Page 82 of Wallflower in Bloom

When Gray had gotten sober, he’d thanked Jack for not abandoning him when everything went to hell, for sticking by him and fighting for him. So disagreeing was worth it if it protected the ones you loved.

“Have you slept with her?” Gray said bluntly.

Jack rubbed his hand down his face. Jesus. He couldn’t lie. “There have been”—he paused—“activities.”

“Fuck, man. I told you. She’s innocent. She has a heart of solid fucking gold, and gold crushes easily.”

“You underestimate her,” Jack said, thinking of the gorgeous, stunning woman who writhed in his arms last week and stood up for herself when she disagreed. “She’s not some little fragile cupcake princess. She’s a grown woman who understands boundaries and consent. We both agreed to no strings attached.”

Gray leaned forward. “I’ve seen how you go through women, and I don’t want to see her get hurt. Her dad was one of my best friends, and I told him I’d watch out for her. I also don’t want to get castrated by Rose for not protecting Vi from you.”

“That I can see as a genuine fear. Rose is terrifying.”

“Hey. That’s my soon-to-be future fiancée,” Gray said sharply, with a hint of a smile.

“I didn’t say she wasn’t gorgeous and made for you.”

The back door opened, and Duke let out a long awoo.

“Hey, man.” Nash nodded his head at Jack in the universal bro greeting.

Gray had requested an all-day gaming session with the greasiest food Fairwick Falls offered for his birthday. Nash plopped down two enormous pizzas.

“Still want that salad?” Gray restocked the mini fridge in the game room with soda. They’d planned an all-day-long game tournament.

“Eh, I can eat a salad tomorrow,” Jack said, holding up a hand as Gray tossed him a cold diet soda.

“How’s our Violet?” Nash said, glancing at Jack.

Jack supported Gray’s sobriety but thought these conversations went better over a beer. Diet soda didn’t pair well with, yes, I’m trying to fuck your childhood friend every which way I can.

“I’m fortunate Violet has even deigned to fake date me.”

Nash nodded approvingly. “Damn right. She’s always been a sweetheart, though a little too soft-hearted. She gets roped into everything in town.”

These were supposedly two men who knew her the best, and yet, how could they get her so wrong? It’s like no one had ever seen her.

They’d only seen helpful Violet, unobtrusive Violet, not everything she was at her core.

Thoughtful. Smart. A sex kitten who would be the end of his sanity if he didn’t fuck her properly soon.

“How’s the audition for that thing?” Gray grabbed a slice of gooey, cheesy pizza and held it above his face as it dripped down.

“Shite, but done. I sent it in last week. He’s a lot grittier than I usually play. And even if I got the part, my mother still wouldn’t be happy.”

“Oh, I know all about that,” Nash said, somehow eating the drippy cheese pizza with absolute precision. Not a drip or grease stain in sight.

“You’ve got one, too?”

“Does yours have ‘connections’ to the ‘good wife candidates?’” Nash asked, using his free hand for air quotations.

“Lord, you do have one.” Jack nabbed a string of cheese, and he took a bite. “My mother wants me out of my contract with Wayridge so I can go back to LA to be seen with the ‘right’ people.”

“I have the ‘settle down and have babies’ flavor, but same breed, you know?”

“To mothers,” Gray said, raising a toast with his soda. Jack and Nash held theirs up. “May their therapy work or may ours.”

“I would literally pay my mother to go to therapy,” Nash said after chugging his drink. “Hell, I might even settle down, marry, and have babies if she’d go. It would do us all a world of good.”

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