Page 126 of Thorn Kiss
Madi pulled back, her words soft in my ear. “You’re not a coward for being afraid of love, June.”
She pressed one more kiss to my forehead, then left me standing there. I could hear my friends’ excited voices as Madi rejoined the group. A cloud of curiosity and tension followed, but I knew who it was coming from.
Dallas. Madi.
Maybe I wasn’t a coward for being afraid of love, but I was one for being afraid to be loved by them.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Madi
About four hours later, we’d successfully packed every single order at Whynot Bloom. We’d caught her up on making bouquets, helped her reorganize her cooler, and I had a new appreciation for the work that went into owning a floral shop.
Dallas and I lingered as everyone made their way home. Eventually, it was just us, June, and Laura left. She’d been passed out on the beanbag for the last hour.
“Let me call Ethan,” June whispered.
“We can see each other another night if we need to,” I murmured.
“No, I need this. She wasn’t supposed to stay the night with me. Give me just a couple minutes.”
Dallas winced as June went to the front of the shop, her phone already pressed to her ear.
“She’s exhausted,” I whispered to him.
He nodded. “She is.”
“She needs some TLC.”
“Agreed.” He swallowed hard and leaned back against one of the tables. We both glanced over at Laura, who was curled up and snoring lightly. “That kid has been through it. And I’m glad she has June and the rest of us.”
“She loves you all.”
His smile crinkled his eyes. “Yeah.”
He reached for my hand and yanked me close. I slid my arms around his waist, my head resting on his chest as he hugged me.
I inhaled his scent, memorizing the depth of it. The woodsy parts, the earthy spice that made my mouth water. I could hear his heart pounding as he held me, a fluttering thump.
“This is nice,” I whispered.
“Sleep in my bed tonight,” he murmured. “Sleep in my bed every night.”
“What if I hate your bed? I haven’t even seen it yet.”
His chuckle was deep in his chest. “I think you’ll like it.”
A bell chimed at the front. Footsteps echoed. We both turned around as June returned to us, a man I hadn’t met yet right behind her.
He was definitely her brother. There were parts of his face that reminded me of hers, but instead of bright pink hair, his was chestnut brown.
“Hey, Ethan,” Dallas grunted.
“Hey,” he said, slowly frowning.
“This is Madi,” June said. “She’s the artist visiting from LA.”
“Oh, nice.” He gave an awkward wave. “Well, I’ll grab Laura and get out of your hair. Thank you for watching her.”
