Chapter Ten — Trinity
CHAPTER TEN
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TRINITY
Isolde’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding.”
“Unfortunately, I am not.” Downing the rest of the mango mimosa in one go, I decided it was a fucking excellent idea that I’d called a ride service instead of driving. Because I needed at least two more mimosas.
Ocean blinked. “Well, that was a twist I didn’t expect.”
We sat on the patio at our favorite brunch place, soaking up some sun. I’d told them about what happened at Element before I dropped the bomb about the fact that the smoking hot Alpha who punished me and made me come was the son of the woman my father was marrying.
I hadn’t actually planned on leaving so quickly, but between seeing them again and the rest of my father’s pack coming out with the food… that and the way I’d still felt off and more than a little cranky? There was no way I was handling that. So I left.
Part of me thought they might try to come after me, but they hadn’t. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or disappointed about that, and I was desperately trying not to overthink it.
Isolde shrugged. “I don’t really see a problem.”
“No?”
“No. It’s not like you guys grew up together or anything. It’s a coincidence. You’re all adults. That is, if you want to see them again.”
I swallowed, looking away toward the ocean. Did I?
Yes.
But that also terrified me. I’d reacted so strongly, and it was hard for me to believe something like that could last beyond the moment we’d had. Who knew how our parents would react? Who knew how they felt now that they knew I was Cecil’s daughter?
“They gave me their phone number,” I told her. “Before Cade brought me to the car. Logan wrote his phone number down on a piece of paper. And go fucking figure, I have no idea where it is.”
“Well, that’s a fixable problem now,” Ocean said. “All you have to do is ask your dad or Liz.”
“Yeah…”
“Trinity.” Isolde let her head flop back and groaned.
“What?”
Ocean held up a finger while she finished her sip.
“I think that means exactly what I’m thinking.
Which is that you pushed us toward things we weren’t sure about, but worked out pretty fucking well for both of us.
So I think I speak for both myself and Isolde when I say, don’t talk yourself out of doing something that could be amazing because of a problem that’s superficial. ”
I narrowed my eyes at my friend. The way her confidence had grown now that she was married to three Alphas who couldn’t take their eyes off her was amazing to see. And she might be right, but I still felt unsettled. “Do as I say, not as I do,” I muttered.
I’d said as much to myself Friday night, but that was before I knew how fucking complicated it all was.
“Yeah, yeah.” She laughed. “You’re the one who said, at my wedding, and I quote, ‘my pussy is going to dry up and shrivel up from disuse.’ So now that you have an opportunity to make sure that doesn’t happen? We’re going to push you to take it.”
Sighing, I slowly spun my glass on the table. “I get that, but it’s better if I don’t. What if it goes badly, then Cecil and Liz are married and we have to see each other for the rest of our lives and everything is awkward?”
“And what if it doesn’t?” Isolde said. “You both told me to get my head out of my ass and fuck my guys for the three weeks before Ellie’s wedding, and that was when we thought we knew it would end badly.
Not only do you not know it won’t work, but we’re still here for you if it doesn’t. I think you should take the chance.”
Anxiety bubbled up beneath my skin, pressure and dread behind my sternum.
I already knew I could find infinite reasons to say no.
And I truly didn’t think it was a good idea now.
But the last two nights had ended up with my toys between my legs, reliving the moments when all their hands were on me. When Logan’s mouth was on me.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, because I was sure I would be thinking about it. No promises about what I’d decide, though. “How are you holding up?” An attempt at deflection.
“I’m fine.” Isolde made a face. “None of us like him traveling so much. But he’ll be home in a few days.”
Her Alpha, Hawk, was a viral musician who’d been anonymous for years until recently. People everywhere clamored for his music, but that meant he had to be away from Isolde more than either of them liked.
Still, at least she had someone to miss.
Ocean made a little sound of surprise as one of her husbands appeared next to the table. “What are you doing here?”
Everett leaned down and kissed her. Deeply. “I missed you,” he said. “That’s all.”
She laughed. “So you came all the way here just to say hello?”
The way the Alpha looked at her made my chest ache. The love was so clear there was no mistaking that, and it was what I wanted. He laughed softly. “No. I came here to kiss you, and then I’ll wait until you’re finished before we drive up to Sunset City.”
My friend glanced at us and frowned. “Where are we going?”
Everett smirked. “Did you forget what day it is, little nymph?”
“What?” Ocean grabbed her phone and clicked through things and gasped. “That’s today?”
He chuckled. “That’s today.”
“What’s today?” Isolde asked.
“The rare flower market,” Ocean said. Her eyes lighting up with delight. “It’s gonna be nerdy as hell, and I’m going to buy way too many flowers.”
Everett slipped a hand behind her neck, and my friend leaned into his touch. “I offered to just buy out the market and have it brought down, but she said no.”
