Page 53 of Shattered By Grace

Taylor blinked, baffled. “Wow. Who does that? And what does he mean you’re not ready? Ready for what?”

Victoria let out a frustrated sigh. “Exactly! It’s driving me insane. One minute he’s this impossible to resist storm, and the next, he’s gone. Cool, detached, like none of it mattered.”

“Girl, that’s some next-level emotional whiplash. No wonder you’re all over the place. The guy’s got you wrapped around his finger, and he knows it.” Taylor leaned back, shaking her head.

Victoria buried her face in her hands. “Right! Why can’t I get him out of my head?”

“Because bad boys don’t just walk away, they linger, waiting to pull you back in.” She paused, tilting her head. “But what about the other one? Tyson? Any drama there?”

Victoria peeked up from behind her hands, groaning. “Oh, you mean the one who’s somehow even more cryptic than Tristan?”

Taylor’s eyebrow shot up. “That sounds juicy.”

Victoria let out an exasperated sigh, sinking deeper into the couch. “Oh, it is. He shows up at the gym today, after weeks of radio silence, looking all broody and conflicted. Then he hits me with, ‘I want you, but I can’t. My loyalty won’t allow it. Also, aren’t you tangled up with Tristan?’” She threw up her hands. “Like, excuse me? Since when was it decided who I belonged to and who was going to tell me?”

Taylor scoffed, taking a dramatic sip of her wine. “Oh, hell no. So let me get this straight. One twin is playing mindfuck games with you in the shower, and the other is out here acting like some tragic hero in a bad soap opera? ‘My loyalty won’t allow it’—girl, is he in a gang or a Shakespeare play?”

Well…he’s the son of the most powerful mafia empire.

She pointed her pizza slice at Victoria like it was a weapon. “I swear, if one of them starts writing you poetry about forbidden love, I’m staging an intervention.”

Victoria let out a dry laugh. “Honestly? At this point, I wouldn’t even be surprised.” She ran a hand through her hair, frustration written all over her face. “The worst part? Despite all of it, I still can’t shake Tristan. I’m drawn to him in a way that doesn’t make sense, and it’s infuriating.”

Taylor smirked, shaking her head. “Yeah, girl. You’re screwed.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Victoria groaned, burying her face in her hands for a second before peeking up, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips.

Taylor leaned back, giving Victoria a pointed look. “Look, you can keep analyzing every little thing they do, or you can decide whatyouactually want. Otherwise, you’re just letting them call the shots.”

Victoria exhaled, swirling the last bit of wine in her glass. “Yeah… but what if I don’t like the answer?”

Taylor smirked. “Then you take another sip, vent to me as much as you need, and figure out your next move. That’s what best friends are for.”

Victoria gave a small smile, feeling a little lighter. “Thanks, Tay. I really needed that.”

Taylor raised her glass, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Damn right, you did. Now, enough about these men and their melodrama. You are a badass midwife, you are strong, you are gorgeous, and quite frankly, those two don’t stand a chance.”

Victoria clinked her glass against Taylor’s, her smile growing. “You always know how to hype me up.”

“That’s what girls’ nights are for, babe,” Taylor winked. “Now, less brooding over confusing men and more fun. We need to finish this wine, destroy this pizza, and binge-watch something ridiculously terrible.”

Victoria laughed, sinking deeper into the couch. “Yes, please. Something with terrible plot twists and drama that makes my life seem normal.”

Taylor grabbed the remote, scrolling through options. “Reality TV-level ridiculous or badly scripted drama?”

Victoria sighed dramatically. “Both. I’m officially turning my brain off for the night.”

As the opening credits rolled, they traded sarcastic commentary, laughing at the absurdities on screen. For a little while, everything else…Tristan, Tyson, and the tangled mess of her feelings faded into the background. This, the easy banter and warmth of friendship, was exactly what she needed.

Taylor suddenly tossed a pillow at Victoria. “New rule. Drink every time someone says something completely nonsensical.”

Victoria chuckled, raising her glass. “We’ll be hammered by the end of the episode.”

“Exactly.” Taylor grinned, taking a sip.

By the time they’d powered through two episodes and a pizza, both girls were comfortably sprawled out, feeling light, happy, and—at least for now—completely at ease.

Chapter Twenty-Five

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