Page 46 of Silver Secrets

You good? Need me to have Wings or Doc stop over? Heard you told her about Mel and Mikey.

I’m good. Em’s over here right now. Apparently Sloane organized a visit from her for me. Go figure.

You finally gonna tell Sloane you want to take things to the next level? She’s a keeper if she’s still thinking of you when she’s falling apart inside.

Yeah man. We agreed to try this morning. Not sure if she’s regretting that now though. Don’t let her leave without messaging me.

10-4

Gage fought through every primal urge coursing through his body to go to Sloane and make sure she was okay. He knew she’d been holding back the night before. He’d told her so much about his pain, and she’d handled it so stoically. Guilt seared in his stomach. What if she shut down again? What if she distanced herself from him after all the progress they’d made?

“You just gonna ignore me the whole time I’m here or…”

“Sorry, Em. It’s so nice to see you.” He held out his arms and Emma smiled, running into his embrace. He pressed a kiss to her hair. “I miss you. Tell Seb he needs to quit expanding Montgomery Equities and stay in Clarence County more.”

“Please. You know what he’s like.”

“He’s trying to provide a good life for his girls.”

Emma blushed. “Addie and I have the best life because of him.”

“I think it’s the other way around.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re all blessed, and you’re in a sentimental mood today.”

“Why did Sloane ask you over?”

“She thought you could use a friend.”

“I have four friends in this building. Although, I don’t know how happy they’ll be to see me when I walk into work late because we were chatting.”

“I’ll set them straight if they need it. Boss’s wife and all that jazz.”

“Wife, now is it?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Seb would love that, wouldn’t he? But still just fiance for now. Stop trying to change the subject and tell me why Sloane got a hold of me, all panicked about you.”

“What did she say?”

“She just messaged me asking if I could stop over and talk to you this morning. Nothing more. I figured something was up, but I didn’t realize she’d been in an accident. Is she okay?”

“She’s going to be.”

“Were you with her?”

Gage shook his head. “Some asshole was tailgating her. Rammed his bumper into hers and sent her flying off the road into the trees on Kingsley Road. She called me in the middle of it all. I heard her crash…”

“Oh my god. How bad was the damage?”

“The car’s going to be totaled.”

“So you brought her back here?”

“Of course I did. She was fucking hurt, Em. I wasn’t about to let her spend the night alone.”

Emma smiled, but stayed silent. She just stared at him, clearly waiting for him to continue. He’d seen drill sergeants with less intense stares. It was only a few seconds under her questioning gaze, and Gage was spilling everything.

“I want more with Sloane. Hearing her crash, it fucking sent me spiraling. I told her about Mel and Mikey last night.”