know about you, but I refuse to let them take one more second of my life from me. I’m over it. I’ll always be sorry we lost Mark, but I know he’d hate it if we let them win, too. God, I know you miss him, Harlow.”
I nodded. “I do, but you’re right. I think the best tribute we can give him is to live happy because his opportunity to do that was cut short. He would want that.” I took a deep breath before I said, “I don’t know where my relationship with him would have gone if he hadn’t died, but I don’t think that strong emotional pull was really there for either one of us. No matter what, I think we would have always been good friends, though.”
Taylor sighed. “Please don’t suffer any more guilt about any of this, Harlow, and certainly not about what happened to me. The whole incident was hard for both of us in different ways. We were three innocent victims who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The only thing I want for you right now is some peace and happiness. I’m glad Jax has helped you move forward, but please don’t shut me out anymore. If you do, I’ll come camp out on your doorstep until you let me in.”
I shot her a weak smile. “I’m not sure what to say about the bargain you made with the rebel leader. You saved me from having to go through the trauma of sexual assault, and possibly a nightmare pregnancy, too.”
“That bargain cost me nothing,” she reminded me. “No indignity that I wasn’t already going to suffer. I love you, Harlow. You’re like the sister I never had. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same thing if you were in my situation, because I know you would. I already know that if you could have managed it, you would have sent me out of harm’s way and stayed behind in that hellhole.”
“I would have done anything to have you go instead of me,” I rasped.
She smiled. “That’s just what real friends do. It’s hard to watch someone you care about suffer. You’re an amazing woman, Harlow. Don’t ever forget that.”
I swiped at the tears on my face. “So are you.”
“Now, tell me about Jax,” she insisted curiously. “There’s more than just a friendship there, right?”
“There isn’t. I swear.”
“Shit!” Taylor cursed. “I thought you were just hiding the juicy details because Riley is his sister. Are you seriously telling me you haven’t gotten down and dirty with Jax Montgomery? I’m not attracted to him because I’ve got the gorgeous love of my life, but Jax is seriously hot.”
“I know,” I answered. “It seems like I’m noticing that more and more every day. It’s like my female hormones are returning with a vengeance. I watch him work out every single day, and the man punishes himself to keep that amazing body of his that fit. It’s kind of unfair that he’s also gorgeous, and filthy rich.”
Taylor chortled. “That’s exactly what I used to think about Hudson. If Jax isn’t making a move, I say you seduce him. I’m sure your libido was low because you were still trying to get over your trauma and Mark’s death. But if Jax melts your panties, go after it.”
I chuckled. “Taylor,” I admonished. “When did you start turning into a sex maniac?”
Taylor had never been the kind of woman who really talked about men or sex very much. She was pretty low-key.
She wiggled her eyebrows. “Not long after I met Hudson Montgomery. That man completely ruined me. I used to sit at the breakfast bar while he was cooking just to stare at his ass. I swore I could bounce a quarter off that tight butt and it would go flying for miles. I was way too weak to actually do anything about it at the time, but I watched him like a creepy stalker.”
I started to laugh so hard that I couldn’t stop.
Taylor was hilarious about her fascination with Hudson, and she seemed so damn happy.
“Honestly, Harlow,” Taylor said when I finally stopped laughing. “Could you have ever seen a woman like me being the love of Hudson Montgomery’s life?”
I raised a brow. “Why not? I think he got lucky.”
She rolled her eyes. “He gets lucky all the time. I guess what I’m saying is that it’s just so unlikely. I was a poor orphan kid with a face full of freckles and