Page 10 of Shattered Secrets

Scarlet met her friend’s gaze. “You know when you have a crush on someone who you don’t really know? And then when you actually get to know them, the person becomes more real?”

Poppy frowned. “Like real bad or real good?”

She shrugged. “Like real good, but it’s in a way that makes you realize how ridiculous your crush is.” And hers really, really was ridiculous.

Her friend’s frown deepened. “I’m not following, Scar.”

She let out a sigh that sounded pathetic to her own ears. Because that’s what she was. Pathetic. With a side of delusional tossed in. “I’ve been crushing on Matt since the moment I laid eyes on him. He’s crazy hot and does that sexy growly thing, you know? And did I mention he’s smoking hot?”

Poppy chuckled. “Once or twice.”

“But my crush on him was safe since I didn’t know him. At all. Kinda like when you’re crushing on a movie star. It’s safe, right? Like, there’s no way in hell you’re ever meeting that movie star in person, so it’s totally okay.”

Poppy’s lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed in confusion. “But you know Matt.”

“Sort of.” Scarlet released another sigh. This one defeated. “There’s no way he’d go for someone like me.”

Poppy pulled away, annoyance etched on her face. “What’sthatsupposed to mean, Scarlet Miller? You’re amazing.”

She rolled her eyes. God, she loved her friend. Why couldn’t Poppy have been her sister for real? Holy shit, if she’d had Poppy in her life from the get-go, then?—

No. No matter all the shit in her past, Scarlet would never wish it away. Because without all the chaos and trauma, there wouldn’t be Daisy.Shewas what mattered. Everything else paled in comparison.

“I’m serious, Scar,” Poppy said, bringing her back to the present. “Do you think he’s out of your league or something?”

She gave her friend her best don’t-be-dumb-of-course-he’s-out-of-my-league expression.

“Might I remind you, young lady,” Poppy said in her most prissy mom voice, “that you lectured me not too long ago when I had doubts about Cade and thought thathewas way out ofmyleague.”

“That’s because you were being stupid.” When Poppy’s mouth dropped open, Scarlet held up a hand and kept talking. “You’re a successful business owner who’s raised two sons basically on your own. Two sons who are sweet and funny and who both got full-ride academic scholarships to one of the best schools. You’re not out ofanyone’sfreaking league.”

“And you aren’t either, Scarlet.”

She met her friend’s gaze, and for a moment, silence surrounded them. Poppy was one of the few people who knew about her sordid and checkered past. Not all of it—she made damn sure no one knew all of it—but her friend knew enough. “While I appreciate the sentiment, Pop, we both know that isn’t true.”

Poppy shook her head. “We’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one, friend.”

“Oh, come on. The man could have anyone.” She let out a sigh. “Besides, everyone would just think I’m a gold-digger since he’s so much older than me.”

Poppy snorted. “You forget that you know each and every member of the gossip train. And they know you. They’d never think that.”

She pursed her lips together. “Yeah, well, still. I’m not sure what he’d see in me. I mean, Matt’s a Seattle PDdetective. The man has a whole freaking career. I’m a waitress living paycheck to paycheck, hoping to keep her daughter in clothes that fit.”

“Whatever. You’re a great mom, and I know for a fact that you live frugally because you’re trying to set aside money.”

Scarlet opened her mouth to argue but snapped it shut when Poppy arched an eyebrow. Fine. She’d asked her friend about the different types of savings accounts she could set up for Daisy and herself, so denial was out of the picture. Still, she appreciated what Poppy was trying to do. She really did. Having someone be her cheerleader was a precious novelty.

“But, Pop, that doesn’t take away the fact that I’m a ninth-grade dropout who doesn’t even have a GED.” Who’d been more than happy hanging around her local motorcycle club, doing whatever they’d told her to do. She hadn’t been good enough—or old enough—to be anyone’s old lady back then, but that’s what she’d been aiming for. God knew they’d been the antithesis of the altruistic motorcycle club she’d learned about this morning,but she’d turned a blind eye to everything. Until it had become impossible.

That was another thing that needed to be kept under wraps for... well, forever.

She rubbed her suddenly throbbing temples. “Look, Poppy, I’m exhausted and don’t know what I’m talking about. Please forget I said anything, okay?”

“But, Scar?—”

“Mama!” The familiar patter of little running feet came to a sudden halt, and there was Daisy. Holding her right arm out in front of her, a giant grin stretched over her face. “Look, Mama! It’s pink!”

Scarlet’s heart squeezed, and she let her daughter’s excitement wash over her. Let her sweet girl’s joy temper the nerves and worry simmering in her gut.

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