Page 81 of Restrained

“Penelope.”

She holds up one hand. “You may be my older brother, but that does not mean you get to start lecturing me. I’ve made up my mind. I need this. Linc needs this. But I don’t want it to send anyone else into a spiral.”

I think about holding Lola in the pool yesterday. “I’ll be there.”

Her shoulders square. “You really do love her.”

I really do.

34

LOLA

“So she invited you to the wedding?”

Hayden just grins as he looks around the now-furnished dining room of hotel number one. “She did. Are you okay with that?”

The fact that he’s going makes me much calmer, but I'm not telling him that. “I suppose that’s okay.”

I nonchalantly shrug my shoulder and look around, making sure everything is in order. It won’t be long before the grand opening.

“Are you okay with it being at the lake?”

No.

I take a deep breath. “I don’t understand it, but Penelope and Linc are different. They kind of thrive on pain, so it makes sense in a twisted sort of way.” I laugh at the expression on his face, knowing he thinks it’s as fucked as I do. “You’ll understand the more you’re around them. They spent so much time punishing each other.”

I look down at my phone, seeing a text from my mom telling me she’s here. She wanted to see the hotel, and Haydensuggested she be the first lunch guest. I think it’s sweet he seems to like her so much.

“Mom is here.”

We greet her and after the tour, sit down at one of the tables. Hayden squeezes my shoulders with a smile on his face that melts my heart. He didn’t smile much at first, but we both smile a hell of a lot more now. “I’m going to go check on the food.”

I nod as he kisses my temple and then walks back to the kitchen. My mom is beaming from across the table. “I am so happy you found love, Lola. I was so afraid you wouldn’t.”

“Gee thanks, Mom.” I grin over at her, giving her a hard time because I already knew that.

“Oh.” She plays with her necklace, a nervous smile on her face. “I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. You’ve just always had so much on your shoulders. I’m so glad you let someone love you, and I know he does.”

I think about the day in the pool when he told me he loved me so effortlessly. “He does. And I love him back.”

“I am so happy to watch you two together. And Penelope said she invited him to the wedding.”

I tense, thinking about the wedding. I’m so happy they’re getting married, but the location is going to be tough. I made it through my mother and Tony’s wedding though, and I'm sure I can do this.

“She did. He’s going. I think it will be good for their relationship too.”

My mom smiles, and it is beautiful. “Do you think Asher will go?”

My brow furrows. “Of course.”

She sighs heavily. I know how much she worries about him even if Asher thinks she doesn’t. “I hope we’ll be okay through all of this, Lola. I’m not sure he thinks he has anyone to lean on.”

“He has to know by now he does, mom.”

I’m worried about him too. “I know you all think Colt was my favorite.”

That catches me off guard, and my stomach lurches as I gape over at her. “We don’t think that.”

---