“Because even I don’t need that many flowers.”
“We can make the greenhouse bigger,” he said.
Ocean rolled her eyes. “It’s already three times the size it started.”
“And it can get bigger still.” Everett leaned down. “As you well know, wife.”
Isolde and I shared a knowing look as Everett whispered something else in Ocean’s ear. I finished the last of the mimosa in the glass, hoping I started to feel it soon.
A hollowness I didn’t like entered my chest. I hated the feelings of jealousy that rose when I saw my friends with their packs.
Because I loved that they had their happy endings, but hated that I didn’t.
And now, the shred of happiness I thought I had was so complicated I didn’t even know if I could acknowledge it.
Facing the fact that I was going home to an empty apartment and nothing but admin work I was behind on made my chest ache. And sitting here wasn’t going to make that better. “You should go, O.”
“I didn’t think we were done?” She frowned.
“You see us every week. I don’t think the rare flower show comes that often. And it’s still an hour drive.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
Isolde smiled. “Go get some flowers, O. And if you find any with good meanings, make sure to text the group chat.”
She laughed at that. “I’ll just catch the waitress quickly.”
Pulling her up out of her chair, Everett wrapped her in his arms. If he and Ocean were near each other at all, he liked touching her. Lucky bitch.
“I already paid for the table,” he said.
She smacked his arm. “You’ve got to stop doing that.”
“I’m not complaining,” I offered, lifting my empty glass in a cheer.
Ocean just shook her head. “Keep us in the loop on the other thing.”
“Sure.”
Isolde lifted her hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll beat it into her before we leave.”
“Good.” She wove her fingers together with Everett’s. “See you guys later.”
Everett gave us his own wave, but his eyes rarely left Ocean, which, after everything she’d been through, she deserved.
Isolde leaned back with her mimosa and crossed her legs. “If you think either of us will forget about this, you’re incorrect.”
“I know. I just—”
“Do you remember when you, Ocean, and I were on a three-way phone call before Ellie’s wedding, and Ocean snapped at me? Because I won’t lie, I love you, but I’m almost there with you.”
I stared at her. “Ocean snapping was more about her than you.”
Setting down her glass, Isolde dropped her face into her hands. “For fuck’s sake.” Then she looked at me. “Do you have any idea what you looked like when you came out of Element?”
“Wrecked and out of my mind?”
“Happy,” she said. “You looked over the fucking moon, Rin. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen you that happy.
” I opened my mouth, and she cut me off.
“Don’t come at me with that ‘I’m always happy,’ bullshit.
We both know that’s an act. Usually, I’m happy to go along with it, but we’re tired of seeing you push away happiness for no reason.
“And yeah, I know that’s a little hypocritical coming from me.
But please learn from my mistakes. You haven’t been happy for a long time, and it’s only gotten worse with the promotion.
I know that I’m being harsh, but I know what I saw on Friday.
Don’t dismiss it because it’s complicated or you might be judged.
Don’t ignore it because you’re afraid it will go wrong. It doesn’t work. Ask me how I know.”
She wasn’t wrong. Isolde’s pack had been escorts before they met her. Elite escorts that I managed to track down and interview for the magazine.
Ocean and I had watched her try to resist giving in to their attraction for all those same reasons. Fear of judgment. Fear of hurt. Fear of loss.
I knew they would be there to pick me up if the worst happened. But if I was honest with myself, I didn’t know if I was brave enough.
I never had been before.
Turning on the charm, I smirked at her. “You’re welcome, by the way, for risking my career to introduce you guys.”
“Rin,” she sighed. “Please. We’ve been friends for as long as we can remember. You can be honest with me.”
“I know.”
Swallowing, I looked away from her. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her and Ocean. It was that I didn’t trust anyone. Not completely. It was easier that way. If people didn’t know all of you, it was harder for them to hurt you, and it was a habit now to keep things behind the walls I built.
They were there for a reason.
Silence stretched before Isolde spoke again. “We know, by the way.”
I looked at her. “Know what?”
She huffed a breath. “That you’re not telling us everything. That’s fine. Ocean didn’t either. But I hope you know that we’re here for you.”
“Yeah,” I murmured.
“I’m not going to beat you over the head. But I just want to beg you not to decide this by yourself. Talk to them first. Take it from someone who wished she’d done it so much sooner.”
Isolde stood and took her things with her. She pressed one hand to my shoulder as she passed, leaving me sitting there looking at the ocean and contemplating my entire fucking life.
Neither of my friends were wrong. I was assuming that things wouldn’t work out because they never had before. And even if Dad and Liz would be okay with it, I doubted the rest of his pack would be, and history told me that their opinions were the ones that got listened to, not mine.
Still, I would think about it. Because I couldn’t stop thinking about them.
And I didn’t think I’d be able to for a long time.