Page 105 of Love and Cherish

Stuart pinched his face. “I don’t think gave up is the right word. Cherish still believes in love, Haylee. She’s a hopeless romantic at heart.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“She is!” Stuart laughed lightly. “I think you need to get to know her better.”

“She doesn’t want to get to know me.” Haylee leaned back in her chair, shuffling her foot under the table. She didn’t know what to do or say right now. She was bombarded with the two of them.

“She wants to believe in love so much, but she’s scared of what love might mean.”

“Really hot sex?” Haylee bit her tongue.

“No. That she might get hurt. She’s already been on the outs with our entire town since she and Febe left. There’s some wild rumors running around that the two of them are in a relationship together, and every time she goes back, those rumors flare up. Which is why she stopped coming home. Cherish isn’t someone who likes to be in the limelight.”

That much Haylee could at least agree with. “So she’s scared of love?”

“No. She’s scared of losing it,” Stuart corrected.

“And so are you,” Jackson butted in.

“I don’t need comments from the peanut gallery, thank you very much.” Haylee pointed at him sharply, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes, you do!” Jackson kicked her lightly under the table. “Because you’re also scared of love. Ever since Tyler died, I’ve watched you shut down. It’s like you were scared to open your heart up to someone.”

“Nothing ever lasts.”

“Sure it does!” Jackson kicked her again. “I still love you. I’m pretty sure Tyler still loves you in whatever afterlife he’s in.”

“Two people scared to let love in.” Stuart snorted. “Febe wasn’t lying when she said you were tough nuggets to crack.”

“She what?” Haylee’s face pinched. “When did you talk to her about all this? When did you two make the plans to come out here?”

“Just after you got your new job,” Jackson answered. “I guess Cherish had some freak-out in Febe’s office that prompted the video call.”

“Jesus,” Haylee muttered. “Wait. What freak-out?”

Jackson sent Stuart a look, like the two of them were debating how much to tell her. Haylee’s frustration rose. She just wanted answers already. She wanted to know what the hell was going on and get it all out in the open. She was tired of living day to day and not knowing what each moment held.

“You need to talk to Cherish.” Jackson stepped in. “And I mean actually talk to her. We’re here to support both of you through it, for the next three days. Febe, too.”

“This was all Febe’s idea.” Which explained exactly why Febe needed her schedule cleared. Damn it all to hell. Febe was a conniving thing, wasn’t she?

“We came up with it together,” Stuart added. “Cherish is my baby sister, and Febe is one of my best friends. I’m tired of watching both of them hurt over this.”

“Over what?” Haylee frowned, her chest tightening even more.

“Over miscommunication, not talking to each other, and being so damn afraid to take a risk on love.” Stuart nodded at Haylee. “Seems you fall right into that category with them.”

Haylee wanted to mumble obscenities at them, prove the point that they were wrong, but she couldn’t. Because they weren’t wrong. “So, what do I do?”

“First, you stop lying to yourself and admit that you’re in love.” Jackson eyed her suspiciously.

“I’m not…” Haylee stopped. Was she in love with Cherish? She’d definitely say she was in like. The sex was hands-down amazing and hot. She’d been stuck on Cherish for a while now, unable to think about a potential relationship with anyone else. She hadn’t even tried, honestly, which probably should have been her first sign that there was more between them than simply kissing and fucking.

Stuart opened his mouth, but Jackson shook his head. “Give her a minute. She’s processing.”

Her worry over the new job hadn’t even been about the fact that it was a new job or that she was going to have another one on her very long record, or the fact that she hadn’t made it a year at Wellbeing Works, which had been her original goal. Her worry had been for Cherish. How she would react. What she would think. And she’d been right, it hadn’t gone well. Haylee had closed herself off after that. She hadn’t even told Cherish why she was leaving.

And why was that?

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