Her Collateral Bride: A Lesbian Age Gap Romance

“I did the right thing. She might have been hurt by it, but

she’ll get over it.” Liar. Even if you did hope that it’s not true.

She won’t. And you won’t either. “Her dad is always going to

be who he is and I’m going to be who I am, and the past isn’t

something we can change.”

“Or maybe it is. You’ll always be who you are, but maybe

that’s not a bad thing.” Jenny slid off the stool and was right

there beside Claire, looking out the window, her arms crossed

over her chest. She was just a few inches away, as if she didn’t

want Claire to be alone and the island was too far away. “You

were friends once. Maybe part of that is still in there.

Forgiveness is damn hard, but it is possible.”

“You don’t even like her,” Claire protested.

“My liking her doesn’t have anything to do with what you

feel.”

“You said I wasn’t myself.”

“You weren’t. I thought that was a bad thing. Maybe I was

wrong. I’ve seen you these past couple days. You’re like a

ghost, Claire. It’s like you don’t even exist. You aren’t happy.”

Claire laughed bitterly. “When has that ever mattered?”

Not once. Not once in her life had it ever meant anything.

Her father had never considered her happiness. Robert hadn’t

considered it. Her family hadn’t considered it when she’d

taken her father’s place and stepped in, finding people to keep

things running smoothly, to keep the doors open and the

empire intact.

“Maybe it didn’t in the past. Maybe it couldn’t. But it does

matter now. It can matter. You have options.”

Claire turned, surprised. Jenny looked even more sheepish.

There was something there, something just out of reach. Had