Page 43 of Our Secret Summer

Raffo knew exactly how he felt, except that she hadn’t been lied to by her best friend.

“You’re Raffo Shah.” Connor sank into a chair, his shoulders slumping as though the weight of this revelation was finally hitting him. He gestured vaguely at the living room walls where several of her paintings hung. “You can get with anyone you want. Hell, even your ex wants you back.” He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, messing it up in a way he’d never normally allow.

Raffo swallowed hard at the reference to Mia.

“Why, of all the women in the world, did you have to get with my mom?”

She also didn’t know how to reply to that. She could hardly share the reasons of her attraction to Dylan with Connor. It was simply impossible.

“Mymom.” Connor shook his head dramatically.

“I’m sorry, Con. I can’t really explain it.”

“Mom said it was more proximity than anything else.”

Raffo’s muscles tightened further. That’s not how Dylan had put it to her, but she could understand why Dylan would say something like that to her son.

“Yeah. I guess that it was.”

“You don’t, like, have any feelings for her, do you?” He looked at Raffo with such desperation in his eyes, as though it would be the end of him if Raffo felt something for his mother.

Raffo knew, rationally, that a simple no was the best—and only—way to go here, yet she found herself saying, “Your mother is an extraordinary woman. She was there for me and she… gave me back my mojo, Con. That’s a huge deal for me.”

“What does that mean?” There was a hint of venom in his tone. “You started sleeping with her so you could paint again? She’s your muse now?”

“Not exactly, but… she had this soothing, healing effect on me. She’s so kind and giving and…”Hot. “I just really like her.”

“So it wasn’t just sex?”

“No,” Raffo said, because she’d be damned if she told Connor another lie, no matter how much the truth might upset him. “I kind of miss her, but I’m trying to get over that. We haven’t been in touch. We’re keeping our distance. Out of, um, respect for you.” That couldn’t sound sillier if she tried.

Raffo braced for a vicious reply, but Connor remained silent for a few moments. “Look, Raff, apart from the fact that you sleeping with my mom grosses me out big time, you and I, we’re more than friends. We’re building something big and important, something I believe in with all of my heart. I believe in you and your talent so much, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. But this…” He huffed out some air. “We can’t risk our relationship because you have a crush on my mom.”

“What are you talking about? Our relationship is not at risk.”Was it?

“I don’t want to be the person to deny you whatever it is you need, but please, don’t start up with my mom again. I can’t stomach that. You’remyfriend. I need you too.”

“Con, come on, our friendship is not in danger.”

“You say that now.”

“Your mom and I, that’s over. Okay? That’s the decision we made.” For you, she didn’t add. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I’d hate for you to be my stepmom.” He painted on a forced smile.

“That would be the day.” Raffo chuckled, because what else was she going to do? “You’d never listen to me, anyway.” Raffo made a mental note to text Murray later to ask him about his conversation with Connor.

“Damn right I wouldn’t.” He blew some air through his teeth. “Now tell me about Mia? Because I’m seeing through her gameplay already, Raffo, and I’m not going to let that bitch get her claws back into you just like that.”

“I’ve had some time to mull that over and I don’t think that’s what her visit was about.”

Connor gave her his quizzical look, one eyebrow arched up and his lips pursed judgmentally.

“I think that, maybe, everything that’s happened is catching up with her. She went from dumping me to jumping into this thing with Ophelia and now that it’s over, she’s probably grieving both relationships. Even though she fell out of love with me, we were together ten years. We’ve been through a lot together. We became grown-ups together, really. That’s not something you can shake off that easily.” That’s how Raffo had decided to spin Mia’s visit in her head.

“We’ll have to see about that.” Connor pulled his lips into a sweet smile. “Were you painting when she arrived?”

“Trying to.” Raffo sighed. She always told Connor precisely how her work was going. He was her artistic sounding board in that way—although he didn’t always have the answers both of them craved. “It’s not coming together just yet.”

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