Crazy for Loving You: A Bluewater Billionaires Romantic Comedy(97)

Except for the part where they’re making me cry.

Apparently I have a touch of the dramatic in me.

“Just because they were easy to love doesn’t mean they’re supposed to be mine to love,” I wail. I fling myself backward, but I don’t sink, because I have two giant life rafts permanently attached to my chest.

“That’s a good sign you’re a very good fit,” Luna says. “When you don’t think you should fit, but you can’t help yourself, and you can’t see your life without them ever again.”

“But it’s hard.” It is—it’s both easy and so, so hard. “And he’s gone.” I made Tiana tell me when she checked on me yesterday.

One of the times, anyway.

Apparently quitting my job doesn’t mean my personal staff will quit me.

My friends are oddly silent, and hope makes my heart leap. I tilt my head to look at them. “Is he still here? Are they still here?”

They share one of those should we tell her? looks, and Emily finally meets my eyes. “No. West and Remy aren’t here.”

Ah, tears again.

“Why, exactly, did you send them away again?” Cam asks.

“I don’t know how to do family, and I don’t want to fuck either of them up.” I clap a hand over my mouth.

I hate when the truth slips out.

“Excuse me, and what are we?” Luna asks.

“Chopped liver, obviously.” Emily smirks.

Cam heaves a melodramatic sigh. “Or dead tuna in her bed. Something she doesn’t want but can’t get rid of.”

“That’s not—you’re not—ugh.”

“I get it, Daisy,” Emily says softly. “Believe me, I do. But the thing is…you’re better than you give yourself credit for. You’re not your grandmother. You’re a kickass—”

“Big-hearted,” Luna interrupts.

“Brilliant,” Cam adds.

“Fucking vagillionaire who’s basically the biggest-hearted egg in the ovary at the top of this fallopian tube.”

“I’m a faaaaake,” I wail.

“Your entire department at Carter International walked off the job this week,” Emily says casually.

That has me scrambling for my feet, belatedly realizing I’m still in my stilettos, and wondering if that’ll leave a mark on the bottom of my dick pool. “What?”

“Yeah. They all said they won’t work directly for your grandmother.”

“Or any other dickstool she wants to replace you with.” Luna winks at me. “They only want to work for you.”

Oh, god.

Oh, god.

Everything is falling apart. “Those people need that money to pay their mortgages. And for insulin for their kids. And—”

And my three friends are sharing another look.

“What?”

Luna slides into the pool, dress and all, and grabs me in a hug. “Peopling is your superpower, Daisy. You’re like, The Motivator. People want to work for you.”

Cam taps her finger to her lips like she’s thinking. “And if peopling is your superpower…huh. One might even deduce that having family and loving someone is a natural extension of that.”

I freeze so hard the pool water gets frosty around me. “Of course I love West and Remy,” I whisper. “That’s why I sent them away.”

Except what was it West said?

I’ll screw up, Daisy. You’ll screw up. But we’ll forgive each other.

Forgiveness isn’t something my family does.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t.

“What do I do?” I ask my friends. “How do I fix this?”

“Step one is a hostile takeover at Carter International.” Cam rubs her hands together in glee.

Emily’s eyes light up. “Yes! I’d be shocked if Tiana hasn’t been fielding calls from the board all week, which is good. She’s badass too. Probably negotiating you a higher salary.”

“I don’t need more fucking money, I need my family back.”

“Oh, that.” Cam grins.

Emily grins bigger.

Luna squeezes me tight. “That’s my girl! But if you do get a higher salary, we have a few ideas of some things you can do with the extra money.”

“School supplies across America,” Cam says. “Teachers post their wishlists online. You could fulfill every one of their wishes.”

Emily nods. “Facials for the elderly. They deserve pampering too.”

“I mean, so do dogs,” Luna adds. “But since you already have dogs covered, I propose adding ice cream and frozen yogurt to your free-food-for-a-day rotation.”

I splash them all. “You guys know about that?”

“We know lots of things.” Luna squeezes me tighter. “And you’re going to be okay, Daisy. You’ll get through this.”

“I fucked up so bad.”

“We all do sometimes.”

“You ready to fix it?” Cam asks.

Am I? Can I?

“Signing over guardianship to West was the right thing to do,” I say slowly. “He’s so—so dependable. And solid. But fun. With so much love to give. I know he’ll treat Remy right. The way—”