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Harley pouted. Tori glanced up at Miranda who set Rebel onto the floor again. It had taken long enough for it to happen. She was surprised it hadn’t happened before now, honestly. They were both small kids, and Rebel was a wild child who didn’t have a lot of rules or structure.
The girls apologized, and when they were done, Tori stood up and stretched her back. “You two can either go back to playing together or play separately for a bit. Miranda and I are going to make some dinner, all right?”
“Can I help?” Harley asked sheepishly, as if she was unsure of where she stood after being scolded.
“Sure.” It would put a crimp in her style when it came to subtly flirting with Miranda out of view, but they were going to have to contend with that at some point. Now was just as good a time as any.
They had the girls wash their hands and stand against the kitchen counter. Tori sent Miranda an apologetic look before she helped Harley fill the pot with water. Miranda stood awkwardly, as if she didn’t know what to do.
“Have her break the spaghetti up,” Tori suggested. “That way the kids can eat it better.”
Miranda did as she was told, her movements rigid as she held Rebel’s hands to break the spaghetti in half.
“What now?” Harley asked.
“Now we wait for the water to boil, which can take a while.” Tori put her hands on her hips. “Why don’t you and Rebel go play in the living room, and we’ll call you back in when it’s time to put the spaghetti in.”
The girls skittered away. Tori crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter, dropping her gaze to the floor. They needed to calm down whatever they were doing until they had some more definitions in place. But damn, she didn’t want to. She wanted Miranda against her any chance she got, and it had gotten harder over the last few days.
“What ended up happening with Tierney?” It was the safest conversation Tori could come up with that would keep her hands off Miranda. Unless she started another argument, but the last time they had argued, it hadn’t exactly gone that way either. In fact, it had gone exactly the opposite way. Yes, sticking with Tierney as a topic was a good way to avoid all the other thoughts running through her body—er, mind.
Miranda’s jaw tightened. So did her throat, straining against whatever crappy emotion Tori had forced her to relive at the moment. “She signed the papers so I could take Rebel to the doctor. Aili held her spot until I could get her in.”
“Well, that’s great news.”
Miranda grimaced. “It’s not.”
“Why not?”
Crossing her arms, Miranda leaned against the counter. She stared out at the living room, seeing something only in her mind’s eye. Tori wished she was privy to whatever was going on behind her gaze.
“Miranda?” Tori touched her arm lightly. “Why isn’t that a good thing?”
“It means she’s not coming back any time soon.” Her tongue dashed across her lips, her eyes watering.
Tori desperately wanted to turn and give her a hug, wrap her up in a tight embrace to show her that the world would be right again.
“I haven’t told anyone that.” Miranda laughed lightly. “Not even our parents. They still think she’s coming back tomorrow. Every day they think she’s coming back tomorrow, but it’s been two months, Tori. She missed Rebel’s second birthday, and it didn’t even phase her. I thought, of all things, that would bring her home.”
“You miss her, don’t you?”
Miranda shook her head, her arms across her chest tightening. “Of course. But imagine how much Rebel does.”
Tori couldn’t. Just the thought of leaving Harley for more than a week at a time like she already did was overwhelming, and even then she still got to talk to her every day. Siena made sure of it. They worked so well together when they were apart. It was odd in a lot of ways. “She’ll come around.”
“I don’t think she will,” Miranda whispered. She shrugged slightly. “She gave me medical rights to get her child treated. What’s next? Temporary custody?”
“What is she doing out there anyway?”
Miranda turned slowly, locking her eyes on Tori’s. “She’s looking for her soulmate.”
“I remember you said that, but at the expense of her own kid? Are you sure that’s all she’s doing?”
“Yes. Some people will go to the extremes for a belief in something that doesn’t exist.”
Tori tensed. She’d nearly forgotten that Miranda didn’t believe in soulmates. Maybe she didn’t even believe in love. Still, they had been so warm toward each other lately. “You believe in love, right?”
“Romantic love?”
