Page 231 of Torrid Passion
“Since my first visit to Paris, I’ve always stopped by to see her,” I say. “It’s like my trip isn’t complete unless I walk through the doors of the Notre Dame.”
“Even when I lived in Paris, I never took it for granted,” Harlow says.
My lips curl up in a shy smile.
“What?” Harlow asks.
“Nothing,” I shake my head, waving it off.
“Your face tells a different story,” she notes.
“I’m just reminiscing,” I blush.
“About what?”
I shake my head again.
“Spit it out,” Harlow demands.
“This bridge… and this cathedral…” I pause. I smile, more to myself than to her. It’s amazing how after all these years, the memory is as strong as ever. “This is where it really started for Loki and I.”
“You mean when you were crushing over my big brother, but kept it a secret from your best friend?”
“I see after three years, you hold no resentment whatsoever,” I tease.
“None.”
We laugh.
“Come on, Kyla, it’s me. You’ve been going strong with my brother for long enough. Do you really think I don’t know what’s going on when you text me to say,‘Can I get back to you? I’m in the middle of something’. It’s code for things are about to get hot and heavy. As long as it isn’t X-rated, you can tell me anything.”
We exchange a warm smile.
“I’m being silly.”
Truth be told, it took me a long time to feel comfortable talking to Harlow about my relationship with her brother. Of course, I’ve never shared intimate details, but still, it felt awkward. But, Harlow kept nudging, and little by little talking to my best friend about a guy felt natural again.
“Yes, you are,” she gently scolds me.
“Six years ago, we were here on the last day of his trip and we almost kissed,” I confess.
“You had alluded to Paris being the epicenter of the start of your kinky little romance,” she nudges my side with her elbow, “but you never shared that part.”
“I’m such a bad best friend,” I laugh.
“Nah, you’re an amazing best friend and now, you’re a sister-friend.Andyou get to kiss my brother whenever you want.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty lucky.”
I look at my best friend with this ridiculously goofy smile on my face. I just can’t help it. Even after living with Loki for three years, just the thought of him turns my insides into molten lava.
“It’s sick how in love the two of you are,” Harlow teases.
“I’m not even going to deny it.”
“Fair warning, Mom feels she’s ready to become ayounggrandmother. And she doesn’t even mind if it happens without you two being married. She repeats it constantly these days,” Harlow says.
I explode in laughter. “I guess your mom and my mom have been talking. Lately, it seems to have become an obsession with my mother. Just because my brothers are steadfast in their determination to remain single well into their fifties doesn’t mean she can put pressure on me to continue the family lineage. Not to mention, marriage… that’s a huge step. We’re not there yet.”
