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Ayesha walked across the open space to return the gloves to a peg on the wall.
“Our relationship’s changing,” Sydney said, walking next to her.
“Ours or yours and Dmitri’s?”
“Both. Me and Dmitri are getting closer. Yet, I’m pushing you away and taking my frustrations and emotions out on you, and you’re the last person I should be doing that with.”
Ayesha unraveled her hand wraps. “I’m happy, Sydney. Joel makes me deliriously happy. It just happened this way. It wasn’t planned, and if I’m being honest, I never thought I’d feel this way about someone again. Ever.”
“Eesh, it didn’t ‘just happen.’ You and Joel together makes all the sense in the world. You might not have planned it, but fate did. You two are like Mo and Giorgio. You were meant to be together, long before you met, and I’m sorry about what you had to go through for it to happen. But I’m not sorry that I had to lose him. Eesh, I really am sorry.”
She flashed Sydney a grin, though hurt continued to resonate inside her. “Are you okay? You’re usually kind of whiny but not irritable and confrontational.”
Sydney dabbed tears from her eyes. “I don’t know how someone so sweet can spit fire like you do. And, to be honest, I’m dealing with something. This time, there’s no out. There’s no golden parachute. I’m scared.”
“Is it Dmitri’s health?”
Sydney cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
Mo clapped her hands, grabbed Sydney by the arm, and dragged her toward the tactical area. “Let’s go, ladies. You can pow-wow later. We’ve got work to do.”
Ari walked several paces behind her twin, far enough to whisper, “‘Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by’ Mo Pozza,” without Mo hearing.
Like last time.
Larke and Tayler fell in step with Ari. Ayesha, sighing, stared at the back of their heads until Xara hooked their elbows and pulled her along.
* * *
By the end of Book Club, she was exhausted, and she nearly fell to her knees when she came home to an empty house. Determined to use every bit of the solace, she drew a bath for an uninterrupted soak and then took a long, much-needed nap.
A kiss woke her out of her sleep.
When she opened her eyes, Joel was sitting at the edge of the bed, staring at her like there were no pillows or sheets, only her lying against a blank canvas.
“Hey, gorgeous. I’ve been calling and texting you. You had me worried there for a second. Must have been a good ass nap.”
She stretched.
The man’s bed was amazing.
“Eesh? What happened here?” He leaned closer to her arm. “Did I do that this morning when I held you down?”
She tugged at her sleeve. “This? No. I…fell in Mo’s garden.”
“Mo and Pozza don’t have a garden.”
“It’s an inside joke. I must have bumped into something.”
“What did you hit this hard?”
“I don’t remember. It’s fine. I don’t even know why it bruised.”
She might as well have said nothing.
It wasn’t until after her bath that she realized the bruise had onlystartedat her upper arm. She’d stumbled and fallen on the shoulder while blocking one of Mo’s kicks, and while the impact hadhurt, Tayler had assured her nothing felt out of place. However, if the pain persisted, she would see an orthopedist.
“Jesus, babe.” He raised her sleeve to continue his examination, the gentleness of his touch a deep contrast to the muscles flexing in his forearms. “Did you ice it?”
