Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
June
I managed to hold it together for two more hours. My panic had to be scheduled into my day, and having Laura and the shop meant I had to get her set up with something before I could have a full on screaming session.
I shut myself into the cold box in the back of my floral shop. The moment the heavy metal door slammed behind me, I let out a long groan.
I’d tested it before. The walls of the floral cooler were thick, Laura was wearing headphones, which meant I could comfortably have my breakdown in peace.
And god, I fucking needed it.
Holy fucking shit.
I’d kissed Madi. I’d kissed her. The first one had been an accident, but the second? I couldn’t fucking resist kissing her again.
Why the fuck had I kissed her?
I could still feel the way she’d held me with such ease. She was so strong. I hadn’t been lying when I told her I could climb her like a tree. I wanted to do exactly that.
My body had fit perfectly against hers. All of that jealousy I’d felt seeing her with Dallas was now a puddle of desire, and I was drowning.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this way about one person, let alone two. The fact that Dallas was clearly interested in her too? Made it both worse and better.
For years I’d been happy getting off with my toys and imagination.
Occasionally I’d go on dates or see someone for a few weeks, but it was always a fling.
I’d been far too busy to try to navigate the emotions needed for a relationship.
Between running my own business and family and friends—being with someone long-term had always felt out of the question. That’s what you tell yourself.
My hand rubbed my chest.
There were other reasons too, of course. But all of those reasons were far too much for me to mull over right now.
At the end of the day, the biggest truth was that I didn’t believe I could be loved. Not the way I wanted to be. So why even try?
But this wasn’t love. This was lust. Plain and simple and needy. Every part of my body remembered her and craved more.
I rolled my shoulders and took a few deep breaths, centering myself. Finding the gravity that would keep me from spinning out of orbit.
I’d kissed a beautiful, dark-haired artist and my world hadn’t ended.
With a sigh, I leaned back against the door. It was chilly inside, but the cold was welcome. It was the only thing keeping the rest of my body from catching on fire.
I needed to report this incident to the chat.
“Aunt June?”
I frowned, listening.
“Aunt June? Where are you? Something happened.”
Laura’s voice didn’t sound right. I immediately grabbed onto the latch and pulled the door open. “I’m over here. What’s up?” I headed down the hall to the back room where Laura was situated in a beanbag with a bundle of ribbons, her headphones around her neck, and red dripping down her hand.
Oh no. Quiet tears rolled down her cheeks as blood dropped onto her shirt.
The one thing about being her aunt was that I got to react the way I wished my mom would have reacted to me growing up.
Instead of acting like it was the end of the world or blaming her or calling her stupid or doing literally all of the awful things I’d heard growing up—I grabbed a few paper towels and rushed over to her, steeling myself to handle this.
“That looks like it hurts,” I said calmly. “Did you cut yourself?”
“Yeah,” she sniffled. “The scissors slipped. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
“I know that. It’s okay.” I wrapped the towels around her hand and gently squeezed. “Let’s get you to the bathroom and take a look.”
“My shirt is ruined. Clothes are expensive and—”
“Laura, the shirt doesn’t matter. Only you do,” I said. “We’ll get you a new shirt.”
“What if we have to go to the hospital? It’s so expensive—”
“Honey, you don’t need to worry about any of that. Money isn’t your problem.”
Her tears killed me. I held her hand as she stood up and we made our way back down the hall to the small bathroom, crowding around the sink together. I pulled out my phone for a brief second and shot Evie and Avery a text.
Me
Can either of you come over to help? Laura is hurt
Avery
yep be right there
Evie
omw
I tucked it away and turned on the faucet. Laura let out a soft sob, trembling as I slowly unwrapped her hand.
“It’s okay,” I said gently. “I promise it’ll be okay.”
“It was an accident.”
“I know that.” An accident that probably wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t taken a few minutes in the cooler.
Laura looked up at me with teary, pleading eyes. “Please don’t stop letting me help at the shop. You already do everything.”
I sucked in a short breath, my eyes burning. Her words were a searing reminder that I could never fully shift the burden she carried on her shoulders. She didn’t deserve it. She didn’t need to be worrying about a single thing.
All I could do was hope she never felt alone and that I was a good enough aunt to remind her of that.
“Let’s take a peek.”
