Page 89 of Dark Love

“Well now, she’s juggling two men.”

It would be wrong to mute Savie. “I’m not juggling two men. They’re—”

“See, I told you there were two.” Savie points a needle at the screen.

“Let her speak.” Dylan sets her pen down.

“Fine, I’ll be quiet.”

A silence looms over the group as they all wait for me to explain my crazy life. “I told my mother about my neighbor. He’s a nice man.”

“A nice man that you want to—”

“Savie!” Dylan bites out.

“Fine.” Savie mimes zipping her lips.

“He isn’t interested in me at all.” Well, not seriously at least. “He stops by to check on me once in a while.”

“He likes you,” Junie adds that irritating bit of false wisdom.

“No, he doesn’t. But even if he does, I don’t feel anything for him.”

“Nothing at all? Not even a little flutter?” Savie stabs her needle into the ball of yarn.

She’s a little scary. “Not even a hint of a flutter.”

“Then it must be the other guy that makes her heart flutter.”

Savie isn’t wrong.

“Why would your mother have you dress up like that for a guy that doesn’t make your heart flutter?” Garnet stares into her glass.

“Because she has me married off to any man I ever speak to. I’m pretty sure she’s booked the country club for the wedding already.” How am I going to talk her into canceling that?

“And does the other guy make your heart flutter?” Fea asks.

“Yes,” I whisper.

The group sighs.

“Prue is in love.”

“I’m not in love.”

“Yet. You aren’t in love yet. But you will be.” Sheridan sets down the mug again without finding out what it was.

Will I? How do you fall in love with a criminal?

***

This is the stupidest thing I’ve done… well not ever, but in… not even the last few hours.

Why couldn’t I just lie to my mother? This is going to kill me.

People die from embarrassment every single day. And today is my day. Or should I say tonight?

Instead of being curled up in that warm fluffy blanket, I’m standing in a green silk dress waiting for Max to show up. All because I can’t lie to my mother.

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