She ends the call and takes a deep breath, then gives me a sideways glance. “You heard all that?”

“I heard enough.” I twine her fingers with mine. “So is that job something you want?” I wonder if she can hear my heart pounding, every cell in my body attuned to the answer that’s about to roll off her tongue.

She’s silent for several moments. “I … I don’t know. I need to think about it. I need time.”

I try to ignore the feeling of a razor ripping across my soul. “Two days isn’t a lot of time.”

“Right.” She reaches up and tries to rub the lump on her head. “I’ll have to be in Seoul three days from now.”

I stay her hand before she can make contact. “That’ll hurt you.”

She meets my gaze, then sighs heavily. “I know.”

8

Bells

I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear and watch my best friend flit around the kitchen. This is her woman cave pretty much, and all of us are loving the hell out of it. She has a permanent smile pasted on her face since she started eating sweets again. So do we, since she keeps making them for us.

I think this is her way of letting go of the whole ‘perfect body’ image she was pressured to have. It’s not only that, though; she enjoys feeding everyone. I see the same satisfaction on her face when she bakes that she used to get when she walked on stage in the beginning of her career. One that has faded away over the years. I’m pretty sure she’s made baking her job now. I’m jealous.

“He’s going to put a whole music studio in for you. That’s so sweet.” Daphne lets out a dreamy sigh. I knew I was going to like her. She fits in with the trio we had going on. “These men around here are something.” I would have to agree with her. The men around here are definitely different.

I’m a little surprised Daphne is still here. She got her story, yet she’s still lingering. None of us say anything about it. I guess there’s really no rush for her to get back since she can do her job from anywhere. My eyes flick over to Clover. She’s licking the powdered sugar off her thumb from the fresh donuts Aurora made for us.

We’re not going to be a trio anymore if I leave. Another wave of jealousy hits me. Will Clover slip into my spot with Aurora? If I take the K-Pop job, everything will change. I’m still floored by the offer from Mark.

“I got a call from Mark yesterday,” I say for everyone to hear. The chatter stops before they all turn to look at me. “He offered me a job. I would have to be in Seoul in a couple of days if I take it.”

Aurora’s smile drops away. “You're leaving me.”

“You say it like I’m breaking up with you.” I let out a forced laugh. Aurora and Clover are my family. I’m theirs. God, this is so hard.

“I’ll triple your salary. I bet Mark offered you double your current, didn’t he?” Her lips purse.

“K-Pop I take it?” Daphne asks.

Damn, they should start a detective agency or something.

My cheeks heat as I nod.

“You don’t need me anymore. I can’t let you pay me all of that money to do nothing.” I refuse to take advantage of Aurora. She’s had enough people do that for a lifetime.

“What are you talking about?” She picks up a towel and wipes her hand. There is nothing on her hands. She’s taking her anger out on the towel. “I need you. I’m still going to make songs.”

Clover nods her head quickly. “Yeah. So you can’t go anywhere,” she chimes in.

“I’m glad that’s settled.” Aurora drops the towel. “Clover, go ahead and reach out to the accountant about upping Bells’ salary.”

“Hold on.” I’m trying to make this light. As if it’s no big deal, but it’s not working so well. “You don’t need me anymore.”

“Wrong,” both Clover and Aurora say at the same time.

Daphne mumbles under her breath, “Pinch, poke, you owe me a Coke.”

Aurora wrinkles her nose. “I mean, I should be supportive. That’s a crazy opportunity for you, but I’m not going to let you just leave me. Plus, the holidays are coming up. You’re supposed to be with your family on holidays. And we’re your family, so you have to be with us.” She says it with a ‘that’s that’ tone.

“I bet we could keep her here whether she wants to stay or not. We can tell Charles and Diego that we would be so sad if she left. They’ll keep her here. I’m sure of it,” Clover adds in on top of Aurora as she pushes her glasses up her nose.

“I think that hottie Barrow would help, too,” Daphne adds in.

My eyes snap to her, and I glare. It only makes her laugh.

“I think Tiernan has already kidnapped you, and you don’t even know it,” I toss back.

This time it’s Clover and Aurora who get to laugh.

“You two have these new lives now. With love and all that, you know—” I wave a hand. “This was bound to happen one day.” It’s the truth.

They’re getting their happily ever after. I’m not sure that's in the cards for me. Thoughts of Barrow push down on me. I secretly want him to demand I stay. Usually I would never put up with that sort of behavior from a man. Barrow is different, though. I want him to want me. He says he does, but how can I believe it? Standing next to a star like Aurora, I always feel so … I don’t know, invisible, I guess. But not with Barrow. He sees me. Or maybe I’m just desperate to believe that.

Then again, he has a way about him that has me doing what he tells me. He orders me to stay in the bed, and I do it. I get grumpy about it and make comments, but I still listen. I could walk right out of the room and laugh at him, but nope. I sit my ass where he tells me. I was a bit shocked he let me come hang out in the kitchen without him. As much as I complain, I love that fact that he dotes on me.

He wouldn’t even let me walk alone to the kitchen today. He came with me, then lifted me onto the counter by grabbing me by my hips. I had to fight the urge to wrap my legs around him. I was disappointed that he’d stopped us from going further last night. He’d said the sweetest words before he tucked me into bed. Then I asked him to stay with me instead of sleeping on the couch. Look, I’m weak when it comes to him, okay?

I’m pretty sure he’d thought I was asleep when he pulled me close and wrapped himself around me. I don’t know why, but the urge to cry hit me hard. I wanted to roll over and bury my face in his neck. I wanted to go to bed with him every night. All things that I’m not ready to admit out loud. Because what if he said no?

“‘Bound to happen?’” Aurora puts her hands on her hips, a furrow appearing between her brows. “Are you kidding me?”

The kitchen goes completely quiet. No one says a word.

“Who died now?” Tiernan asks as he strolls into the kitchen. He immediately goes for one of the mini donuts on Daphne's plate. She smacks his hand, and he drops the donut and gives Daphne a glare that I’m sure has killed a few people in the past.

She only picks the donut up and shoves the whole thing in her mouth, making her look like a chipmunk. A few seconds later, Charles and Diego show up and go for their women. My heart aches, wanting what they have. I’ve never been jealous of Aurora, and for the first time in my life I am.