Page 28 of Beyond the Hate

I bristle. “I am not afraid of love. Why would I be afraid of love?”

“I know. I know.” Chloe bounces in her seat. “Because every person who was supposed to love you, hurt you.”

This is what I get for having close friends who know everything about me. They use the information against me at the most inconvenient of times.

“Evil stepsisters? Check!” Sophia makes a checkmark in the air. “Asshole ex-boyfriend? Check!”

Chloe elbows her. “You forgot wicked stepfather.”

“Wicked stepfather? Check!”

“This has nothing to do with my family,” I grumble.

“Oh.” Sophia bats her eyelashes and feigns innocence. The woman hasn’t been innocent since second grade when shepunched a boy for pulling her hair. “Why did you refuse Eli’s offer of help in our time of need?”

Our time of need?Damn. This isn’t good.

“We haven’t discussed payment. MaybeFive Fathomscan’t afford his help,” I claim.

Maya frowns. “Try again.”

Dang it. As the financial manager, Maya knows we’d be able to get an emergency loan in this situation.

“Maybe he wants payment in kind anyway.” Sophia wiggles her eyebrows.

Nova checks her watch. “Out with the real reason. I need to be home soon or Hudson will scour the island searching for me.”

I contemplate another delaying tactic but it wouldn’t be fair to make Hudson worry. Nova’s fiancé is overprotective but he also has the right to be worried when Nova and his daughter are gone for this long after a hurricane devastated the island.

I sigh. “I don’t need a man to save me.”

In particular, I’ll be damned if I let Eli save me. Mr. Billionaire with his three-piece suits can take a hike in the ocean. Those expensive leather loafers would be ruined in seconds.

Maya reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “Don’t let pride get in your way of accepting help.”

I snatch my hand away. “It’s not my pride.Five Fathomsis a woman owned business. I don’t want a man to sweep in and save us.”

Sophia blows out a breath. “Okay. We won’t allow the patriarchy to save us.”

Chloe drums her fingers on the table. “I guess I could let some of the staff go.”

Maya nods. “After the brewery, personnel are our highest cost. Maybe I should take a pay cut as well.”

“You’re not taking a pay cut unless I take one, too,” Nova says.

“But you have the baby. You need the cash.”

Nova snorts. “I also have a husband who’s a millionaire. I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll be fine, too,” Chloe adds. “Lucas has a job with benefits. He earns enough for the both of us.”

“Same here,” Sophia says. “Flynn’s business is growing like gangbusters.”

“And Caleb has a job at the resort now. I don’t need as much income,” Maya says.

I glare at my friends. “You’re not funny.”

“What do you mean?” Maya asks, the picture of innocence.

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