Page 150 of Thorn Kiss
“Shit.” I rubbed my chest. It all felt so real now.
I picked up my phone and shot Dallas and June a text.
Me
Can we talk? Soon?
Mr. Knight in Shining Armor
Yeah. Everything ok?
June
I can take a break
Me
I’m at the gallery but can meet at bloom
Mr. Knight in Shining Armor
give me twenty, I’ll be there
Twenty minutes later, I felt like I was going to throw up.
The nerves were killing me. I was practically shaking in my shoes as I opened the door to Whynot Bloom. Dallas and June were already standing inside, worry radiating from them.
“Sorry,” I said. “Everything is okay.”
Dallas immediately let out a relieved breath. “Okay, good.”
He hooked his thumbs in his pockets and offered a soft smile, although the worry hadn’t left his eyes yet. Tension hung in the air like a building storm.
June cleared her throat. “What’s going on?”
“I had an interview,” I started. “I just got out of it.”
Her expression immediately fell flat. Unreadable.
“They want to take me on. It’s in San Francisco with a studio that’s really good. Everything about it is good. I could take it . . . or I could stay here,” I said, unable to keep the hope out of my voice. “I could take a remote spot, and it would be less pay, but?—”
“Don’t stay,” June said.
My words faltered. “Wh—what do you mean?”
Her eyes raked over me, but her face was still unreadable, like polished stone. “Why onearthwould you stay?”
“Well . . .” I trailed off, my breathing turning shallow. “Because of us.”
She held her breath, then shook her head. “You shouldn’t do that. You’ve worked so hard for your career and staying here, in the middle of nowhere, for two people you just met is a terrible idea.”
I felt like the rug was being ripped out from beneath me. Had I been wrong about the three of us? Had all these feelings just been one sided?
“June,” Dallas said, his brows pulling together. “Madi staying would be a dream come true. It’s not a bad idea?—”
“I’m not doing this,” she snapped.
“But we could have the chance,” I insisted. “For forever. For making this our life?—”
