Page 13 of Secret Desire (Sapphic Billionaire Club #3)

Maeve

T heo dragged me down the hallway towards Ariel’s office. As we passed by Grace’s door, she came running out.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s time,” Theo said, giving her a significant look.

“Oh hell. Okay, I’m coming too.”

The three of us burst into Ariel’s office, making her jump.

Like me and Ashley, it was obvious that Ariel hadn’t been sleeping.

I’d tried to talk to her earlier in the week and she blew me off, so there was no way I was making the first move again.

I understood that we’d hurt her, but she was being ridiculous.

I’d dated her sister, not embezzled all her money.

“We’re hashing this out. Now.” Theo said firmly as he closed the door behind us. “Grace and I are going to mediate.”

Ariel’s gaze swung to Grace. “You’re ganging up on me now too Gracie?”

Grace held up her hands. “I’m Switzerland here, but Theo’s right. We can’t go on like this. The three of us have been best friends since grade school and we’ve never once let anything get between us. I can’t stand being stuck in the middle between you two.”

To my surprise, Grace looked like she was about to cry. Grace was not a crier.

I patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry Grace, I never meant for you to be in the middle.”

“Me neither,” Ariel said, although her tone was sullen.

“Great, there’s one place where you agree,” Theo said. “Let’s go to the table.”

We all moved to the small round conference table on one side of the office, Ariel and I sitting across from each other. Theo grabbed a Wonder Woman figurine off Ariel’s shelf and put it in the center of the table. My friend had always been a huge Wonder Woman fan.

“This is what we’re going to do. No one talks unless they’re holding the Wonder Woman talking stick,” Theo instructed, pointing at the action figure.

“This is ridiculous,” Ariel protested.

Theo gave her a warning look, and she quieted down. I’d never seen the man look so intimidating before.

“Ariel you will start. Tell us – succinctly – how you feel using I statements. No accusations or assumptions. Maeve will listen without responding until it’s her turn, then she will tell you how she feels.”

He handed Wonder Woman to Ariel. “I reserve the right to take back Wonder Woman if you’re long talking or getting off track. Talk.”

Ariel paused so long that I thought she wouldn’t go along with Theo’s plan, but finally she started talking.

“You really hurt me, Maeve.”

Theo held up his hand. “Only I statements, remember?”

She shot a look at Grace who only shrugged, then Ariel spoke again.

“My feelings are hurt. I feel betrayed. We always had the kind of relationship where the three of us don’t keep secrets. We… I asked you about who your Secret Girlfriend was, and we… I assumed there was something wrong with her, but not that you were dating my little sister!”

She set down Wonder Woman and Theo slid the figurine over to me.

“I never wanted to hurt you Ariel, neither of us did. I didn’t set out to fall in love with Ashley, but the minute she walked into my office, I felt something I’ve never felt before,” I explained.

“Neither of us was happy about keeping it a secret, but Ashley and I both thought maybe whatever was happening between us would burn itself out, so there was no sense rocking the boat. But it didn’t burn itself out, it just got stronger and stronger.

I am sorry. I’m sorry we kept it a secret and I’m sorry for hurting you. ”

My gaze swung to Grace. “I’m sorry to both of you. I just didn’t know how to tell you what was happening. We were trying to find a good time, I swear.”

“She’s seven years younger than you!” Ariel said.

Theo looked down meaningfully at the Wonder Woman, and I slid it towards my friend.

“She’s a baby,” Ariel added.

“She’s a grown woman,” I contradicted. “Smart. Capable. And with enough relationships under her belt to know what she wants. Same as me.”

We stared at each other for a long, pregnant moment.

“I feel like I was just developing a relationship with my sister, and now you’ve ruined it.”

I leaned across the table and grabbed Ariel’s hand. “She wants a relationship with you more than anything. Ashley’s always idolized you. But don’t you want her to be happy? Don’t you want me to be happy, to have what you and Sadie have?”

After a long, pregnant pause I added, “Ashley makes me happy Ariel. For the first time in my life I’m in love.

And it’s killing me to not be with her. Remember how hard it was when you and Sadie broke up?

When Grace and Nicole broke up? This is the same thing.

I feel like I’m dying inside not being with her. ”

I felt a tear trickle down my face, and I wiped it away angrily. For some reason, that seemed to make Ariel soften.

“I’ve overreacted to this whole thing, haven’t I?” Ariel asked. “That’s what Sadie’s been telling me.”

Grace spoke up for the first time. “Yes you have.”

She gave me a stern look. “You were wrong to keep secrets.”

Her gaze swung back to Ariel. “And you said some terrible, hateful things to both of them, when you of all people understand how it feels when people don’t accept your relationship. You treated Ashley and Maeve the same way your mother treated Sadie.”

Ariel released a long, dramatic sigh, but I could tell that Grace’s words were getting through to her.

“You were both in the wrong here, and maybe we were long overdue for some kind of a blow up between us, but we are best friends, closer than sisters. Can’t everyone just apologize and move on so everyone can have their happily ever after? Please?”

Ariel and I both jumped up and gave each other a long tight hug. When we pulled away, we were both teary.

“What about me?” Grace asked.

We pulled her in close. “Let’s never fight again,” Grace whispered. “I hate it.”

“Me too,” Ariel and I said in unison.

Theo stood up. “I see that my work here is done. You’re welcome.”

“Thanks Theo,” I said.

“Thank you,” Ariel said at the same time.

He pointed at Ariel. “You need to apologize to your sister now.”

Then he pointed at me. “And you need to figure things out with your girlfriend.”

“And all of y’all need to buy me something nice to thank me for my hard work getting the band back together. I’ll take a nice 2025 Porsche 911 Turbo in carmine red please. It’s the least you can do after making me put up with your girl drama all week.”

“No problem Theo,” Ariel said quickly. “Pick out what you want and charge it to me.”

“I’ll pay for half,” I said quickly.

That was one of the nice things about being a billionaire, you could buy your friend a car that cost over two hundred thousand dollars without batting an eye.

“I’m off to go car shopping,” Theo said, his tone giddy. “Wait until I tell the hubby.”

“Let’s have a pizza party night,” Ariel suggested.

“We’ll go to your place Maeve, is that okay?

We can eat our weight in pizza and drink a gallon of margaritas and forget all about this terrible week.

It’ll be nice for us all to reconnect. Between our schedules and our love lives, we haven’t been spending as much time together as usual anyway. ”

I nodded. “That sounds good.”

As we headed for our private elevator Grace asked, “How did you leave things with Ashley? I noticed that you two seemed to be avoiding each other this week.”

“She broke up with me,” I said. “She said we shouldn’t be together if it meant her losing her sister and me losing my best friend.”

Ariel waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll go over there tomorrow to apologize to Ashley and convince her to give you another chance.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay with me dating your sister?” I asked. “Because if we get back together, you need to know that I plan to marry her someday.”

“Yeah sure, just make me a bridesmaid,” Ariel said, already over it. “But we can deal with your love life tomorrow. For now, we need BFF time.”

I hooked my arms with Ariel and Grace. “We sure do.”