Chapter 23 #2
Brooke nodded. She knew. She’d never meant to fall for Riley, but she’d gone head over heels for him all the same.
And look how that had turned out.
“When you get him away from his family, it’s like he’s another person,” Lila continued. “I thought that’s all it would take. Us starting out on our own, doing things our way.”
“Maybe you still can.” Brooke saw the heartache in her eyes, and wished she could spare her, somehow. “Do you love him?”
Lila nodded sadly.
“Then maybe that’s enough.”
“Is love ever enough?” Lila asked, her voice quiet, and Brooke’s heart clenched.
No.
It wasn’t. You had to have honesty, too. Trust, and loyalty; you had to be willing to open up and put your heart on the line, and make something together, no holding back. Love alone only left you heartbroken and betrayed.
“I can’t tell you what to do,” she said softly. “They’re all waiting for you. But if you want to get out of here . . .”
Lila shook her head. “I’m not running away. The press would eat me alive for this.”
She slid down from the stool, and arranged her skirts around her. “Lipstick?” she asked, and Brooke found a napkin to blot at her face.
“Perfect.”
“The show must go on, right?” Lila gave her an empty smile, put her shoulders back, and then glided out of the kitchen like she was walking a runway.
Brooke followed behind. She should be relieved, her once-in-a-lifetime wedding event was going ahead as planned, and aside from a minor scuffle in the lobby, everything was running like clockwork.
The photos would be beautiful, and they would be booked solid for years with brides all wanting the Hollywood touch.
But as she trailed Lila down the hallway and out to the lobby, she didn’t feel any pride or sense of accomplishment.
She just felt empty, watching as if it were a crash in slow motion.
Meredith was waiting by the doors, and cheered to see them.
She gestured outside, and then a moment later, the sound of the Wedding March began.
Lila’s bridesmaids descended, fluttering around to adjust her gown and veil, and then they set off, marching out to the altar with their bouquets and bright smiles.
Lila took a breath, and then she followed, stepping out alone to the crowd.
Brooke lingered in the doorway, watching her walk down the aisle. Justin was waiting with his best man, and his face lit up at the sight of Lila, just like they always did. Brooke never got tired of seeing that smile, but today, knowing everything she did, it felt hollow.
“Dearly beloved . . .” the priest began. “We’re gathered here today to celebrate the union of two people embarking on a lifetime together.”
“Wait.”
Lila’s voice was so soft, Brooke almost didn’t catch it.
“Vows are not to be entered into lightly,” the priest continued, and then the voice came again, louder.
“Please, stop.”
There were gasps.
Brooke held her breath, watching as Lila stepped back. “I’m sorry,” she said to Justin. “But . . . I can’t do this. You want me to play the perfect politician’s wife, but that’s not me. It never was. I thought you knew that!”
Justin shot a desperate look at Bitsy.
“Babe—” he started. “You really want to talk about this now?”
“No. It’s too late for that.” Lila held her head high. “These vows mean everything to me, and I’m only going to say them once. Just not to you.”
She turned on her heel, and started walking back up the aisle, away from him.
“Babe!” Justin called after her, but Lila just picked up speed, breaking into a run by the time she reached Brooke.
“Is that getaway offer still open?” she asked, hurrying inside. There was bedlam behind her—Justin hurling the ring down in anger, guests waving their cellphone cameras, and Bitsy looking like she was about to pass out.
“Come with me.” Brooke hustled her through the lobby, and back to the staff exit. “Neil!” She grabbed her clerk on the way through. “Can you get her out of here?”
His eyes widened. “The press . . .”
“Take the delivery van. She can hide in the back.” Brooke grabbed the keys from the office and thrust them into his hands. “Good luck.”
She shoved them out the back door. Lila picked up the skirts of her ten-thousand-dollar gown and sprinted to the van, and then they were speeding out the back gate, past a pack of photographers, out to the main road.
Brooke watched her go, silently wishing Lila luck.
She was going to need it. Brooke had learned the hard way you couldn’t just run out on your problems—even if it seemed like the easy way out.
She hadn’t been able to escape her own mistakes, and she didn’t have every tabloid magazine in the country lined up at the gates for an exclusive scoop.
With a sigh, she returned to the patio to face the music.
“You!” Bitsy accosted her the moment she stepped outside. “This is all your fault! I knew from the moment we stepped foot in this place it would be a disaster. You’ll be hearing from my lawyers!”
“Where is she?” Meredith shoved Bitsy aside. “Where did you take her? I’ve got her agents on one line and the studio on the other. We need damage control, now!”
Brooke looked around numbly. Guests were talking in huddles, already scrolling through their phones; a fight had broken out between the groomsman, and somewhere, a helicopter was buzzing overhead.
It was a scandal. It was a disaster.
And it was all her fault.