Page 162 of Burn

Scarlet’s eyes lift to mine, disappointment flickering. “He said he’d call when he was in town next time.”

Goddamn him. How dare he use my best friend?

“Mila,” she sighs, knowing by the rage in my face what I’m thinking. “It’s okay. I knew what would happen when I got in that bed. I can’t expect a guy like him to fall in love with me after one night.”

She’s right. She can’t, but still, after my weekend with Caleb, why can’t Scarlet be happy too? Is that too much to ask?

After moving toward me, she puts her hands on my cheeks, kisses me on the lips and then pulls back. “I love you. Not in a sexual way, though if you ever want to swing that way, I’d totally try you out . . .” She pauses, laughs, and then continues, “You deserve to be happy. Let yourself be and don’t you dare think for one minute I’m not. I am. I’m happy for my friend that she’s in love, and alive and living with a boy who treats her with some goddamn respect.” She speaks calmly, tenderness in her words. “Happiness doesn’t come all at once for everyone.” Shrugging, she lets go of me. “And eventually, Shade’s going to call me because I won’t let him get away with not calling me.”

There’s truth in her words. All of it. Even about Shade calling because Scarlet’s determined.

With her palms on my cheeks, Scarlet makes me listen once more. “You will always be my best girl, Mila,” she says with a wink, then taps my lips with her index finger. “And my offer remains.”

Laughing, I shake my head at her.

There’s a knock at my office door before it opens and Caleb steps in with a pink and white box of cupcakes. Everyone’s making me fat these days. Pumping me full of sugar and sweets.

He smiles when he sees Scarlet and holds up the box of cupcakes from Cupcake Royal. “There’s some in here for you too, Scar.”

Near the door now, Scarlet looks over her shoulder at me. “I won’t tell him about our plan to become lesbians if there’s red velvet in there for me.”

Caleb perks up as he takes a seat on the couch with the box on his lap. “I’m definitely ready to hear this conversation.” He nods playfully to Scarlet and hands her two red velvet cupcakes. “I get to watch, right?”

“That depends. Can you track someone in California for me?”

“No, but Kellan might be able to.”

Scarlet taps her finger to her chin. “That won’t work. I slept with your brother and then didn’t call him back.”

Caleb hands her another red velvet cupcake. “I like you more already.”

Taking her cupcakes in hand, Scarlet tips her head at the door. “I must go. I need to see Ms. Izzy Bizzy about my soreness.” And then she limps her way out of my office, leaving Caleb and me alone.

It’s the first time he’s been in here since we re-opened and I think I know why he’s here. Don’t you?

“What are you doing here? I thought you were picking up an overtime shift this morning?”

He doesn’t look at me. Instead, he pulls out a sticker from the pocket of his cargo shorts he’s wearing. “I got this for you.”

It’s a Cupcake Royal sticker that says, “I am a frostitute.”

Laughing, I take it from him and then reach for my own red velvet cupcake.

We’re sitting on the couch together when he glances over at me. “I met Trevor. He said to tell you hello.”

Unsure what he’s going to say next, I detect condescension in his words, but you never know with Caleb. “Oh yeah?”

A shadow of alarm touches his face. “Do I need to worry about him?”

Slowly licking frosting from my fingers, I steal a look at him. “No, I’m pretty sure my father made it clear to every one of our contacts I’m no longerfriendswith any of them.”

After the fire, my father severed a lot of business relationships he had with clients he didn’t trust, including Shaw Investments.

Trevor wasn’t a client but he apparently came to see me in the hospital, and my father laid into him letting him knownothingwould become of our friendship if he wanted his business to survive in Seattle. And you’re probably thinking, how can an owner of a hotel have that much pull in a city to shut down a business?

You’ve clearly never met Weston Wellington.

Drawing in an aggravated sigh, Caleb frowns, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “I’m having cameras installed in your office. I’m not taking any chances this time.”

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