Page 34 of Rhett Redeemed
“Sometimes.”
She studies me for a long second. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
No, probably not. “Yeah, why not? I’m friends with lots of women.”
“Who you’ve slept with?” she asks, sounding skeptical.
“Yes. Cara, for one,” I point out. “Actually, come to think of it, I think you’re my only female friend I haven’t slept with.”
She scrunches her nose. “Well, at least I have some taste.”
“You keep me humble, Clo.”
She laughs. “Someone has to. Can’t have you walking about thinking you are the shit. Especially as future MC president. You’re going to have women throwing themselves at you without you even having to try.”
“I already don’t have to try—”
“Shut up.”
Fire decides to copy her mom. “Shut up, shut up!”
I shake my head at Clover. “Now look what you have done. Don’t listen to your mom, Fire, she’s a bad influence.”
Clover laughs. “I’m raising a little version of me. Do you know how scary that is?”
“I’m sure your mom felt the same way,” I reply with a smirk. “There’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What is it?” she asks, stilling. “What else did you do?”
“This time it’s not what I did, it’s more what I didn’t do,” I say, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I never cheated on Cara. I mean, I kissed Trisha, only because I knew Cara would see and end it with me. She assumed I was sleeping with her, and I let her think that.”
Her eyes widen. “What? Rhett, why would you do that?”
“Well—”
She cuts me off before I can begin to explain. “You’re telling me that you’re not with Cara right now by choice? You didn’t want to be with her?”
“Clover—”
“This is somehow even worse than the cheating!”
I can’t win.
“Let me explain,” I demand. I tell her everything I told Cara, actually surprised Cara hasn’t told her herself.
When I finish, Clover looks exhausted. Imagine how I feel. “Rhett, that was...”
“Heroic? Admirable?” I say jokingly.
“So freaking stupid.”
“I know, I know. But it is what happened and no use trying to change it. It is what it is.” I look at Fire, who has been sitting quietly playing. “Fire, do you want to come with me to put these flowers in some water?”
Fire nods and takes my hand, the two of us heading inside. Clover follows behind us. I find a vase in the kitchen and fill it with water while Fire watches me. “Okay, you hold the flowers and hand me one at a time, okay?”
We eventually get them all in there, and I place it on the table. “There, beautiful.”
“Rhett—”