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Elena shook her head. “No. I just want that for you someday, Cat.”

Cat followed Elena’s gaze and saw CeCe and Alexis sweetly sharing a kiss as Alexis showed her ring to another friend.

“Thanks, Elena. That would require trusting someone with my heart. You know how I feel about that.”

“But you’re working on it,” Elena encouraged her.

Cat scoffed. “Outside of my family, you’re the only person I trust. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

Elena smiled at Cat but her heart was breaking in her chest. She wanted to kick Hattie Tucker’s ass into next week for hurting Cat and taking her self-confidence with her when she left.

“Did you have a nice chat with Victoria and Shelby?” Cat asked.

Thoughts ran through Elena’s head on how she could help Cat restore her trust in herself. Cat was an amazing woman and should have an equally amazing partner to live this life with.

“Elena?” Cat said, putting her hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Elena said, meeting Cat’s stare. “It was great to talk with them. I met the other partners in their business.”

“They are a great group.”

Elena nodded.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Elena said, trying to smile. “I’m going to take off. This was a great party. Well done, Sloan sister.”

Cat smiled. “You know it wasn’t just me. Let me walk you out.”

“No, that’s okay. You stay and enjoy the party. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Elena headed for the door and could feel Cat’s stare on her back. She couldn’t stand there another minute with all those jumbled feelings racing inside her. She wanted to go home, sit in her sapphic study, and get lost in a book. That way she could wrestle with someone else’s problems instead of facing her growing feelings for Cat.

Elena pulled into her driveway and noticed a pickup pull in behind her. She looked into the rearview mirror and watched as someone got out of the car.

“It’s me!” Nicolas said loudly, holding up both hands. “I don’t want to scare you.”

Elena smiled and got out of her car. “Hi,” she said, walking towards him.

Nicolas peered into Elena’s car. “Where’s Cat? I thought she might be with you.”

“Not tonight. She’s at an engagement party for her sister.”

“Aww, CeCe proposed,” Nicolas said, nodding. “I could tell she was thinking about it when she did my last haircut. Good for her.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you’d be out on a Saturday night,” Elena said.

“I wanted to come by and check on my two best girls.” Nicolas grinned. “Why aren’t you at the party?”

“I was.”

“But…”

Elena shrugged. “Come on in. I’ll tell you all about the party.”

Nicolas followed her inside and as she put her purse down he said, “Let’s sit in this beautiful room the three of us created.”

They walked into the sapphic study. “The three of us?”