Friends to Lovers (Heart of Hope 6)

Nothing came back, so I finished my tea and changed for bed. When I climbed into bed, my phone chimed again.

It was good seeing you too, Petal. Goodnight.

Christmas was a week away. My parents had been planning to fly up despite the cold to spend the holiday with me, but then my father wrenched his back playing golf and he couldn’t travel. They felt horrible about it, probably because they were concerned about me being alone and pregnant on Christmas. I did sound sort of pathetic. I assured them I’d be fine. The truth was, I was often so busy at the bakery, especially during the holidays, that it was nice to have some alone time.

April, of course, wasn’t going to have any of that. She invited me to her and Jude’s Christmas Eve party that was for close friends and family. She added the close friends because in the past it was just family. But she was insistent and then told me I needed to bring cupcakes. She definitely knew how to work me. But since I didn’t have anything else to do, and I did want to help her party by bringing cupcakes, I agreed to go. The truth was, in many ways she was my family. My sister. And I knew my life now would be infinitely more lonely and harder without her in it. Until Cyrus and I figured out how our relationship was going to work, I’d need April and Jude to be my emotional support.

35

Cyrus

When I’d returned from the airport after dropping Petal off, my mom was asleep. Lora was reading on the couch.

“Is she okay?” I asked Lora as I took my coat off and hung it in the closet.

“Yes. She really liked Petal.”

I glanced at her, wondering if she was jealous of that. A part of me wondered if she’d been using my mother’s affection to try and win me back.

“I liked Petal. She seems like a sweet woman,” Lora continued.

I nodded. “She is.”

I went to the kitchen and found the bottle of scotch I stashed in the cupboard above the refrigerator.

“Your mom will likely be in treatment for another couple of years, but the induction phase is done. The consolidation phase is next, which will only be a few months,” Lora said as she followed me to the kitchen.

“Yes, I know.” I knew my mother’s treatment schedule by heart.

“Will you be staying in Chicago then or returning to Bismarck?” She leaned against the counter.

I poured two fingers of scotch and turned to lean against the counter across from her. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“What about Petal and the baby?”

My jaw tightened. “What about them?” I downed my scotch and turned to pour another shot trying not to tell her that this was none of her business.

“They’ll need you too.”

“I can’t be in two places at once, Lora.” I drank the shot and really wanted another, but pushed the bottle and glass away, turning back to her.

“No, you can’t. But maybe she can come here. Or your mom can go there.”

My brows furrowed as I wondered why she was telling me all this. “Mom doesn’t want to leave this house.”

Lora let out a small laugh. “She’d move to Timbuktu to be near her grandchild.” She pushed away from the counter. “I’ve got to run.” She stepped closer to me. “You surprise me, Cyrus.”

“Why? Because I forgot to use a condom?”

“No. Because you can’t seem to realize that Petal isn’t your friend.”

What the fuck?

“Cy, you’re in love with her. And from the few minutes I saw her, she’s in love with you.” She patted me on the chest. “I’ll check in tomorrow.” She walked past me and out the door, leaving me to wonder if what she said was true. Did April love me?

The next day my mom was up early. I found her in the kitchen, making coffee.

“Mom. Let me do that.”