"What is it? The secret."
I take her in, like really take her in, noting the change a couple years can make. She used to be so reserved, withdrawn, and honestly, a bit difficult, but the June that sits in front of me is softer, in a more powerful kind of way. She opened her heart to her men, and yeah, they may have had hard times to get through in the beginning but damn if it didn't bring her to such a wonderful place today. She glows, and it’s sort of magnetic and inspiring to witness how much she's evolved.
"It makes me happy to see you so happy," I confess. "You deserve it, really. And I'm so glad I get to bear witness to it."
June pouts her bottom lip. "Cor...that's so...sweet of you." She reaches out and grasps my shoulder."I'm really glad we're friends."
She's never really been the type to confess her feelings so for her to say that, it means a lot. And it will be one of those things I cling to after these next few weeks pass, and I become the property of someone else.
"Me, too," I tell her. "Me, too." I give her shoulder a gentle squeeze and settle into my seat for the short ride to where we're picking Simon up.
Alec turns the volume up on the stereo just slightly so a soft melody fills the otherwise now empty vehicle. I catch his gaze in the rearview mirror but look away and out the window.
My phone buzzes, a text from Silver coming across the screen.
Silver:You doing okay?
I study those three words for far too long and finally thumb a response.
Me: Yeah, are you?
Silver: Always.
I start typing, the wordsI miss youstaring back at me on the screen, but I delete it and shut my screen off to prevent me from saying anything too crazy. I hung out with the guyonetime, that isn't enough to miss him. Or at the very least telling him. He'll think I'm a crazy clinger girl who caught feelings too quickly.
But isn't that what I am? I did catch feelings. And I do miss him.
I'm on the way to a first date with one guy, while being driven by another, and missing another. All the while I can't be with any of them because of mycircumstances.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
Either way, I told myself I would try to enjoy what remaining time I have left, so I need to get out of my head and do exactly that.
Alec pulls us to the front of a massive high-end hotel that I'm fairly certain is swarming with criminals. I've been here briefly with June, and it definitely gives off sketchy vibes but it's not like I could question her about it, since I'm on a need-to-know basis and all. If it weren't safe though, I don't think she would have brought me there. Maybe I was wrong, and I'm just being judgmental.
Simon, standing in a small group of men, glances our way, doing a double take. Alec hops out and rushes around the side to open the door in preparation for Simon's approach. I hate seeing him wait on them like this, but I guess it is sort of his job, and he's being paid to do so.
My breath catches as the man Simon is talking to comes into my line of focus.
Ricardo. The fucking cockroach is everywhere. Did he purposely infiltrate my friend group or was he already before I accidentally got involved with him? Regardless, it makes my stomach turn, and I do what I can to scoot closer to the window and get out of the line of sight. Here's to hoping the tint is dark enough that he can't see through.
Simon slaps Ricardo's shoulder like he's making an attempt to break free of him, and then he turns toward us. Only, Ricardo doesn't stay where he is, yet follows him over, his mouth still moving, his conversation apparently too important to end just yet.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
"Christ, who is that guy?" June mutters under her breath and puts her arm out the door to wave at her oncoming boyfriend. "Hey," she says once he's a foot away. "We have reservations. We're going to be late."
It's a lie, but no one needs to know. And for all Simon does know, she could be telling the truth. I'm not sure what story she fed him to get him to play along.
"I won't keep you." Ricardo coughs into his shoulder and extends his hand. "I only wanted to meet the woman who stole the infamous Simon Beckett's heart."
June takes it reluctantly, and I do that thing where I try to become invisible, hoping and praying to any powerful entity that it will finally work. Hell, I'd accept sudden internal combustion if it meant getting me the fuck out of this awkward situation.
"June didn't steal it," Simon tells him. "I gave it to her willingly."
"Ah, and what do we have here?" Ricardo shoves his round face into the SUV and latches his sights on me.
My heart thuds and sweat pools between my tits. This can't be real. This isn't happening. This has to be some fucked up nightmare I'm going to wake up from any second. But when I close my fist so tight my fingernails dig into my palm, I'm not awoken. No, I remain right here, flabbergasted and confused about what the fuck I'm supposed to do.
