Page 148 of The Paid Wife: A Lesbian Romance

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Would it ever be enough? She didn’t want to think about this

ending, so she concentrated on the moment she had right now.

She grasped Dani’s shoulders and brought her in for another

toe curling, scalding kiss. Yes, Emily was going to do

everything she could to hang onto this. She was going to savor

this moment, like everyone talked about doing, and she was

going to hope she’d get another to savor and another. She was

going to fight for it if she had to. She wasn’t afraid. She

wouldn’t let herself be afraid. There was no place for fear,

because fear took beautiful moments and shattered them and

wrecked them, and this moment was far, far too amazing to

ever be broken.

Chapter 17

Emily

Emily was just sliding into her car after class when her phone

rang. She answered, locking the doors out of habit, but not

starting the car. It was her mom. She figured she’d be there a

while talking and there wasn’t any use in wasting gas.

“Emily?” Her mom sounded like it was a life-or-death

matter. It was still really, really nice to hear her voice and

Emily found herself close to tears.

“Mom,” she choked out. “I—how are you?”

“I’m fine.” Sandra’s tone was clipped. She was either in a

hurry or she was still angry. Maybe both. “Your father and I

would like it if you came back home. We can talk.”

Emily let out a long exhale. The window beside her fogged

up and she watched as the pattern shifted and changed,

eventually disappearing altogether. It was hot and wet in the

car, the NOLA humidity stealing inside. She was going to

have to cave and turn on the air conditioning so she didn’t

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