Page 90 of Stay for Me

I said nothing, waiting.

“But then, something changed. Something shifted between us, and suddenly, the cowboy I hated was the only person I could think about, aside from my mom,” she explained, pausing for a brief moment. “You know, she saw it before I did.”

“Saw what?” I asked.

“The love between Den and me. She was all the way in Texas, dealing with cancer treatments, and she saw it, Di.She felt it.”

I looked down, closing my eyes.

“Nothing about love is pathetic, Diana. It’s the strongest force in the world,” she whispered. “How can you fight something like that?”

“He doesn’t love me back,” I croaked as I dropped my head.

She was quiet for a few long seconds. “If you truly believe that, Diana, you aren’t truly seeing him.”

I ignored the pain in my shoulder as I ripped the shower curtain back with my free hand. Valerie jumped, eyes wide, as I breathed out, “Are you telling me you’ve seen it? Truly? Because when he showed up at my house to deal with my ex—”

My friend’s jaw dropped to the floor, and she shot to her knees, releasing my hand and bracing hers on the tub. “When Magswhat?”

I stared up at her, my heart thundering in my ears. “He came for me,” I whispered.

I watched the seven thousand stages of shock run across her face before she uttered, tripping over her words, “M-Mags left Hallow Ranch?”

Just then, the doorknob twisted, swinging wide to reveal Abbie and Harmony standing in the doorway, jaws slack, eyes wide. The silence was deafening, only to be broken my Harmony when she rasped, “Mags crossed the property line for you?”

Abbie put her free hand in her hair, shaking her head. “You didn’t—you didn’t tell me that.”

“Wait, you knew about Mags and Diana?” Valerie cut in. I mentally kicked myself, instantly hearing the hurt in her voice. For years, Val and I were like two peas in a pod, but for the last few months, a gap had formed between us—because of me. Because of my fear.

“I didn’t tell anyone,” I replied quietly, completely forgetting that I was naked, my imperfect body on display for these three gorgeous women.

Harmony was still staring at me like she’d never seen me before, like I’d grown four heads and a tail.

“Harm?” Val called softly.

“Here, let’s get out of the hall,” Abbie suggested, putting her hand on Harm’s back and ushering her inside. Harmony only took two steps, and Abbie had to squeeze around her to get into the bathroom. Abbie hopped up on the counter, curling one of her long, toned legs underneath her as her eyes bounced back and forth between Harm and I.

“Harmony,” I murmured.

That seems to snap her out of it, and she blinked, her head shaking in disbelief. “I’m sorry—I just…” She trailed off. “I just can’t believe he left the property—I mean, I always imagined him only doing it to protect someone he cares for, but…” She left the rest to hang in the air.

Valerie turned back to me. “Diana, why do you think—”

“He told me no, Valerie,” I confessed sharply, tired of this day, tired of re-living this conversation, as if I hadn’t spent countless hours going over every single detail of every interaction I had with that cowboy over the last decade.

I couldn’t look at their faces anymore as I slowly shut the curtain before sinking down into the tub, hoping the coverage of the bubbles and warm water would drown out the screams coming from my heart.

Chapter Eighteen

Mags

“Asiftodaycouldn’tget any fuckin’ worse,” Lawson drawled, a toothpick hanging from his lips as he leaned over my porch railing, his eyes on the sleek Volvo pulling up and parking behind Diana’s Mercedes. “Got a fuckin’ suit showing up after a badge.” His eyes cut over to where Bowen stood at the base of the porch steps, dressed in boots, dark jeans, and his uniform shirt, his badge and gun strapped to his hip.

Things between Hallow Ranch and the Sheriff were still tense after Abbie’s shit went down. Chase withheld critical information from us and led to Abbie getting kidnapped.

The driver’s side door opened, and a young man, around the twins’ age, stepped out. He closed the door, coming directly over to us, his dark rimmed glasses aimed in my direction. He was dressed in a light blue button up and gray suit pants. He looked like a young Clark Kent. He paid no attention to us cowboys and addressed the Sheriff.

“Where is she?” he demanded, his voice tight.

---