Page 81 of Love Lies Bleeding

Guilt sours my stomach, cutting deep into the scars I wear on the inside. “How did you know it was me?”

“I saw the way you looked at her, and I saw the way she looked at you. No pain like that comes without an even greater love.”

“Mom!”

I stand as I hear Cherry call from inside.

“Cherry pie, look who I found on the doorstep.”

Darla steps inside and I follow suit, my gaze swinging to the bottom of the stairs where Cherry is waiting. My breath whooshes from my lungs, my stomach bottoming out as the world around me dims to nothing. She looks heart-stoppingly beautiful, her pink hair in a softly curled chignon at her nape, her makeup sinful with smokey eyes and gloss lips that make me desperate to taste them.

“You look stunning.”

A delicate blush steals across her cheeks and her head dips, before her eyes find mine.

“You look nice too.”

God I love her, I love this soft side that only a few get to see, and I love her feisty abrasive side too. “Shall we?”

I hold my hand out to her and she takes my arm, as her mom watches on from the doorway of the living room. I give her a nod as we pass and an understanding passes between us. A baton is being handed over to me and with a trust I’m not sure I deserve but will treasure and guard with my life.

“Mom, lock up when you leave, and don’t forget to call Frankie about that leaky tap.”

Her mom shakes her head. “Get on with you. Go enjoy this handsome man in that gorgeous dress and have fun.”

“Fine. I’ll call you later.”

“No offense, my darling girl, but I hope you don’t. I know for sure if I was out with a man that looked like that, and looked at me like he’s looking at you, then I wouldn’t be calling anyone until very late tomorrow morning.”

“Mom!”

I chuckle at Cherry’s scandalized expression and lead her out the door before she can start fussing again.

“We need to get going.”

“Sorry about her,” she says when we are safely in the car and headed to the hotel where the gala will be held.

“Whatever for? I happen to agree with everything she said.”

Cherry snorts, and the sound is so natural, so imperfectly perfect, that I can’t resist the soft kiss I place on her lips. I want more, but I won’t rush tonight. Not when it’s so important.

“So tell me a bit more about what’s going to happen tonight?”

I go over what to expect, starting with drinks in the main hall where people can enter the silent auction, then dinner, speeches, and dancing.

“Are you giving a speech?”

“Yes, I’ll give a speech to kick off the auction but then my official duties, apart from schmoozing, will be done.”

“And what does schmoozing entail?”

“Lots of ass-kissing and generally making them feel like they’re important so they open their wallets and donate to the charity.”

“Will Hank and Vivian be there?”

“They will, and so will Cassie, Hunter’s sister.”

“Oh, I love Cassie. She’s so sweet.”

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