Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,244

busy talking to who I suspect are relatives in the second pew. My mind is like a tornado with thoughts whipping around, never landing on an answer. There are only two people who know the full situation, so I open up our group text stream.

Me: Girls, girls, girls. I’m in trouble.

Three dots appear immediately.

Chelsea: Already slept with him?

Victoria: You mean I won!?

Me: What are you talking about? No I haven’t slept with him and won what? Are you guys betting on my sex life?

Chelsea: For once I predicted later than Vic. She had you giving it up your first night there.

Victoria: Thanks, Chels. I just think…alone in a hotel room? You do the math.

Me: Well, I was able to keep my panties on, thank you.

Chelsea: What about your bra? Any motorboat action?

Me: And to think I was texting you guys for advice.

Victoria: We have to have a little fun. What’s up?

Chelsea: You can’t blame me, I need some fun in my life. Dean doesn’t want me even walking too far.

Me: Tell Dean you aren’t the first woman to carry a child. And I think I want to sleep with Roarke.

Victoria: Duh

Chelsea: I second the duh.

Me: Girls!?

Victoria: Han, you’ve wanted to sleep with him for months now.

Have I? No, I’ve definitely hated him.

Chelsea: What’s that saying? There’s a thin line between love and hate?

Victoria: Yep, that’s it.

Me: I don’t love the man.

Chelsea: No, but you want to sleep with him.

It’s annoying when they have a point.

Victoria: I’m the rational one, right?

Chelsea: I’m ignoring that assumption.

Me: What does that have to do with it?

Victoria: If you want him, explore it. Sleep with him and see what you feel after. You aren’t committing to walking down the aisle or anything.

Chelsea: He screwed her over. Hard to get past that.

Victoria: It was his JOB. He’s going to great lengths to make it up to her and seriously, Hannah, did he leave you destitute?

I chew on my inner lip. Of course not. But it’s the principle of the thing.

Chelsea: He still took half her shit.

Victoria: It’s a divorce, Chels. I know you and Dean didn’t have anything to split up, but I took half of Pete’s shit, too.

Chelsea: Pete’s a douche.

Victoria: Some days, but all Roarke did was his job. If Hannah had been his client, we’d be singing his praises right now.

Me: His reputation in Chicago is not exactly upstanding.

Victoria: Sure, but since when do you care what people think?

Match Point, Vic.

Chelsea: Vic, are you arguing for the defense now?

Victoria: Let’s say I had a conversation with Reed about the whole thing last night and the bastard made a good defensive argument about Roarke.

Me: You told him about me and Roarke?

Victoria: It’s Reed. He’s like a woman.

Chelsea: Um…yeah, no he’s not.

Me: I second Chelsea on that one.

Me: What was his argument?

Victoria: He said that Roarke seems to like you. That he’s going to great lengths to get you to like him, which isn’t his usual style. That Roarke walks around like he couldn’t give a shit that there’s probably ten hitmen after him at any one time. But that when it comes to you, he’s different and that usually means something when you’re a guy.

My heart softens thinking of Reed’s earlier revelation to me.

Chelsea: Damn Reed.

Victoria: Hannah, there’s no harm in letting him in a little.

Chelsea: If you’re already feeling something, it’s too late. You don’t have to give him the keys to the kingdom. Just let him sneak in the window one night. Maybe you win big.

Me: Or maybe I lose everything.

Chelsea: Nah, you can’t lose when you’re a millionaire. Lol

I stare down at my phone, my girlfriends’ advice ringing so close to what I’ve told them in the past.

Me: Thanks, ladies.

Victoria: Just jump, Hannah. We’ll catch you if he doesn’t.

I smile, even though they can’t see me.

Me: What would I do without you girls?

Chelsea: Live a really boring life. You want to talk about my bowel movements now?

Victoria: Shit, Jade’s calling me.

Me: Rehearsal’s about to start.

Chelsea: I knew that’d get everyone off this text string. ;)

I chuckle and silence my phone, shoving it inside my clutch.

Sitting there and waiting for things to begin, I contemplate all the girlfriends I’ve had in the past. None of them very loyal. All of them with agendas of their own. I have no doubt that Victoria speaks the truth. If Roarke breaks me, they’ll be there to piece me back together. And with that revelation, I make a conscious decision to give Roarke a real chance.

Chapter