Our Secret Summer by Harper Bliss

Author:Harper Bliss [Bliss, Harper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ladylit Publishing
Published: 2025-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23

Three days was nothing. Three last days with Raffo might as well have been three minutes for how quickly they vanished.

After dinner on their final evening together, Dylan wanted to stretch out the night as long as possible, because she didn’t want morning to come. She had a whole life in Los Angeles. She had friends—and a son she had missed the hell out of. She had a house with neighbors who believed she’d been living it up in Europe all this time.

Maybe it was the time pressure they were under or maybe it was the simple fact that Dylan had fallen deeply, hopelessly, and recklessly in love with Raffo. She’d only fully admitted this to herself the day before, when Raffo had revealed the painting of the lake house, and Dylan had felt it so bone-deep, so clearly, it simply could no longer be ignored. She had to ask.

“What if we did tell Connor?” Suddenly, even for Dylan, it was a viable option to be explored.

“What?” Raffo turned away from where she’d been silently gazing into the fire. “Where does that come from all of a sudden?”

“Raffo—I—” But Dylan couldn’t put that kind of pressure on Raffo. This was never supposed to be amorous. It was a summer fling—all the ingredients had been present. She shook her head. “Forget it. It’s crazy.” Though she’d admitted to having feelings weeks ago, Dylan couldn’t confess she’d fallen in love. Raffo’s heart was still raw from Mia, even if her ex’s name had barely crossed her lips this past week. Moreover, Raffo was thirty-two years old and things were happening for her, while Dylan was considering her final professional hurrah before retirement. And Connor would never accept it. What would they even do? Go on dates in LA? Have Sunday brunch with her son? None of it seemed remotely plausible.

“I’m going to miss you,” Raffo said, her voice rough. “So fucking much.” The smallest smile touched her lips. “It’s okay to be sad it’s over. It is sad. But it’s only sad because we had such a great time.”

“Yeah.” Dylan took in Raffo’s face, the gravity of it—and how different it looked to when they were in bed together.

“Have you figured out what you’re going to do?” Raffo asked. “Get a job or sell this place?”

Dylan shook her head. Right now, as they were sitting by this glorious lake, on their last night together, Dylan couldn’t fathom selling her Big Bear house, and all the memories they’d made in it. First, she would tell Connor about losing her savings. Then, she’d try to pick up her life in LA, after which she would try to make a decision.

“Can I ask you something?” Dylan didn’t know how Raffo would react, but she still thought it a fair question for their last night.

“Sure.” Raffo nodded.

“What if as soon as you’re back, Mia comes to see you and claims she made the biggest mistake of her life when she left you.”

Raffo scoffed. “Fuck that.” That, too, was such a Raffo response—economical with words even now.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.