AllFreeNovel
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“I just can’t.”
I take a deep breath, cupping her cheeks to make her look at me. “I saw your painting of us all.”
She groans. “Riv! It was meant to be a surprise!”
“Sorry.” I’m not sorry. “It’s beautiful. But... why did you paint it?”
“I thought it would be something to remember me by, when I’m gone. And a thank you for all of you, for helping me out for so long.”
“You called it ‘Home’.”
She squirms a bit. “Mm. I thought about something a bit more descriptive. LikeThree Swedish Mountain Men,orSnowed In,or something. But ‘Home’ felt better.”
I lick my lips. “You could stay here. Right here.”
She smiles sadly. “I can’t,” she whispers. “I’m sorry.”
“Why not?” I’m getting kind of desperate. “Eli wants you to stay. Cole, too, even though he’d never tell you. You could stay here as long as you like.”
“Riven—”
“Obviously, we won’t charge you rent, but if it bothers you that much, you can pay it,” I try. “After the Northern Lights end, there are other things you can paint. The midnight sun is pretty incredible, too.” It’s not, it’s actually bloody annoying, but I’ll say anything to make her stay right now.
She shakes her head, putting a hand over my mouth to stop me. “I can’t, Riv. I’m sorry.”
I nod, my stomach sinking. “Right. Of course.” I was right, last night. She has a life she needs to go back to. This could never work.
“I can’t just stay here,” she continues. “Like I’m on some extended holiday, shagging you all until you get bored of me.”
I frown. “Daisy—”
“This has been so fun for me,” she pushes on. “Really. It’s been an incredible experience. But… I don’t know how much longer I can have sex with you all, and not develop feelings. It would kind of break my heart to stay here, having ‘casual’ sex, while I slowly fall for all of you.”
“Daisy, you don’t understand. I’m asking you to stay here for a relationship. As a romantic partner. As a girlfriend.”
She sits up. Rumpled curls fall around her face. “What?”
I rewind what I just said in my head. “I… don’t know how to say that any more clearly.”
Her eyes are wide. “It’s not clearat all!You want me to date you?”
“Not just me. All of us.”
She just stares at me blankly.
“It’s really not that hard to understand,” I say gently.
She glares. “Okay, pro tip, maybe don’t call a girl stupid when you’re asking her out?”
“I’m not calling you stupid. I just mean—we’d be doing the exact same thing we’ve been doing these past few weeks.”
“But instead of it being casual,” she says slowly, “I’d be your girlfriend.”
“Yes.”
“We’d be exclusive.”
“God, yes.”
