Page 132 of Dark Love

Getting a man drunk to get the answers I want sounds wrong. I’ll only get him slightly drunk.

And warn him first.

That’s completely illogical.

All sense and logic left my brain when I met Vex.

***

This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done.

No, that had to be going to a club alone and getting drugged. This is just a little wild and impetuous. Hopefully, this doesn’t blow up in my face.

Hope opens the door with a huge smile on her face. “Prue! You came over to visit.” Her eyes move down to the plates in my hand. “And you made treats. Dad loves sweets. What are those?”

“Caramel pecan clusters on top of a butter cookie base.”

Her eyes go wide. “Are you sure you aren’t in love with my dad? He’d marry you for those.”

This isn’t an engagement brownie cheesecake, but they are exceptionally good. “I was wondering if your dad was around. I need to talk to him for a moment.”

“Is something wrong? Did someone try to hurt you again?”

She’s so much like her father, overprotective and sweet at the same time. “No, I’m fine. I just had a question I wanted to ask him.”

She raises an eyebrow even as a smile spreads across her face. “DAD! You have company!” Her blond curls bounce. “Can I have one of those?”

“Sure. This plate is for everyone.” I lift the non-alcoholic ones. “Would you bring these in for the rest of your family?”

“Absolutely, so you made a plate just for Dad?”

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

“I’m always filled with hope.” She winks. “You can wait for him in the living room. Or come with me to the kitchen.”

Once I make it into the kitchen, this will end up being a family discussion. I definitely don’t want that. It’s bad enough having to explain my nuttiness to one person. “The living room is fine.”

Her grin gets even wider. “I’ll make sure you two have privacy.” She winks.

Privacy is good, but not in the way she means. “Thank you. I appreciate the fact that there won’t be any ears listening in to our conversation.”

“You’re no fun.” She pouts as she carries the plate into the kitchen, leaving me in the living room.

Why am I doing this? I’ve already dug myself a hole. Do I really want to dig it any deeper?

This was a really bad idea. I walk over to the couch, but I’m too antsy to sit down. Instead, I move over to the fireplace. There are family pictures covering it.

Love shines in every single one of them. One picture on the left-hand side of the mantle catches my attention. That must be Hope’s mother. She’s cradling her bump, while Max has his arms wrapped around her. They’re so young. Just children themselves.

What would have my life been like if I had a normal high school experience? Would I have found love, married my high school sweetheart, and had a bunch of kids by now?

They’d be in school by now. I’d be a soccer mom.

But that wasn’t how life happened. I can’t change the past. I can only live with it and try for a better future.

“Prue?”

I spin around. “You have a beautiful family.”

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