Page 31 of Priceless
“Whatever you want.” The air felt colder when he pulled away. “I don’t want to leave, but I also don’t want to leave Everett with the wolves.”
“Yeah,” I smiled. “Probably a good idea.”
The atmosphere felt incomplete, like there was nothing more to say yet everything to say and no one quite knew how to move forward. So I picked up the flowers and held them to my nose, trying to clear my head. Not that it would work when the flowers were from them and would therefore bring my thoughts back to them over and over again.
“Like Everett said,” Cameron moved to the door. “We’ll see you very soon.”
I bit my lip, unsure how to say goodbye to Alphas you were attracted to, engaged to, and desperately didn’t want to leave. “Okay.”
Cameron smiled and ran his gaze over me one more time before slipping out. Micah turned back. “Oh, and Ocean?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. For saying yes.”
He was gone before I could respond, but I couldn’t explain the way those words made my heart flutter and the way they felt like so much more than convenience.
I smiled into the flowers, ignoring where Laura stood outside the study, exactly where I thought she’d be. These flowers needed a vase, and I needed to figure out what the hell just happened, and why I couldn’t stop smiling.
12
ZINNIA
MEANING: FRIENDSHIP; LOYALTY; I MISS YOU
OCEAN
________
Corsets weren’t any more comfortable to sit in, but I needed to get used to it. At least for the next week.
Laura burst into the kitchen while I was arranging my flowers and informed me that I needed to be on my best behavior between now and the wedding, and that included making sure if I was photographed that I looked my best.
One week. It was a sacrifice I could make. And once again, it was easier to give in than to fight, even if it chipped away at my soul.
Allowing myself to be forced into an improperly fitted corset was the lesser evil. Because I knew if I didn’t, the week would be nothing but her forcing her hand in other ways. She would still try, but at the very least if I gave her this one thing, she would let me breathe. Figuratively.
Which was why I currently squirmed in my seat as I waited for Trinity and Isolde at our favorite brunch place. We hadn’t been here together since Isolde moved across the country. Rin and I didn’t feel right coming here without her.
They approached at the same time, and Trinity fell into the chair across from me dramatically. I’d chosen a table outside because it was such a beautiful day. “I need a mimosa in my hand fucking immediately. Thanks to work, I didn’t get to party my ass off last night.”
“I think you partied just fine,” Isolde said with a laugh as she leaned down to hug me. “Hey, O.”
“Hi.”
Rin shoved her sunglasses back and stared at me. “First of all, how dare you drop that bomb on us and leave. If I’m going to be edged, I would prefer it to be a tattooed Alpha. Or a set of them. Second, what the fuck?” She whisper shouted the last bit. “Spill.”
“Let’s get drinks first and order. Cause I have a feeling you won’t want this to be interrupted.”
“Damn.” She grinned. “Getting serious.”
I ordered a mango mimosa and a cheesy omelette. They made them amazingly here. But I knew there wasn’t escaping the conversation, so I might as well rip off the bandaid. “You guys know how my trust is locked until thirty-five?”
“Yeah,” Rin said. “And it’s really fucking stupid.”
“Well, Frank came with an offer. A pack who’s making a business deal with him needs to get married, and they wanted it to be me. Before you ask, no, I have no idea why. And he wants it badly enough that he agreed to sign the trust over to me early if I stay married to them for a year.”
Isolde froze with her mimosa glass halfway to her lips, and Rin slumped back in her chair, staring. “Okay. Wow.”
