Robert claimed his affection by both women, then slid back over to his bed to nap.
Kennedy handed everyone a bottle, slid into the purple cushioned chair to Kate’s right, crossed her legs, and twisted open the cap.
“Who’d you have sex with, Gen?”
Arilyn shook her head and sighed. “Kennedy, give her some time to feel comfortable and open up. You’re scaring her.”
Kennedy snorted. “She’s a doctor. She doesn’t scare easy. She’s also lying to us, which is a big no-no.”
“You lied to us,” Arilyn pointed out. “Remember when you were dating Nate and refused to admit your feelings for him?”
Kennedy waved her hand in the air. “Doesn’t count. I was lying to myself, not you guys. Who’d you have sex with, Gen?”
It was over. Might as well admit defeat.
Gen opened the bottle, took a long drink of Baileys, and embraced the stinging heat as it hit her belly.
“I slept with Wolfe.”
Kate sputtered into a coughing fit. Kennedy’s eyes widened with admiration. Arilyn gasped.
Silence settled over the room. The three of them took big slugs from their bottles, then settled.
“I didn’t see that coming,” Kate admitted. “I mean, I suspected you guys were hot for each other for a while, but I thought you were doing the friend thing.”
“Is that why you’re wearing the scarf?” Kennedy asked. “To hide the evidence?”
“Yep.”
“Damn, girl. Was it amazing?”
Gen collapsed into the last empty chair and slumped down. “Yes. More amazing then you can ever imagine.”
“I always knew you two would burn up the bedroom,” Kennedy commented. “My main problem is your face. Why do you look miserable?”
Arilyn reached out and took her hand. “Honey, what happened? You should be giddy and over the moon.”
“It was a night I’ll never forget,” she murmured. “I felt as if we were one. Completely bonded, and so deep inside each other we’d never be whole without the other.”
Kate sighed. “I know that feeling.”
“Best feeling in the world,” Kennedy agreed.
Arilyn remained silent.
“But then morning came.”
“Fucking dawn screws up everything,” Kennedy growled, taking another sip of liquor. “Did he get spooked?”
“Majorly. Explained he didn’t want to ruin our friendship and that he could never be in a committed relationship. Said he was broken and he’d end up hurting me.”
Kate shook her head. “Sounds like Kennedy when she fell for Nate.”
“Shut up, Kate. I came to my senses. Sounds to me like Slade and all his crap about divorce and oxytocin.”
Kate stuck out her tongue.
Gen laughed, loving the way serious talk was always mixed with the wretched humor life threw at them. “He’ll never tell me about his past. I know it’s bad. How can I force him into a relationship he doesn’t want? And what about our friendship? I don’t want to lose him either. The whole thing is a mess. Stupid sex. Stupid fifteen orgasms.”
Arilyn gasped. “Fifteen?”
“Holy shit,” Kennedy whispered.
“No wonder you’re walking funny,” Kate said. “These men keep upping the ante, don’t they?”
“Why does sex have to complicate everything?” Gen groaned.
“Because it feels too good not to have to pay,” Kennedy said. “Do we have a plan of action? What do you want?”
Frustration and helplessness warred. Both won. “Doesn’t matter. I need to deal with reality. I told Wolfe to move out, but he refused, swearing he’ll get us back on the ground of friendship.”
Arilyn murmured in sympathy. Kate told the truth. “Men are brain-dead, sometimes. Each time you look at each other you’ll be thinking of sex. Slade and I tried to ignore our attraction for a long time, but eventually we broke.”
“Yep. It’s When Harry Met Sally all over again. Once you do the dirty deed, friendship takes a backseat,” Kennedy quipped.
Gen glared. “Not making me feel better about this, guys.”
Arilyn smiled and patted her hand. “Maybe he needs some time. I’ve found confronting men and demanding certain things make them defensive. But if you just continue as is, living with each other, dealing with the sexual tension, eventually he’ll break. Drag you into bed. The body is weak, especially a man’s penis. After enough times of sleeping together, you’ll just fall into a relationship without needing to speak of it or define it.”
They all stared at Arilyn. Since she refused to talk about her on-again, off-again relationship with her yoga teacher, refusing to even name him, any nugget of information was gold.
“Like Yoga Dude?” Kate asked.
Arilyn shut down. “Just a general observation,” she muttered, lapsing back into silence.
Kate and Kennedy sighed in defeat.
“He’s using David as an excuse to stay close, but I don’t think I’m in any danger. David has probably moved on, and there’s been no contact since the night at the station.”
“He never pressed charges against Wolfe?” Arilyn asked.
“No. The restraining order is still valid but he dropped assault charges. Probably knew the truth would come out in court.”
“Asshole,” Kennedy said. “I still don’t trust him. Abusers retreat only when they have a plan in place, and if he still wants you, he’s coming back.”
Gen shivered. She knew Kennedy didn’t mean to scare her, and it was a fair warning, but another reason she could never go back to the hospital was David. Just seeing his face brought the past roaring back. The way she’d become weaker and slipped away day by day. The control and abuse he finely wielded like a weapon, hiding it from everyone. She hated the woman she’d been during their relationship, but finally recognized she’d been strong enough to run when she could. How much better she understood now women who stayed. She remembered how badly David wanted to begin having children quickly. She would’ve been trapped in a nightmare, like so many others out there. Goose bumps broke out on her arms and her heart ached for strangers she didn’t know but finally understood. Strong women. Independent women. Smart women.