Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
June
Rain pelted the windows of my shop. It was the middle of the day, but it felt like it could have been midnight with how dark the storm had turned the sky. Main Street was absolutely dead. Whynot felt empty.
Working on days like this always gave me a quiet sort of joy. I felt like I was in a snow globe. I had my perfect little flower shop with all of my favorite blooms, meanwhile a storm raged outside. Lightning flashed, lighting up the world as it cut in a jagged line across the sky in the distance.
This was when I felt the most content. Even though I had an almost unbearable weight on my shoulders with the amount of orders I needed to fulfill, for a few moments, everything was right in my world.
The weekend had passed in a blink. I was halfway through my work week and still riding the high of so many orgasms in the span of twenty-four hours. That many had nearly taken me out, but god had it been worth it.
I still had a few bruises. Dallas had bit my shoulder hard enough to leave a mark, and every time I saw it, it turned me on.
I’d left one on him too. The morning after, I’d woken up next to him and found myself tracing it with a sense of pride.
It was easy to ignore the temporary nature of our situation. It was easy to get lost in everything we’d discovered.
I rolled my shoulders, sighing in relief, and took a moment to stretch before arranging bouquets in buckets by the window. I hadn’t put very many out today. More than likely, only a couple would sell, but that was fine.
My focus was on mums.
The cursed corsages. I never wanted to see another mum in my life. Actually, that wasn’t true. I wanted to see them on every single high schooler in Whynot at the homecoming game at the end of the month.
The problem, though, was that my viral video had gotten a second wind and folks had bought so many that I had to stop taking online orders.
I couldn’t keep up. It was the best problem to have as a small business owner, but I wasn’t sure what the hell I was going to do.
How was I going to balance working this much when my mind was on Madi and Dallas?
Thunder shook the shop, rattling the walls and glass. A contented sigh left me.
We had a few storms rolling through this week, which was my favorite kind of weather to curl up and . . .
Get fucked?
My phone lit up on the counter. I leaned over, peering at the screen.
Madi
They weren’t joking about Texas storms
Dallas
Are you frightened? Want us to quit our jobs for the day and hold you in bed?
I’m a very good storm snuggler
My grin only broadened.
Me
Maybe tonight? It’ll be storming allllll day, and we could watch a movie . . .
Madi
If by movie you mean have a threesome, then yes
Me
True, I’ve been thinking about that since Friday night. So many different positions we could try
Madi
the options are endless really
Dallas
I have to work on cars without my dick getting hard. You two are making it a real problem
Me
Luckily I can work while wet
Dallas
fuck me
Madi
we will! Later ;)
The three of us had been texting like crazy the last few days. I still needed to take Madi out to the state park, but our weekend plans had been rained out. Instead, I’d been in work mode or trying not to burn the battery out on my vibrator.
Madi was right, though. Between the three of us, the sex positions were endless, and I wanted to try every single one my imagination could come up with.
Thunder shook the shop again and I shivered. A flash of blue drew my attention. Avery burst through the front door and started shaking off her umbrella like a wet dog.
“Well, hello,” I snorted. “Oh god. Let me grab the mop.”
“Sorry,” she sighed, stomping her shoes on the mat.
“I forgot my umbrella at home and made a run for it. I decided to close the gallery today. It’s a ghost town right now.
Everyone is at home or working. Levi is at home making some sort of spreadsheet on movies we’ve watched and he’s rating them?
Which is cute and hot, but I figured you could use a hand. ”
Of course Levi was making a spreadsheet. “I could, actually.”
I rushed to the cleaning closet in the back and grabbed the mop, carrying it up front. Once I soaked up the water, I decided it made more sense to keep it up here, and shoved it against the wall.
Avery rolled her shoulders and started stretching like she was about to run a marathon. She was up to something. I already had an inkling what it was about.
Our gazes locked and sweat immediately sprouted on my skin. I hadn’t talked to her about Dallas or Madi yet, but she wasn’t stupid. It wasn’t that I wanted to hide anything from her either, I just hadn’t found the right moment to really talk to her.
But that moment was now.
I planted my hands on my hips, rocking on my heels as I tried to figure out where to start.
Well, maybe at the beginning would be good.
Here goes. “I kissed Dallas at the New Year’s Eve party.”
Avery’s mouth dropped. Her brows shot up. “You what?”
“We kissed.” God, I felt nauseous. “We kissed and then I told him it meant nothing and we’ve spent the last few months pretending like it didn’t happen. Well, I pretended. But then Madi showed up, and now everything is upside down, and I slept with both of them last week.”
Avery let out a soft scream, her eyes wide. “You slept with my brother?!”
“I did,” I burst out, my voice high pitched. “I did and it was really great—”
“Ahhhhhh.”
“It's really good. It was really really fucking good. And I’m pretty sure I’ve fucked up my whole life now.”
“Ahhhh.”
“We made an agreement that we’re just having hot and kinky sex until Madi leaves and I don’t know what’ll happen then and I actually don’t want her to leave ever.”
Avery wrinkled her nose and gagged. We both fell silent, still staring at each other like two slightly feral cats. An ugly snort bubbled up and Avery cracked a grin, immediately pulling me into a giant hug.
I breathed out in relief, wrapping my arms around her. My eyes watered as she squeezed me.
“Did you think I’d be mad?” she asked.
“Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know.”
She leaned back, her hands still planted on my shoulders.
Her expression turned thoughtful. “I’m not mad.
Also, Mateo tattled on Dallas so I had an inkling.
He did claim ‘bro code,’ so he didn’t tell me everything.
But neither him or Levi are very good at being discreet.
The only reason I didn’t come see you is because this weekend was just too busy. ”
“Yeah, with you getting tied up and your ass spanked.”