We rinsed her hand under the tepid water and I kept my expression neutral. The cut was deeper than I’d expected. A lot deeper. A long slash running from the web between her pointer and middle finger to the middle of her palm.
“You really got yourself with the scissors,” I murmured.
“It slipped. I wasn’t being careful.”
“It’s okay, Laura. We got this, okay? We’re a team.”
This was my fault. I should have given her gloves to wear or had her not do a task with something sharp, but she was always so insistent on proving she could handle bigger jobs. I also should have saved my breakdown for when I was home and in bed. Fuck.
I grabbed the hand towel off the hook and wrapped it around her hand. Then I slid my arm around her as she cried harder.
She did actually maybe need stitches.
The bell at the front jingled, followed by quick footsteps. Evie appeared with a bright smile, meeting my gaze in the mirror for a split second before jumping into help mode.
“I heard we had a little accident,” she said. “I got the first aid kit.”
“We may need to go in,” I said under my breath.
“No,” Laura sobbed. “I don’t want to.”
Evie crowded in with us and leaned over Laura’s shoulder. “Show me your hand, darling.”
Out of all of us, Evie was the queen of work injuries. Running a bakery was one of the toughest jobs, in my opinion. Burns, scrapes, bruises, cuts—the kitchen posed all of the dangers. If she said we needed to go, then we’d go.
Laura’s face tucked against me as I showed Evie her hand. Evie’s eyes widened and she met my gaze with a quick nod.
Fuck.
“All right, honey,” Evie said gently. “We’re gonna take a ride to the doctor, and it’s going to be just fine. Dr. Jacobs is the best and I’ll give him a quick text so he’s the one that takes care of us. He’ll help get everything fixed up. Okay?”
“I’m so-rry.” Laura shivered.
I hated seeing her like this. My chest physically ached.
The bell rang up front again and Avery filled the doorway. Evie turned around. “Did you park in front?”
“Yes,” she breathed out. “We need to go?”
Evie and I nodded. Laura shook her head, but at this point, I couldn’t wait for her to move on her own.
“Come on, spider monkey.” I tried to sound playful despite the worried panic settling into my bones. “Get on my back. I’ll carry you to the truck. We’re going to the hospital.”
“You’re not a sparkly vampire,” she cried.
Evie helped me guide her outside.
Avery already had the truck doors open. I lifted Laura into the back and slid next to her.
“I’m getting blood everywhere,” Laura hiccuped.
“It’s okay,” Avery said as she got into the driver’s side. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Evie got into the front, and once all doors were shut, Avery floored the gas. We all lurched as the truck peeled forward and she drove like a damn racecar driver. I wasn’t sure when this truck had last been driven this fast.
“How are you feeling, Laura?” Evie called back.
My shirt was wet from snot and tears. I hugged her a little harder as she mumbled. “I don’t want to go.”
“We know,” Avery said lightly. “But it’s okay. We’ll have a girls’ night after.”
It didn’t matter if all three of us ran our own businesses and had schedules filled to the brink, we’d drop it all for her. And for that reason alone, I owed Avery and Evie everything.
“Aunt June kissed Madi.”
The silence that settled in the car was deafening. I closed my eyes for a split second, and god I loved this kid, but fuck me. Why the fuck would she tell them that right now?
Evie turned in her seat slowly like an owl. “The artist I’ve heard whispers about?”
“Madi?” Avery asked more pointedly. “The artist visiting from LA? That Madi?”
Laura let out a soft giggle. It was a relief for all of us, because I knew she was going to be okay if she could laugh.
“You’re a demon,” I said to her.
Another giggle. I’d take evil giggles over sobs any day of the week.
“Yes,” I said. “I did kiss her. It was an accident. The first time.”
“Oh.” Evie slowly turned back around and looked at Avery. “Do you hear that? The first time.”
“The first time,” Avery hissed. “Which means there was a second.”
“A second one that was intentional.”
“Yep. That’s what it sounds like.”
“She’s been holding out on us.”
“She has been.”
Avery slowed as she turned into the parking lot for the hospital. I needed to text Ethan and tell him what had happened, but all I could do was continue to hold my niece and glare at my best friends.
“We’ll put a pin in this for now,” Evie said lightly. “And then once we get you stitched up, we’re having a girls’ night.”
By girls’ night, she meant a full interrogation the second Laura fell asleep. But, I couldn’t protest.
I rather them grill me about this kiss than the other one on my mind.