but if she did, you’d come live with me.” The poor thing was going through such turmoil. “I have another secret, but you have to promise not to tell Charley.” Zoey nodded. “I left my family behind. I started a whole new life without them.”
Zoey was surprised. “Why?”
“Because the life my family lived, the one they wanted me to live too, it wasn’t the life I wanted… Leaving was tough. I’m still trying to fight my way through the challenges every day, but… I’m happier, Zoey.”
“Away from them?”
Poppy smoothed a hand down the teen’s cheek. “It’s not about away from them, sweetie. It’s about being true to me. I’m happier because I am myself in this life. If they’d accepted who I was then I wouldn’t have had to leave… You won’t have to leave. You have to give your family a chance to accept you. Don’t assume they’ll judge you or hate you. Give them a chance. If it all goes wrong, who cares? I did it.” Poppy pushed her shoulders back. “I started all over again and I wouldn’t change anything about my life now.”
That wasn’t a complete truth. If she could tell Turner how she felt and hear him reciprocate, her life would be about perfect. Except that wasn’t their agreement. She’d walked into what they were with her eyes open, it was her offer that turned things physical. She adored the man who shared her bed and he couldn’t ever know it.
There she was telling Zoey to be honest and true to herself, all the while Poppy hid a part of herself.
“Thank you, Poppy,” Zoey said, hazarding a smile.
“Do you feel better?” Zoey nodded. “Are you going to tell them?”
“I have to talk to my… date first.”
Standing up, Poppy smiled. “I’m sure she’ll support you too.” The flash of surprise in Zoey’s eyes wasn’t at all angry. Poppy widened her smile and bent down to stroke Zoey’s cheek again. “You’re very lucky to have found each other so young. I’m almost ten years older than you and I still haven’t found it.”
Young love didn’t often last, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t passionate. Whoever Zoey was with, or interested in, they must believe their love to be true. Who was Poppy to say that it wasn’t?
The front door downstairs slammed hard. It was almost right below them, which was probably why they felt the floor shake.
Zoey jumped to her feet. If she hadn’t known something was wrong before, she would with that entrance.
Hurrying out of the bedroom with Zoey hot on her heels, Poppy was relieved to see Turner standing just inside the front door.
She paused halfway down the stairs and swallowed hard. She was in love with him. So head over heels in love with him that it hurt her. Charley had been missing and Poppy could hear Emmie and Noah receding into the kitchen regaling their grandma with tales of their day. Yet, it was Turner she first thought of. It was him she’d been worried about.
Zoey’s hands on her shoulders snapped her into action and she continued down the stairs, attracting Turner’s attention.
“Where’s Charley?” Zoey asked as they reached the bottom.
“Kitchen,” Turner said, frowning at his sister. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” Zoey said, swinging around to kiss Poppy’s cheek.
It was a surprise, but a welcome one. Zoey bounced away in the direction of the kitchen.
Turner started to follow, but Poppy put her hands on his chest to stall him. She glanced around, checking they were alone then pulled him down.
“Babe, we—”
Poppy didn’t let him finish, she silenced his mouth with hers. Kissing him slowly, she held his face, stroking him as his mouth accepted her tongue. Passion stirred inside her. She wanted him, yet her arousal wasn’t as hot as her need to just be with him.
Withdrawing a little, she heard his relief in his exhale. “I needed that,” he murmured.
“I know,” she said, her hands skimming from his temples to his chin. “Me too.”
“You didn’t tell me it was damn David Leicester.”
“You know him?” she asked, her touch descending to his chest.
“He went to school with Faye. Used to hang around the house…”
“Was Faye with him?”
He shook his head. “No, but she went nuts in the car when she found out where I dragged Charley out of.”
Something like relief ran through her, but it was cold comfort. Poppy wanted to be grateful she didn’t ever have to worry about dealing with men like David Leicester again. Except she couldn’t be. Her arrangement