Avery laughed, but didn’t disagree. “I mean, you may have been doing the same for all I know.”
“Well . . .”
She immediately made a face. “Oh god. I have to forget for a second that we’re talking about Dallas.” She shivered. “Okay. I have so many questions for you. Try not to tell me anything about my brother though, or I think I’ll start screaming again.”
“Let’s work and talk?” I asked. “I’m kind of drowning right now. And then I keep getting distracted by texts . . .”
Avery’s cheeks dimpled. “Oh yeah. Texts are the best distractions. Well, I’m all yours. You know what, though? We should have a work party and help you get caught up.”
Even the idea of asking for that much help made me want to shrink, but Avery knew that, and barreled ahead.
“I’ll text everyone. It’s a rainy day. We can invite them over for later this afternoon. You can pay us with pizza.”
“If you insist . . .”
“I do, actually.” She opened her mouth to say something else, but then her eyes darted to the door. “Ah, fuck. Incoming.”
I didn’t like that tone. My shoulders stiffened as I turned right as the bell jingled. My stomach dropped as my mother stepped inside.
I never failed to feel small around her.
It didn’t matter that I was a couple inches taller and a hell of a lot stronger, her presence leached the power from me.
She sucked the air out of the room with her vulture eyes.
Her lips pressed into a thin line and I knew she was displeased she hadn’t caught me alone.
She was looking old, at least. It’d been a couple months since I’d seen her in person, and I sincerely hoped the extra grays I spotted in her hair were because of me.
“Hi, Ms. Moore,” Avery said flatly. Her arm slowly linked in mine, her grip steadying me as my heart pounded. “It’s raining an awful lot out there, huh?”
“Clearly,” she sniffed. “June, I was hoping to chat with you.”
“Anything you have to say can be said with Avery here,” I said.
Her jaw set and she adjusted her purse on her shoulder. Avery gave me a reassuring squeeze as my mother’s eyes roamed around the shop, the disappointment apparent.
“This used to be such a nice place,” she sighed. “You’ve really cheapened it with the decorations.”
“What do you want?” I hated this. I hated seeing her. I hated knowing that the fact she’d ventured into my shop meant she wanted something, and whatever she wanted was going to leave me feeling empty.
“Why do you always think I want something when I see you?” She scoffed and crossed her arms. “You’ve been avoiding my text messages and not answering me.”
“All of your texts have been rude.” I was now squeezing Avery hard enough, I wasn’t sure how she hadn’t pulled away. “I haven’t answered you because, as previously established, I do not engage with messages involving name-calling.”
“You’re so sensitive.” She shook her head, her eyes sharpening into daggers. “I’ll never understand what I did to deserve a firstborn like you. I’m a good mother. I don’t understand why you don’t talk to me or come see me and treat me this way.”
“What do you want again?” My voice was dangerously thin.
“Well, I wanted to talk about Laura. I heard she had an accident here on your watch.”
How in the fuck had she heard about that? Surely Ethan hadn’t told her.
“It was an accident,” Avery butted in. “Laura is fine.”
“I wasn’t really speaking to you, Ms. Whynot.”
I started to lean forward to physically push her out of my shop, but Avery kept me pinned in place. Another squeeze. Another reminder to not give in to her antics.
She wanted to see me overreact. She wanted to see me lose it. If I did, it would just continue to feed the narrative she’d built up in her head about how tragically unwell her daughter was.
That’s what narcissists did.
Even knowing this, it was so fucking hard not to give in.
“Laura had an accident, yes,” I said. “But she is okay.”
“Well, why didn’t you call me? She’s my only grandchild—since you refuse to settle down. Not that someone would ever want to have children with you, but—”
“We didn’t call you because you weren’t needed.” My chest ached. “You would have made the situation worse.”
Her mouth dropped. “I would not have. I’m her grandmother. She needed a strong woman to be there for her since her mother ran off and—”
“If you stopped by to berate me for not calling you, then I have nothing further to say. Take it up with your son.”
She reminded me of a rabid dog as she sneered. “I really wish you’d come back to church. You’d be so much better off praying for forgiveness with the way you turned out. God knows I’m always praying for you.”
“Don’t even bother. You can save your prayers for someone who wants them.”
My mother’s glower became almost comical. Avery snorted next to me.
Her gaze snapped to my friend, and I knew she was about to spew out a bunch of unkind things. And if they were aimed at me, I could take them. I had the callouses for that.
But my friends? My friends I’d commit crimes for?
“If you say one fucking mean thing to Avery right now, I will turn your life into a living hell,” I said firmly. “Starting with performing a sex ritual where I offer my firstborn to Satan.”
That was out of pocket enough to shock her. Her expression warped to horror and she reached for the door.
“You’re gonna burn in hell, June.”
“You know it.” I plastered a smile on my face as she shook her head and stepped back out into the rain.
If there was a god, maybe he could strike her with lightning? Was that too much to ask for? I waited a second and hoped, but there was no such luck.
“Fuck, man,” Avery breathed out. “That was . . .”
“Awful. Per usual.” I was numb.
“She’s the worst, but . . . sex ritual with Satan?”
I couldn’t help but grin. “That was a pretty good one. I’ve been saving it for a while.”
Avery laughed and finally released me. “You should save the CCTV shot of her expression from when you said that. It was priceless.”
I laughed with her, but then that laugh turned into a groan. “God. I have too much on my plate.”
“Well, let’s focus on the good things. I want to hear about Madi. And you can thank me now for setting the two of you up while we pack orders.”
I smirked as my heart rate finally started to drop down to normal. “Thank you for helping me get laid.”
“You’re so welcome. Now let’s get packing.”