Hidden Ink (Montgomery Ink #4.5)(20)

Falling into bed with one another was inevitable.

Falling in love with him was as well.

If only she knew if he could fall for her.

It hadn’t escaped her notice that while she’d told him her secrets, he hadn’t done the same for her. She had a feeling it had to do with the scars that marred his body—the depravity of which surprised her. He’d been hurt. Badly. And she hadn’t known the depth of that pain. She wanted to, and she prayed that he would tell her what had happened.

But that wouldn’t happen unless and until he was ready.

Just because she’d been ready to finally tell him of her past didn’t mean he was ready as well. It wasn’t fair of her to put her own timeline on his needs. If they kept going as they were, sure and steady, hopefully he’d feel ready to reveal.

Hopefully, he’d open up more and more and be the man she knew he could be beneath the gruff edges.

Still, she didn’t know if they had a true future because they hadn’t talked about it. And that annoyed her to no end. She was a pile of nerves, so unlike herself, that she wasn’t sure what the heck she was doing.

“Okay, girl, if you’re going to stand in the corner looking like a lost puppy, I’m going to have to kick your ass,” Maya said with a grin.

Hailey snorted, then shook out her arms. “Sorry, doll, I’m a little off tonight.”

“No shit,” Maya said simply and held out a margarita glass filled to the brim. “You’re driving so you get a virgin one. In fact, I only made virgin frozen strawberry margaritas tonight. Boy, how things have changed.”

Sierra rolled her eyes as she drank her frilly, pink, non-alcoholic drink. “We all need to go home and get ready for work tomorrow and spend time with our families. Or we have a thousand other things to do.”

Hailey took her drink and went to sit next to Miranda.

“Pretty much,” Miranda added. “Decker and I may not have kids, but I still like to see him nightly.”

“And you like practicing making those kids,” Callie teased.

“I don’t need to think about Miranda practicing making babies,” Meghan said with a smile. “Though Luc and I are practicing as much as we can.”

“Bitches,” Maya mumbled.

“You’re just jealous we’re getting laid,” Autumn said with a sweet smile.

Maya threw a pillow at her, barely missing Autumn’s drink.

“Watch it, doll, you’re about to stain your couch,” Hailey said.

“I hate you, too,” Maya said with narrowed eyes. “I know that blush on your cheeks and the swagger in Sloane’s walk. You got laid. It’s about time.”

Hailey raised her chin. “Yes, I did. There’s no point in hiding it. I had hot, dirty, sweaty sex, and I plan to have it again.” That much about her relationship she knew.

The girls squealed and did little booty shakes in their chairs.

“All hail Hailey and Sloane!” Maya called out. “To their glorious sex, even though I’m not having any.”

“Whoo!” the others chimed in.

Hailey rolled her eyes but took a sip of her drink, wishing it had alcohol in it. “You know, Maya, you could be getting laid. Just saying.”

Maya gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes and Hailey wanted to curse. She did her best not to look at the woman currently sitting next to Maya.

Holly was Jake’s girlfriend. Serious girlfriend it seemed. Maya and Jake were best friends, though the whole world thought they were something more. Apparently, everybody was wrong, and Maya was doing her best to bring Holly into the fold. Only, sweet and adorable Holly didn’t quite fit in—not that they’d let her feel like that. The Montgomerys and crew weren’t *s.

Though Hailey wanted to know more about what was going on in that corner, she knew she had to think about something else. She’d asked the girls—Sierra, Callie, Maya, Holly, Miranda, Meghan, Autumn, and Tabby—to meet up so she could tell them what she should have told them long ago. Autumn was new to her circle, as she’d just recently found love with Griffin Montgomery, and Holly had sort of just shown up since she’d been hanging out with Maya at the time, but Hailey didn’t mind that they were there. They’d all gathered at Maya’s since that was where they usually met—there or at Taboo. Maya didn’t have children, and she had a large living room with tons of space to sit. Plus, she had a kick-ass blender.

“Okay, now that we’ve made Maya feel bad about the sad state of her sex life, why don’t you tell us why you wanted us to meet?” Callie asked.

Hailey let out a breath. “It’s like you read my mind. I already told Sloane this, but I wanted to tell you as well. All of you. It’s something I should have told you way before this.”

Miranda leaned close. “What is it?”

“Seven years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer.” She told them the story as she’d told Sloane, straight and to the point. Yet this time it didn’t seem as hard, as if once she’d said it aloud it became easier.

The others cried and moved to hold her close. She let the tears fall as well, the women in this room her family by choice, not by blood. She’d lost everyone else close to her, but at least she had these women—and the men who loved them.