Page 57 of My Secret Santa Daddies

“Intuition, I suppose.”

“Bullshit,” she says.

“Sierra. I know you. Better than you want to admit.”

Sierra's quiet for a moment as we walk, her breath puffing out in little clouds. "It's just... been a lot, you know? Living with the three of you and Jack.”

“Did something happen last night?” I press.

Sierra hesitates, her steps faltering slightly as we approach the barn. "I... it's complicated," she finally says softly.

I stop, turning to face her fully. Her cheeks are flushed from the cold, rosy and pink.

“Complicated?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Stop beating around the bush and just tell me for fuck’s sake.”

Sierra's eyes widen at my blunt words, and for a moment I think she might turn and walk away. But then her shoulders slump slightly and she lets out a long breath.

"I kissed Cody," she admits quietly, not meeting my eyes. "And... I slept with Griffin."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, even though some part of me had suspected something like this. I clench my jaw, trying to keep my expression neutral.

"I see," I manage to say, my voice tight. "And how do you feel about that?"

Sierra laughs, but there's no humor in it, just a hollow sound that cuts through the cold air. "How do I feel about it? Honestly, I have no idea."

She runs a gloved hand through her hair, dislodging some of the snowflakes.

"I'm a mess, Wyatt.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I'm just... confused. Guilty. Like I'm betraying Anna's memory by even thinking about any of you in that way."

My chest tightens at the pain in her voice, the raw vulnerability she's finally letting me see. I take a step closer, my hand coming up to brush a stray lock of hair from her face. "Sierra, you're not betraying anyone. Anna would want you to be happy. She'd want all of us to find peace."

“I don’t think she’d be happy about me fucking Griffin.”

“I wasn’t expecting you two to hook up…” my voice trails off. “But I can’t say I’m surprised.”

She tilts her chin back toward the sky and let’s out a groan.

“Look. I didn’t plan on anything, but the last few days…being here with all of you…It's stirred up a lot of old feelings. Feelings I thought I'd left behind."

She wraps her arms around herself, like she's trying to hold something in. I watch her closely, my hand still hovering near her cheek.

"What kind of feelings?" I ask softly.

"Unresolved ones," she whispers. "For Griffin. For Cody." Her gaze drops to my lips before flicking back up. "For you."

My heart stutters in my chest at her confession. I knew there was something between us, something that sparked whenever we got too close. But hearing her say it out loud makes it real in a way it wasn't before.

“I’m sorry,” she quickly says, shaking her head. “I honestly have no idea why the hell I just said that. God. Okay. What were you going to show me?”

I clear my throat, trying to gather my thoughts. Pushing her further in this moment won't do either of us any good.

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