Page 121 of Going for Gold (Sweet Cravings 3)

I opened my eyes. "Did you know?"

"Yes. I saw the video on Twitter..."

Oh my God. The thought of my mom watching that video made me want to vomit.

"I think she meant about the bakery," said Kristen.

My mom cleared her throat. "Oh, right. No, I didn't know. I would have told him not to do it, but I don't think that would have helped. Someone came in with a last minute bid that was way higher than the price he had been negotiating with the developer. Either way, my opinion didn't matter. It wasn't mine to sell."

"It wasn't his either. It was Grandma's."

Grandma continued to stare at something that no one else saw. Clearly she didn't want me to have the bakery either.

"I'm already beating myself up over what happened enough," I said. "I don't need anyone else against me." I stood up.

"Sweetie..." but my mom's voice died away as I ran up the stairs. It felt like I was a kid again, being reprimanded. Only what I had done was nothing like what a child would do.

I collapsed on my bed. I remembered being upset after getting my silver medal. Bryce had held me. He made me feel safe and secure. Like nothing bad would ever happen to me. Like he'd be there making sure it didn't. I needed him. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what it felt like with his arms around me again. But all I could see was his bruised face.

Kristen entered my room a second later. She sat down on the bed and put her hand on my shoulder. She didn't have to say anything. I knew she didn't mean to set my dad off like that. She was just trying to help me figure out if my parents knew.

"I can't believe he sold it," I said.

"Maybe it's not final. He was probably just lashing out because he was mad at you. He'll probably come to his senses in a few days and cancel the sale."

"I don't think so. He's never looked at me that way before. He hates me."

"He doesn't hate you," said Kristen. "He's just adjusting to the fact that you're all grown up."

"That's a nice way to put it. But I really think he hates..."

A knock on the door interrupted me. I was about to tell them to go away when my grandma poked her head in. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." I sat up and Kristen scooted over to make room for her on the bed.

She was looking down at her hands. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything in front of your father."

"You don't have to apologize. I know how upsetting what I did was for all of you. I'm so sorry."

To my surprise, Grandma laughed. "That's not why I didn't say anything. I just didn't want to embarrass your father."

I looked over at her.

She laughed again. "I understand what happened completely."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you girls promise that what I say will never leave this room?"

Kristen and I looked at each other. "We promise."

"Well," she said and lowered her voice slightly. "Before I dated your grandfather, I was dating this handsome farm boy." She smiled, remembering him. "Two of his friends worked on the farm too. And they all shared a small house right next to the farm. They were all gorgeous. Tan from the sun, ripped muscles from heavy lifting. Short days, long nights. Very long, very cold nights." She sighed. "Some of the best nights of my life."

I just stared at her and then looked over at Kristen. Her jaw had dropped. "Wait, are you saying..."

"That I know what it's like to give into my hormones? To be shared? That feeling that you're already in so deep? And that all you want to do is satisfy everyone the same way they're satisfying you?"

"Um, yeah."

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