“I’m notnothappy for them,” Rosaline stressed.
“I know.”
“It’s just... three months.” Rosaline shook her head. “You know as well as I do what people are going to say.”
She did. That Lyric was having a baby. That she and Cash, neither of who had the greatest track record when it came to relationships, were moving too fast, repeating the same mistakes they’d made before. Not that either of them had ever been engaged before, but it was no secret they both tended to fall hard and fast. A fact that worried Poppy and she knew worried Rosaline, too.
“Do you think we could convince them to keep it quiet? Just not say anything?”
Rosaline’s footsteps slowed and she looked at Poppy askance. “Keep the engagement under wraps? And what, have them tie the knot in secret? Hard launch their marriage? Do you seriously think that’s going to work?”
“I don’t know, but it could be worth a shot.” She shrugged. “People can’t speculate on something they know nothing about.”
Rosaline snorted derisively. “Poppy, sweetheart, I adore you, but you and I both know that’s not true.”
“Yeah, well, it still couldn’t...” Hold—hold on. “Did you just say youadore me?”
Rosaline quit pacing and turned to Poppy, brows raised. “Yes?”
Her heart crashed into her ribs and her lungs refused to work, her mouth opening and shutting wordlessly.Adorewas not a word she heard used often. Certainly no one had ever said they adoredher.
“You seem surprised.” Rosaline looked deeply amused as she crossed the room and stopped in front of Poppy. “Pleasantly, I hope.”
She reached out and tucked her fingers in the pockets of Rosaline’s high-waisted leggings. “Pleasantlyis one way of putting it.” A breathless, giddy little laugh escaped her. “I guess I just wasn’t expecting you to tell me youadore mein the same breath you tell me I’m wrong.”
“I didn’t say you were wrong. Impractically idealistic, maybe...”
“Be still my heart.”
With two fingers beneath Poppy’s chin, Rosaline tipped her head back, bringing Poppy’s gaze to hers. Her green eyes crinkled when she smiled and Poppy’s heart thudded extra hard. “I figured you knew, but seeing as you clearly did not, let the record show that I’m pretty crazy about you, Poppy.”
“Ooh, on record, huh?” She grinned. “Must be serious.”
“Mm, it is.” Crawling onto the mattress with her knees on either side of Poppy’s hips, Rosaline settled herself on Poppy’s lap, wiggling a little to get comfortable. “Now’s right about the time you tell me that it’s mutual and you’re crazy about me too.”
Poppy sputtered out a laugh. “Presumptuous, much?”
Arms draped loosely around Poppy’s neck, Rosaline dropped her chin, the distance between their faces dwindling. Instead of kissing Poppy on the mouth, she pressed her lips to the bolt of Poppy’s jaw. Poppy’s lids fluttered and her teeth dragged against her bottom lip. Rosaline’s breath was hot against the side of her face, making her shiver. “It’s not presumptuous if I’m right,” she whispered.
Poppy exhaled sharply. “I figured you knew,” she said, echoing Rosaline’s words.
Rosaline pressed another kiss to Poppy’s jaw. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear you say it.”
“I am.” She shivered when Rosaline’s teeth scraped her skin. “Crazy about you.”
Rosaline sat back and offered her a blinding smile. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“Oh my god.” Poppy laughed. “You’re impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible, Poppy.” She wrinkled her nose. “Except maybe convincing Lyric and Curran to see reason.”
“I still think my idea has merit.”
“Sorry, but have you met those two? I bet you twenty bucks Lyric’s already been on Etsy looking up shit withwifey for lifeybedazzled on it.” Rosaline shook her head. “No, we’re just going to have to try and get ahead of it.”
“Fair enough. I think Cash has probably maxed out his discretion points for the rest of the year.” Poppy gnawed on her lip, smiling alittle when Rosaline reached out and pried it free from her teeth. “They could—okay, this is going to sound so beyond basic, but what if they just announce their engagement on Instagram? Caption it with as much or as little as they want to say? That would at least give them the opportunity to do it on their terms.”
Unlike how the news that they were dating broke.
