“Making you jealous, Christine. I’m a woman too, I know how we operate. I was just giving you both a little push.” She takes a sip of her drink from the cup in her hand.
I stare at her, too surprised to speak.
“That’s kind of devious,” I finally say. In a fucked-up way, I dig it.
“But aren’t you glad I did it?”
She does have a point.
“Trust me, babe. I’m the biggest fan of your relationship. I’ve never seen Michael so happy, and I would love to keep him that way.”
I give Michael an impressed look. “How did you find such a good friend?”
He glares at me while Camila laughs. “He really doesn’t deserve me,” she states.
“Kill me now,” Michael says.
“Not now, sweetie,” I say, rubbing his back. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do to you in private, though.”
I wink and his eyes immediately darken with lust and hunger. It’ll never get old, drawing that kind of reaction from him. It fills me with a rush to know that I’m capable of doing that.
“And that’s my cue to walk away. I really need to get myself a boyfriend,” Camila groans.
Michael and I stare at her as she leaves.
“She’s a good person,” I muse.
“Yeah, she is,” Michael agrees.
He leaves my side for a second and I’m approached by relationship enemy number one. But we all just call her Aunt Mel.
“I’m happy for you,” is the first thing Aunt Mel says to me. When
I arch an eyebrow, she shakes her head. “Don’t give me that look. I did what I did to protect my nephews.”
“Years of hostility, Aunt Mel. When you could have just as easily talked to me or guided me. I was young; I didn’t know better. And I certainly didn’t deserve what you did to me.”
It hurts even more to think that she was one of the women who raised me. She was one of my mothers growing up, and seeing her turn against me like that hurt.
“I’m sorry, Christine. What I did was wrong. But we’re human, honey. We all make mistakes,” she says sadly.
“I suppose now I have to forgive you,” I say on a sigh.
“That would be great, thanks.”
I smile before pulling her in for a hug.
“I think you and Michael together is amazing. And I’m really proud of how far you’ve come,” Mel says supportively.
Tears well up in my eyes.
“Thanks, Aunt Mel.”
CHAPTER21
MICHAEL
“No! I’m not riding it,” Christine screams, trying to get away from me.