Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
“Hey, sweetheart, it’s okay,” Scott says, rubbing my back. Mike is on my other side caressing my hair. They both sit silently, letting me weep, letting me purge the poison from my mind and heart.
After what feels like forever, I lift my head. Scott holds out a napkin and I dab at my eyes and blow my nose. Mike gently presses his lips to the top of my head.
“Are you okay?” he whispers.
I start to nod, but then shake my head instead. “I don’t think so. I’m just so embarrassed and ashamed of myself. I can’t believe I put us in jeopardy like that by telling Kristy about us. I even told her we were coming to this restaurant tonight. That’s how she knew we were here. It’s all my fault.”
“She was your best friend,” Scott says in a comforting voice. “Of course you were going to tell her. Mike and I are best friends and we tell each other everything. It’s what buddies are for.”
“But now she’s not my friend,” I croak through a fresh wash of tears. “I never want to see her again. I should have been more careful. I shouldn’t have trusted her the way I did.”
“There’s no way you could have known she would do something like this,” Mike reassures me. “Hell, just from seeing her in class, she seemed perfectly nice. I never would have expected her to do anything like this, either.”
“But…”
“No more ‘buts,’” Mike and Scott say in unison. The astonished sidelong glances they cast at each other makes me laugh through my tears.
“I know that situation was scary,” Mike says, taking my hand. “I was scared shitless too because I don’t ever want to lose you. Neither of us do. But everything is going to be fine now, okay? The storm has passed.”
I bite my lip. “You promise?”
Mike looks at me seriously. “I promise.”
Scott is looking intently at me, too, in a way that makes my heart flutter. “Violet, maybe this isn’t the time, and maybe we’re jumping the gun by being so abrupt, but seeing everything that’s happened, I figure that sooner is better than later. We have something we want to tell you,” he says, taking my other hand. “It’s something Mike and I have talked about, and as in most things, we agree. It won’t erase the pain of what just happened, but I hope it helps a little bit.” He smiles, a bit teary himself. “We’re in love with you, sweetheart. We love you more than anything, and we just didn’t want to scare you by telling you too soon.”
Suddenly, I could care less about Kristy. Everything that transpired a few minutes ago feels like a bad dream now. I feel suddenly lighter, brighter, like I’m filled with a golden glow from the top of my head all the way to the tips of my toes.
“Really?” I ask through sniffles.
“Really,” Mike growls, stroking my hair again. “We have for a while now, but you’re young. That part is true. You’re just a sophomore while this asshole and I are professors. We didn’t want to put pressure on you, but seeing the events that transpired today, I think it’s time. We adore you, sweetheart, and want to keep you with us.”
Radiant light flows through my veins again and I smile tearily. Mike and Scott love me. What are the chances?
I was worried, somewhere deep down, that maybe my love was unrequited. I knew they enjoyed spending time with me, but anything else, I wasn’t sure of. I was concerned that I was just a good time to them, or maybe a girl they liked a lot, but love? This is beyond my wildest dreams.
After all, I know my parents love me, but that’s different. I’ve had a boy or two tell me he loved me before, but it felt like it was just puppy love and not the real thing.
But this confirmation of their adoration, their capital-L declaration, makes tears spring to my eyes yet again.
“Baby, you’re not supposed to cry!” Scott says tenderly, running a big hand down my back to rest on my thigh. “This should be a time for laughter and happiness!”
“Or sweetheart, is our love so offensive that it makes you cry?” Mike asks, trying to be funny.
“No!” I squeal, waving my hands as they chuckle good-naturedly. “No, they’re happy tears, I promise. I’m so happy. You both make me so happy.”
“You make us happy, too,” Scott growls with a smile. “Personally, I think I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
“Me, too,” Mike agrees. “Happy happy.”
I can’t help but beam.
“Oh my god, you guys are such goofballs sometimes. You almost just lost your jobs, and who knows, maybe I would have been expelled. But now, you’re cracking jokes!”
The two men laugh good-naturedly, but then they grow serious again.