Page 90 of Theirs

“Wow, Genevieve, I didn’t think you would be this stupid,” Cheryl said, shaking her head. “Look, I know we said we had baggage and how it was weighing us down, but this is ridiculous. If I didn’t see how they looked at you, I would have thought things just fizzled out, but I know that isn’t the case. You’re ruining this because you are too scared.”

“Oh, that's rich coming from you, Cheryl,” I growled, walking away to grab my purse. “They are married! They have each other and when they get bored they will still have each other.”

I knew I was being unreasonable, it was like word vomit, all my insecurities were coming to light. Allowing Cheryl to see my personal life had scared the crap out of me because keeping them separate meant it never got too serious.

“I don’t have someone who looks at me like that,” she said, following me. “You have two of them!”

“Well, if you want them, then go for it,” I clipped, trying not to flinch from my lie.

Seeing them with someone else would hurt, it would destroy me.

“Wow,” she said. “You’d give them away just like that. You’d walk away from them because you're scared. I saw the way he looked at you as you were in his lap or how they looked at you when you came and talked to us.”

My heart raced as she continued to lecture me.

“I guess it's for the best that you show your true colors now because they can feel they dodged a bullet if you can’t even be woman enough and admit your feelings about them,” she said. “They don’t need someone who gives up so easily.”

“It’s just a contract,” I whispered, her words gutting me.

My lip trembled as she studied me, she shook her head before she turned around and left. The door shut with a loud thud as myheart beat erratically. I just pushed the three people I cared most about from my life in a matter of a half an hour.

I can’t do this, I don’t do this. This is why I kept everyone at arm's length.

“I know it's not my place, Madame,” Lou said, startling me. “Finding someone that makes you happy is not a weakness. It's empowering and you should see it as a gift. As it is, we have to deal with so much in life, and if we find something that makes life easier and happier then why would you let that go?”

“Happy things never last Lou, you of all people should know that.” I flinched at my statement.

“I do know that. He was my everything, but if I had to live life again and they gave me a choice with the same outcome,” he sighed. “I would choose him over and over again. Without him, I would never have known what it felt like to be loved and let me tell you, it’s fucking amazing.”

He didn’t wait for me to respond, walking to the back of the store because I was a bitch. My throat tightened, lip trembled as a tear fell down my cheek. I wouldn’t feel like this if I had just drawn up a damn contract. We could have defined whatever this was so both parties knew what we were getting. Even if we had signed the contract, would that have stopped my heart from doing what it wanted.

My phone vibrated in my hand and I immediately looked at it, deflating when I saw it wasn't anyone I wanted to hear from.

Coop - Hello Mistress, I’m in town for the week. I would love to see you. Same rate?

This is it, my chance to prove it was just a contract. I’m a Domme and it’s time I start fucking acting like one.

I walkedinto the Four Seasons like I owned the place with my bag of tricks in my hand two days later. This is what I wanted and what I needed. Camila called and texted me today, which only cemented my decision even more. I needed to create this boundary and let them know that I’m not only theirs.

I only had lingerie on underneath my big coat and the January air was cold as hell. I headed up to the room Coop had texted me, sharing an elevator with an older couple who were laughing together before he kissed her forehead. The look they shared made me nauseous. Camila and Luke did that.

The woman looked up at me, catching me as I stared. I gave her a small smile and she smiled back.

“Even forty years later, he still thinks he can get me into the sack by telling me how good my boobs look.”

I laughed, not expecting her to say that. “Does it work?”

“Eh, it's fifty-fifty,” the man said.

We laughed at his comment as we stopped on the floor I was supposed to get off.

“Good night,” I said, walking away. I turned back just as it was closing to see them kissing.

Forty years and they still looked head over heels for each other. Had I missed the way that Camila and Luke looked at me? I walked to the room as so many emotions hit me. The door opened, startling me.

Did I knock?

“Mistress,” Coop said with a smirk.

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