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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 kne 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 onup or if he was happy where he was

Over the years and after a lesson well learned with her scu into her siblings affairs, but she could still be quick to judge Regina was in no e of Sofia--noPat in the past with Ricardo the beach bum, but this was Brandon She’d be damned if she would let Pat speak badly of hi pie to catch Regina’s pleading expression "Regina’s Brandon and Sofie had a thing once upon a ti 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 re 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 frorowing insecurities She’d now have to deal with seeing the 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 ina ate quickly She was so over talking about this that all she wanted to do noas leave

"This was a long tiot hborhood, so she’d known theina continued to inhale her slice of pie "So Eric and Sofie weren’t always together? She ith Brandon before Eric?"

Regina pushed her chair back, unwilling to hear time relationship It obviously ran far deeper than Brandon had otta 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 itto sound as assuring as she could Then she forced a s back at Bell "And I’o 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 ho 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 so that would confirm he was completely over Sofia, because now she wasn’t so sure Sofia was over hihborhood, so she knew therown up torn between Brandon and Eric? Could seeing his froina into Bell’s house that day so she could try to find out ina 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 s from her place, and they’d stayed there all week

Brandon was in the shohen 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? Fro, 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 ina’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