Page 91 of Wicked & Wildflower

“I told you I was going to make you suffer with me.” He laughs.

“See? They act like you two.” I hear Lou say as Everett runs away with me in his arms. “I think he’s her person because they’re loud and annoying.”

My chest flutters at those words, heart beating harder as Darby adds through laughter, “I think you might be right, kid.” She gives me a knowing smile, but before I can react to any ofit, Everett lowers me, holding me tight against his chest as he barrels into the ocean.

The water is stinging cold, nipping at my toes and legs, clinging to my clothes, biting my cheeks and nose. As swiftly as he pulled me under, Everett rises out of the water again. I throw my arms around his neck, legs wrapping around his waist. “What thefuck, Everett?”

The water is damn near freezing, it feels like. It’s late February, and despite being in Southern California, it’s nowhere near swimming weather.

Everett only laughs against my ear. “You were looking a little sleepy over there. Relaxing too hard, I think.” He adjusts his hold on me, scooping his hands beneath my ass. “I thought a little polar plunge could wake you up.”

“You are crazy,” I mutter.

He pulls back from my neck, smiling at me in a way that feels like spring, eyes a warm shade of amber in the bright light of the midday sun. All of him is warm, and despite being chest-deep in the frigid ocean, I don’t feel the cold at all.

“Crazy about you.”

I’m fully aware of our family watching us right now, including my daughter. I’ve tried to set boundaries, to keep her from realizing how deeply I feel for this man out of fear for her doing the same and both of us ending up broken later. It appears I’ve failed at that, though, because she has fallen for him as hard as I have.

“I see the way you look at me, Wildflower, and I want you to know that I’m seeing you the exact same way.”

That’s not possible, I think to myself. Because he’s like the spring— warm and bright. I’m like the winter, like the water we’re standing in now, frigid and cold.

“How am I looking at you?” I ask him anyway.

He drops his forehead to mine, and I can feel his lips move against my skin when he says, “Like you can’t fight it anymore.”

I can’t.I should. For the sake of both of us—for all of us—I should.

Maybe I’m weaker than I thought, because instead of pulling away like a stronger, smarter woman would, I get closer. I feather my lips between his, cupping the back of his neck and pressing his mouth against mine. He groans, opening for me. The kiss is quick but deep, full of unspoken words neither of us know how to say.

I hear the distant whistles and cheers of our family from the shore.

All of us seem to be rooting for inevitable disaster.

29

Wildflower

Are You My Good Boy?

“I saw his entireass, Everett.”

Laughter roars from the other side of my phone. “Wait–” he breathes through a fit of chuckles. “Can you explain the logistics to me again? I’m having a hard time picturing it.”

“Why do you want to be picturing it?”

He only laughs harder. “Dammit, Dal. Just explain to me what happened again.”

I sigh. “I walked inside the house after dropping Lou off at her friend’s and…” I wince at the memory. “I turned the corner into the dining room to find… Well, I’d rather not repeat it. The point is, I saw Leo’s bare ass and heard sounds coming from my sister’s mouth that I never want to think about again.”

“No, but—” Everett wheezes. “What was the position?”

“Why are you asking this?” I damn near shout, tears beginning to sting my eyes as I fight to hold back my own laughter. “I am traumatized, and you’re supposed to be comforting me!”

“You said they were in the dining room.” Everett’s choking on the other end of the line. “Why would they be fucking in the dining room? Like…were they on the floor? The table? A chair? I need to know the logistics of this, Dahlia. It helps me understand the level of severity.”

I’m laughing in earnest now. “My sister was laying on the table and Leo was standing and…” I shake my head. “Please don’t make me explain anything else. It was horrifying.” I’ll never get the images out of my head.

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