Page 80 of Just Between Us

MsBlackCat:Fancy seeing you here.

Mr.Right.Now:Yeah, it’s been a while.

MsBlackCat:Reliving your glory days?

I frowned at the message. I didn’t want to admit to her that a part of medidmiss posting content but that a much larger part of me was so consumed withherthat Pulse held little appeal anymore. It was complicated, and I didn’t have a clue how to communicate that with her.

Mr.Right.Now:Thinking I should probably scrap the whole account.

My gut soured even rereading the message. My uneasy gaze slid to Veda before looking away. It was ridiculous that we were sitting right next to each other but still communicating via the app, but somehow it felt like safer ground to have the conversation.

Veda sighed and looked at me with softness. I could feel her eyes on me, but I couldn’t look over. My shoulders slumped as I leaned my elbows on my knees and stared at the wood floor in front of me.

Quietly, Veda scooted down the couch and wrapped me in a sideways hug. Her legs wound around my waist and her head rested against my shoulder.

“You can tell me if you don’t want to stop making content.” Her voice was small but powerful.

Could I?

I wanted to believe that I could be honest with Veda, but the reality was I didn’t even really know howIfelt about it. Pulse started as something fun and exciting ... with Veda I had the real thing right in front of me, and she was more than I could have imagined.

I looked at Veda, entranced by her dark features and sharp eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her and make her think she wasn’t enough or that she was boring me in some way—that couldn’t be further from the truth. I loved that she was intense and powerful and that her quiet softness was reserved for only me. It was through her that I had realized I could actually add value to people’s lives, in my own small way, using Pulse.

I leaned into her. “All I want is you.”

She chuckled and squeezed me tighter. “You already have me.” We sat in silence for a moment, and she sighed. “I don’t love the idea of sharing you, but ... maybe we could talk about what it looks like. Set some boundaries?”

The idea of continuing on Pulse wasn’t something I had considered a possibility, but doing so would also mean boundaries. More rules.

Fucking fantastic.

I swallowed hard and shook my head. “Nothing to talk about. As far as I’m concerned, Pulse is as good as over.”

She tilted her head, and I could see the questions buzzing in her brain.

“What is it?” I asked.

She toyed with her lip. “Why’d you do it, anyway?”

My molars ground together as I tried to figure out how to explain myself. “I was bored at work and looking for a way to fuck with Lee Sullivan. I found the app and signed him up as someone seeking a cuddle partner—even used his sister-in-law to be my reference and swore her to secrecy.”

Veda chuckled and my shoulders relaxed. “Then I was just poking around the site and saw the need for some fun, decent content. I wanted to put extra money aside. You see, Dad owns the building, and if he pulled it out from under me, rental space in a tourist town doesn’t come cheap.”

“Oh.” Veda frowned and my heart sank. When her lips pursed, I knew I was fucked. She was far too business savvy to believe that I actually needed the money.

I cleared my throat. She deserved the actual truth. “It was fun too. Validating ... maybe? It felt good to give people something they needed. I don’t know. To be honest, I didn’t give it a lot of thought when I started.”

She softly laughed. “That’s very on-brand for you.”

I chuckled. She knew I was reckless, so of course she would understand that I hadn’t had an actual plan when I started posting content.

Restless energy crackled beneath my skin. I didn’t like sitting around and talking about things that made my skin itch.

I rubbed her arm, seeking anything that could change the subject. “Hey, come out with me. Let’s forget about work and let me show you off a little.”

Heavy silence hung between us. Veda’s arm retreated from around my waist, and she slid back to her spot at the end of the couch. “Um ... I just really need to get a few more things done. If I don’t, at this rate I’ll never get back to my normal life.”

Veda’s laugh was nervous, and my eyes slid to her, but she was thumbing through papers and avoiding my gaze. “Rain check? But you should go. It’s totally fine!”

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