Page 96 of Bragg's Love

I want to shout it from the rooftops, but I also want to cuddle this information to my chest like a warm, fuzzy blanket and never let it go. I’m going with the cuddling option since I don’t want anyone asking any questions about how I feel toward Miller.

Do I love Miller? Yes, I do. There. I said it. Not out loud but I thought it in a room full of women who think they’re mind readers so it totally counts as a confession.

Am I scared out of my mind? Also, a yes. Also, a bit of information I won’t be sharing with the nosiest women to ever walk the face of this earth. None of them could possibly understand the fear I harbor.

The gossip gals might have known my mom but she could put on a brave face to the world. Inside our house was a completely different matter. As soon as the door closed, Eden Indigo Spring became a broken woman I had to feed and put to bed.

I never understood how Mom could let a man break her. Until now. Miller would destroy me if he betrayed me the way Dad did Mom. My heart seizes just thinking about it.

Soleil and Harmony enter behind me and I welcome the break from all the rumblings in my mind. I won’t solve any of my issues today anyway.

Harmony appears flustered. “What’s going on?” I ask her.

Soleil smirks. “Someone’s ‘friend’ asked her out.”

Harmony grunts. “Just because Elder wants more than friendship doesn’t mean I do.”

Petal claps. “What should we name this one?”

Sage slashes her hand through the air. “No. One project at a time.”

Cayenne motions toward me. “She’s riding an orgasm high. Obviously, Project Enemy is a success.”

“Yeah,” Clove nods in agreement. “Miller and Eden aren’t behaving as if they’re enemies anymore.”

“Did you use those candles I left you?” Petal asks.

“This reminds me of the book we read a few months ago,” Feather squeals. “What was it called again?”

Sage frowns. “Don’t you start.”

Feather clutches her chest. “Start what?”

“You can’t tell me you aren’t reviewing every book with wax play in it in your mind.”

I shackle Harmony’s wrist and drag her to where Aspen has a bar set up. I pour her a glass of wine and hand it to her. “Spill.”

“I’m not spilling this wine. I need it.”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t play coy with me.”

“Yeah.” Soleil nods. “Leave those toys for your boy Elder.”

“He’s not my boy,” she snarls.

Petal’s right. This is fun. “But he wants to be,” I sing.

“I want to know everything,” Moon says as she arrives with Ashlyn.

“Everything,” Ashlyn repeats.

“There’s nothing to tell. Elder’s a friend and nothing more.”

“Friend zone. Unlike the end zone, there are no O’s in the friend zone,” Moon says.

“What about friends with benefits?” Ashlyn asks.

Harmony grimaces. “Cassandra had a friends to benefits relationship with Cedar and look how their situation turned out.”

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