It's About Time (Blossom Peak #4)(60)

“Well, in my experience, people are willing to do some twisted stuff for money.”

My eyes pop open and meet hers. “You think it involves money?”

“I’d almost bet that it does.”

“But Elliot’s family is rich,” Elodie interjects. “Right?”

“I mean, he comes from a generationally wealthy family, yes. But that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be something going on behind the scenes that no one’s aware of,” I reply.

Laney steps up behind Vienna in the doorway to the bathroom. “What does Elliot think?”

“He’s just confused right now,” I say, thinking back to our conversation the other night. “But I told him that I would come up with a plan to help him figure out what’s going on.”

Laney smirks. “Aw, what a good fake fiancée you are.”

I blow a raspberry at her. “Come on. You know the last thing I tolerate is my friends being taken advantage of. Remember how I threatened Fletcher when you two started messing around leading up to Elliot’s wedding?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yes, which is why it doesn’t surprise me that you want to help Elliot with this. You’ve already helped him with so much.”

Elodie tilts her head at me. “What have you helped him with?”

My eyes meet Laney’s and she gives me a curt nod of encouragement. Bouncing my gaze between Elodie and Vienna, I admit something out loud to them that very few people know. “I’ve sort of been checking on Elliot ever since Tori walked out on him.”

Both of their eyes go wide.

“Oh my God,” Elodie says.

Vienna smirks. “I knew it.”

“Knew what?” I counter.

“It’s not just irritation between you two.”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes as Elodie directs me to close them again so she can finish blending my eyeshadow. “Look, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Yes it is!” Laney shouts from the main room again.

“No it’s not!” I yell back.

Elodie giggles. “Then why do it? Especially for someone you clearly don’t get along with very well.”

I lift one eye open to glare at her. “You’re reading too much into this.”

Vienna snickers. “Oh, I don’t think she is at all. I think it’s very clear why you checked on him.”

“Which is?”

“You don’t really hate Elliot at all.”

The moment she says that, something shifts in my chest. Like hearing those words out loud allows me to finally believe them.

I know that I’ve tried to let go of the past between us, and even though the man gets on my ever-loving nerves sometimes, this past year has shown me a different side of him, more so in the past few weeks since I suggested this fake engagement.

And now, getting ready to meet his parents, trying to help him discover the real reason why Tori is back, and thinking about what it’s going to be like having him with me at Motorlux, is making me question every feeling I’ve been experiencing lately—especially because I’ve been fighting to ignore them.

“He’s…not terrible, I guess.”

Vienna laughs. “Wow. So eloquent.”

Elodie giggles too. “I knew there was always something between you two. I mean, I picked up on it the first time I met you guys.”

Laney pops her head inside the bathroom again. “I tried telling her that Elliot isn’t as bad as she’s made him out to be, but if you think he’s stubborn, Dilynne is ten times worse. Which is why I’ve always thought that eventually the tension between them would snap. But…”

“It feels so good to know that my best friend has secretly been hoping I’d bang one of my brother’s best friends. Thank you.”

Laney bounces her eyebrows. “Speaking from experience, it’s been life-changing for me.” She rubs her belly, winks at me, and then goes back to the main room.

Elodie places her palm on my knee. “Do you think Henley would have a problem with it if you two were serious about each other?”

“First, I could give a rat’s ass what my brother thinks about who I sleep with. But second, that isn’t what this is. This is just an arrangement.”

Vienna licks her lips as she tilts her head at me. “I don’t know… Rhonan mentioned the other night that he’s noticed Elliot reacting to you differently for a while now.”

That gets my attention. I lean forward in my chair, batting Elodie’s hand away. “Wait. What do you mean?”

She winces. “Not sure if I should say anything. I don’t want Rhonan to get upset with me.”

Laney comes up behind her. “Respectfully, screw what my brother thinks. Spill the beans, girl. Everything spoken here stays here, right?”

Elo die, Laney, Vienna, and I all look between each other and nod.

Vienna sighs. “Fine. Do you remember the night that I met Rhonan at The Charming Bull?”

I nod. “Yes...”

“Well, I guess the entire reason they were there that night was to run an experiment.”

Laney leans forward. “What kind of experiment?”

Vienna smirks. “A penis experiment.”

Laney’s face scrunches up in disgust. “Ew! Please don’t tell me about my brother’s penis!”