeed. Like you said, he’s such a nice guy. It’s been relatively easy to do this with him because he’s so likable. We’ve made sure we talked openly about it all the way through too.”

Jenny exhaled loudly. “This is not what I was expecting from today.”

“I’m sure,” Olivia murmured. “Look, shall we go sit somewhere more comfortable? Like I said, I have a suite in the apartment. Want some wine? Or a beer? Or are you still too hungover?”

Jenny chuckled. “I could go for a beer, sure. And yeah, maybe hanging out might be a nice idea.”

Olivia’s face lit up, and Jenny felt it all the way to her toes.

Chapter 29

Olivia’s legs wobbled as she led Jenny to her side of the apartment. Telling someone she liked and trusted about her big secret had been beyond nerve-racking. She knew she shook now for that reason as well as the imminent presence of Jenny in her rooms.

Barnaby barely gave them a glance as they walked by, but he did wag his tail a few times when Jenny whispered, “Hey there, big guy.”

While Olivia hadn’t exactly planned for a guest in her rooms this evening, she always kept her own space neat and tidy, so at least she wasn’t embarrassed by piles of dirty laundry or plates on the floor when she showed Jenny into her small living room.

“Have a seat.” She pointed to the couch. “I’m just going to use the bathroom. Be right back.”

Jenny nodded and took a spot on the couch. She sat right at one end, clearly feeling the need to keep some space between them.

Olivia closed the bathroom door with a sigh. She still doesn’t feel completely comfortable around me. It hurt, but she could understand it. She allowed herself a couple minutes extra in the bathroom to simply breathe and try to bring some sense of calm to her overwrought mind and body. Come on, stop being such a chicken and go sit with her. Hear what she has to say. The fact that she hasn’t run screaming from the building is a good sign, surely.

She tentatively sat on the couch, at the opposite end from Jenny. It left a full seat’s worth of space between them, which seemed ridiculous. “So.” She placed both hands on her knees and tried to stop her entire body from tensing as she faced Jenny. “What would you like to ask?”

Jenny held up her hands. “I don’t even know where to start.”

She chuckled, and Olivia couldn’t help chuckling too. Within seconds, the pair of them laughed so hard the couch rocked with motion.

“This is so bizarre.” Jenny drew in a long breath. “Of all the things you could have told me today, that one would have been way down the list. You have everyone fooled, I guess.”

Olivia winced. “Yes, but we’re not proud of it, believe me. The biggest cost for him has been lying to his family. His mother is very sweet, and it’s been extraordinarily painful to lead her into thinking this was real. She wants grandkids by the dozen.”

“Ouch.”

“Yes.”

“And what about your family? Your friends?”

Olivia leaned back against the couch cushions. “My mother knows, along with my best friend. But no one else. The few friends I had made through my theater work in the UK were confused. I was out with everyone, so for me to turn around and tell them I’d fallen in love with this man I’d known for years as only a friend…that took some selling.” She sighed at the memories. “I lost a couple of friends through this. Friends I never imagined would reject