Page 77 of Love so Cold

Avery

I'm not sure of all the details. It was pretty intense.

Emily

Intense how? Spill, girl!

I glance at Victor's sleeping face, remembering the fire in his eyes as he faced down the board.

Avery

Let's just say Victor surprised everyone

Jessica

Including you?

I can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips.

Avery

Yeah. Including me.

Emily's next message makes me freeze:

Emily

We waited for you after, but everyone left and we didn't see you. Got caught up talking to board members?

My fingers hover over the screen. I hesitate, debating whether to tell them about Victor. These women are my closest friends, my support system. But this thing with Victor feels so new, so fragile. I'm not even sure what it is yet.

Before I can decide, the bed shifts. Victor's sleep-roughened voice rumbles right next to my ear, "Good morning."

I startle, nearly dropping my phone. Heart racing, I flip it face-down on the covers. Victor props himself up on an elbow, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Already keeping secrets?" he asks, his tone light but curious.

I shake my head, feeling my cheeks warm. "It's just the other moms," I explain quickly. "Don't worry, I'm not telling them what happened."

Victor's piercing blue eyes study me for a moment. "What happened?" he echoes, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

I swallow hard, memories of last night flashing through my mind. The intensity of his gaze, the softness of his touch, the way he made me feel...

"You know," I mumble, suddenly shy. "Us."

Victor rolls onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. His voice is surprisingly soft when he speaks. "I wouldn't care if you shared it with them, you know. I'm proud of the fact that we're together. Why would I try to hide it?"

My heart skips a beat. "Together?" I echo, confusion clouding my thoughts. "What do you mean by 'together'?"

He turns to face me, his blue eyes searching mine. "It's whatever you want it to mean, Avery. I'll take as much as you'll give me."

I open my mouth, but no words come out. What do I want? The intensity of his gaze makes it hard to think straight. Before I can formulate a response, my phone buzzes insistently against the sheets.

I can't help but laugh, grateful for the distraction. "Sorry," I mutter, reaching for my phone. The screen lights up with a flurry of new messages from the group chat.

"Everything okay?" Victor asks, his brow furrowing slightly.

I nod, skimming through the texts. "Yeah, I just... I need to go pick up Olivia."

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