Page 206 of Bend
How stupid was it that it hadn't even crossed my mind to ask him after all these weeks?
"Paige, you must know how important Eli is to me, right?"
I nodded silently.
"Then, please don't think it's none of my business, because when it comes to protecting him, there are no boundaries for me. Are you fucking Cain behind Eli's back?"
Holy shit.
"Wh-what?" I stammered, momentarily taken aback by the conclusion she'd jumped to. "Why would you ask me that?" It was my turn to put some edge in my voice.
She leaned back against the cushion on the settee, one hand rubbing her baby bump in a circular motion, as if that had some sort of calming effect on her.
"The chemistry going back and forth between the two of you is kind of…well, obvious. And let's just say I've been around long enough to know when a dude's feeling you up under the table," she finished, her eyes directly on mine.
Busted.
"It's not what you think, Darcy," I replied, feeling a sigh escape through my whole body. I hated that I felt compelled to be so secretive about my feelings for these men. It wasn't that I was ashamed of it; it was just that I wasn't ready for the negative reactions, disapproving comments and judgy attitudes that I knew would be forthcoming.
"Then what is it?" she asked pointedly.
I fingered my new necklace nervously, trying to decide whether I should tell her, and wondering if I did, could I trust her not to broadcast it? Her eyes were now on my necklace, watching as my finger rubbed each stone in it.
"Wait a minute," she said slowly, "That's a custom necklace, isn't it?"
She didn't wait for me to respond. "That's your birthstone in the center. And the aquamarine—that's Eli's birthstone for March. What month was Cain born?" she asked, her eyes narrowing just a bit.
"May," I replied, knowing that if anyone knew the birthstone for each month of the year, it would be Darcy.
"Emerald," she said quietly. "Oh my God."
I looked over at her and hesitated only for a moment. "Please don't say anything to Lindsey or Easton. I'm not sure if we're ready to go public with our relationship just yet."
"Oh my God," she repeated, shaking her head back and forth. "How did I not see this?"
I didn't answer because it was obviously a question she was posing to herself.
"I mean, I still talk to Eli on the phone at least once or twice a week and he has said nothing. I mean Christ almighty—it never occurred to me that he'd cross back over."
Huh?
"What?" I asked, not sure what she meant by that.
"Oh…sorry," she said, with a slight smile. "
Eli told me a while back about that brief, albeit disastrous marriage of his. He said because of it, he'd made the decision to pursue only those of his own gender. That it was safer for his heart that way. Wow—what the hell did you do to my brotha from anotha?"
I felt myself smile in relief. Darcy was okay with it and it helped that someone I knew wasn't going to give me shit about it.
"Darcy, please," I said, putting just a hint of pleading into my voice to grab her attention. "Can you please keep this to yourself until…well, until further notice?"
"No worries," she replied, nodding. "Your secret's safe with me. But hey, is it okay if I give Eli shit about keeping it from me?"
I giggled softly. "As long as Easton, Trace or Lindsey are nowhere around when you do. I'm in a nice place with my brothers at the moment, and I don't know—I guess I kind of like that."
"Deal," she replied, "But I think maybe you're not giving them enough credit here. It is your life and your business after all."
I nodded.
