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"She's not seeing anyone right now. She broke up with the person she was seeing a few weeks ago, and she's taking a break for now."

"She tells you all this?" I ask curiously.

"Enough of it, yes. I'd say we're sort of friends. We talk to each other about things." She shrugs.

"What does she say about me?"

Florence's face drops. "She doesn't."

"What does shethinkabout me?" I press.

She shakes her head. "She thinks you're out to get my money, and I'm going to get hurt."

"I'm not out for your money. You know that," I argue.Is that what all of Marin's hostility toward me has been about?

"No, but I am going to get hurt," she says softly.

"Maybe. But maybe you won't. That's how life works, sweetie."

She looks up at the ceiling. "I know." She wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me closer. "But I also know I've never felt like this with anyone else before. Not even when I was with Katie. She never made my heart pound like you do."

"So how do I deal with your shadow who dislikes me so much?" I ask seriously. I don't like being on someone's bad side, especially when I didn't do anything to earn it.

"She's coming around. I think she needs to get used to the idea of sharing me again, too. It's been almost five years since Katie left, and Marin's been there for me through all of it."

Pausing, I frown. "Does she take care of your other needs for you, too?" It never occurred to me that she might—

Florence cups my face in her hands. "No." She sighs. "She offered, after Katie left, but no. Never mind the legality of that, I would never put her in that position."

I nod, satisfied. "I wondered for a minute if she was jealous."

She frowns at that thoughtfully. "I don't think so. I doubt it." She chews on her lip for a moment. "She's never shown an interest in women, at least not to me."

"Let's address food right now," I tease her, "because I really want to go to bed."

30

Josie

"You spoil me," I tell Florence as she cleans up the table an hour later.

"No." She looks at me with a long sigh. "I'm taking care of you because you've had a hard day. A hard week. It's what people who—" She stops herself. "—people who care about each other do."

It's been a long time since someone took care of me when I needed it. It's been a long time since I've needed anyone.

I close my eyes, swallowing hard. It's hard for me to wrap my head around all these feelings. I never felt like this for Mel.

I stand up, coming up behind her at the sink. I lean my chin over her shoulder, wrapping my arms around her and nuzzling the side of her neck. "Will you sleep by me tonight?"

She stiffens in my arms.

Oh.

I let go of her, stepping back and letting out a long breath.

"I— I'm sorry." I swallow back the burning in my throat. "I'm sorry." I thought she wanted…

She turns around and looks at me for a long minute. "Josie." My name on her lips is just a soft breath. "I don't want…" She purses her lips together and sighs. "I don't want you to be thinking of her while you're with me."