Page 40 of Dirty Secret Love

“You’re making judgments about me without truly knowing me,” I snap back, the bitterness evident in my voice. “Ever wondered why I didn’t take up medicine? Or become a vet or do something else ‘noble’? No, you wouldn’t know. I chose my path to stay close to my dad after Mom . . .” I trail off, swallowing the lump forming in my throat.

Sutton’s warm arms encircle me, her touch grounding. “It’s alright,” she murmurs, her voice gentle, her fingers pressing reassuringly into my back. “Gina, you don’t have the full picture.”

Gina looks between us, her defensive posture softening. “Seems like I’m out of the loop. What’s going on?”

Sutton pulls back slightly, her gaze holding mine before she turns to Gina. “I love you and appreciate the fact that you’re protective of me. But if or when River leaves, I’ll handle it. Trust me on this,” she says. There’s a certainty in her voice, and that unsettles me. I don’t like that she doesn’t care that our shelf life is short. She’s okay with me walking away, but I don’t think I like the idea of leaving her.

What the fuck is happening to me?

ChapterTwenty-One

Sutton

Regina’s facestays pretty neutral, but then she lets out a small sigh. “Fine. I’ll let you be. By the way, since we missed our usual meetup on Thursday, we’re having brunch tomorrow at the bar. Oh, and we’ve got to finalize the engagement party, so maybe drop by Jez’s tonight while your man is working. I’m not sure what we need to do, but we’ll figure it out.”

“Why are we even throwing a party again?” I ask, hoping Regina might have some insight on why we’re doing something so crazy—or she’ll stop it.

See, this is something she should be against too. Not my fake engagement. Okay, I see how ridiculous this sounds, but really I have everything under control. River and I have an amazing arrangement—including great sex.

“Unfortunately, I was out of town when you people made these terrible decisions,” Gina says, glaring at me. Obviously I’m part of the unsmart humans who might be fucking up things. “I’m just going with it since we can’t just change what the Kershaws like to call ‘the narrative’.”

Okay, so I can see that even when she’s not happy with all of this, she’s going to support me no matter what. I shouldn’t expect less from her though. We love each other like family—we’re sisters.

“Thank you,” I say, and hug her. “You’re the best, you know?”

She rolls her eyes. “Have I mentioned it’s a bad idea?”

“Only about a dozen times and you’ll do it a thousand more. But trust me, it’ll be okay,” I reassure her.

Regina lets out a light, almost teasing scoff and waves as she starts to head out. “I’ve got work to catch up on. See you tomorrow.”

“Love you,” I call after her.

“Thanks for the visit, cousin,” River says, the sarcasm dripping from his voice, though his face fakes innocence.

I let out a deep breath, watching as River strides purposefully to the front door. He flings it open, snatches the key from under the mat, and closes it with a decisive click. “We’re updating that lock,” he announces firmly.

I frown, taken aback. “Are we now?”

He’s crazy if he thinks I’m going to give my parents the code or anyone else for that matter. I mean, my besties have it, but that’s it. I trust them with my life. The rest should use a key to enter.

“Yes. One of those locks where you can set up temporary codes. No more physical keys.”

I arch an eyebrow, irritation flashing in my eyes. “Temporary codes? Seriously? Why?”

He holds up a hand, trying to keep up with my flurry of questions. “Hear me out. If someone needs to come over, you give them a one-time code. Simple, and safer. You don’t have to freak out about them having something you aren’t willing to give.” The way he says it is flirtatious and I don’t know how to take it until I remember that he wants to change my ways.

I cross my arms defensively. “Excuse me, but I’m not spending money on some fancy, useless lock.”

He shakes his head. “It won’t be useless, but don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

I scoff. “Last I checked, your ‘allowance’ doesn’t cover frivolous expenses.”

“It’s not frivolous,” he argues, his voice steady. “More people barge into this house than the local library.” His eyes lock onto mine, challenging. “And how do you know about my stipend, anyway?”

“It’s Heartwood Lake. News travels faster than light here,” I quip, resorting to the town’s classic gossip defense. I’m not telling him that Wren and I discussed his fortune and how Finn is trying to make him and his family humbler.

He raises an eyebrow, a mix of amusement and suspicion in his eyes. “Somehow, I think your sources might be a tad more . . . exclusive than the town gossip.”

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