Her mother relaxed then and smiled. “Maybe he really is what I’ve been wishing for.”
Great. Now her own mother was on Team Trent. How disappointed was she going to be on the ninety-first day of their arrangement? Probably only half as crushed as Holly herself.
14
Holly hated to admit it, but walking home—or rather, to Trent’s house—in the dark, by herself, something she never would have thought twice about before, kind of unsettled her without him and Moose by her side.
Damn it, she was already getting used to having them, and his roommates, around.
Her mother’s advice swirled through her head, but she needed to hash things out with people who could truly understand, and with whom she didn’t cringe when discussing sex.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and opened her messaging app, clicking the videochat icon on her group conversation with Andi and Kari. It hadn’t rung more than a second or two before they both connected.
“There you are!” Andi leaned forward, as if she was scrutinizing every detail of Holly’s ragged expression on her screen. Great.
“It’s been forever. I hope you were too busy in bed with Trent—or maybe Trent and a few of his roommates—to remember your dear old friends.” Kari laughed.
“Why aren’t you laughing?” Andi wondered. “What’s wrong?”
Holly blinked against the tears that immediately threatened. What the hell?
“Oh no.” Andi tipped her head. “You two hate each other and ninety days together is going to be torture.”
“Not exactly.” Holly looked up at the twinkling stars for a moment before filling them in about how incredible the past two weeks had been, both in bed and out of it. How they were working together on his inventions and the business that would get them out to the world. And even about what had happened with Lorenzo and Owen…
“Did that skeeve you out? Is that the problem?” Kari wondered.
“Um, nope. Not that either.” She hoped they couldn’t see her blushing. “I kind of liked them watching.”
Understatement of the century.
“Ahhh, I get it.” Andi’s glare turned into a great big smile. “Youlikehim! Like really, really like him.”
“Andhis roommates!” Kari bounced in her seat. “This is perfect!”
“Except that it’s not.” Holly gripped the phone tighter. “It’s not going to last and I’m stupid to hope otherwise, even for a moment. He just stormed out of a dinner with my mom. I think things are moving too fast for him. I’m a convenient lay, that’s all. And it was obviously a bad idea to bring him home like he’s really my boyfriend or some shit. Especially because now my mom likes him too. I’m so screwed.”
“First of all.” Andi held up her index finger. “You’re both adults, free to do as you please. If what you’re doing feels good and you’re both onboard, keep doing that, for however long you can. And second, until you’ve talked to him about what’s really going on in his head, you shouldn’t assume anything. He has a lot of baggage, Holly. I didn’t realize quite how much until the night of Kari’s party.”
Kari nodded. “She’s right. Find him. Talk to him. Be honest and see where it takes you. I know it’s scary as hell, but it could be worth it if things work out between you. Sure, this started for money, but maybe it will end up for…”
“Don’t say it.” She couldn’t even bear to think of rainbows and hearts when it felt like they’d taken a huge step backward. “But you’re right. I’m going to hash things out with him. I’m almost there now.”
“Text us when you make it safe so we don’t send Trent, Lorenzo, and Owen out to search for you. I mean, unless you want them to hunt you down and get all growly and protective. That could be a fun game, too.” Andi giggled.
Holly rolled her eyes. “Not everything is about sex.”
“Not everything. But enough.” Kari grinned. “Just think, you could be about to have amazing make-up sex. I bet Lorenzo and Owen would be more than willing to help him apologize right.”
Holly put her hand over her face, feeling the heat of her skin on her palm, mostly because she hoped they were right. And that was probably something else they needed to discuss. They’d avoided the subject since she’d watched the men jerk off while Trent fucked her.
“Okay, I’m almost there. No one send the National Guard.” Holly said her goodbyes and disconnected before anyone inside Trent’s house could hear the thoughts her friends were putting in her mind.
It was only when she arrived on his doorstep that she realized she didn’t even have a key.
Lamely, she knocked on the door of what she had come to think of as her own house. Hopefully her mom—plus Kari and Andi—was right and she wasn’t digging herself deeper into a dead-end situation.
When the door opened, she tried not to be disappointed. It wasn’t Trent. With an awkward wave, she said, “Hi, Lorenzo.”