Let It Be Me (Triplets book 1)

Chapter 12

Ophelia had finished putting up her hair when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in," she called, looking over her shoulder as the door opened and Reyna entered, followed by Sawyer, Sullivan, and Pops.

"Is this an intervention?" Ophelia asked with a smile. They all looked so serious.

"In a way," Reyna confirmed as she moved to sit in a chair by the window. Pop's followed and sat in the chair next to her, Sawyer moved to look out the window, which was a sure sign that he was uncomfortable, and Sullivan leaned against the wall by the door as if he wanted to make a quick getaway.

Ophelia moved to a chair by the fireplace and perched on the end of it, waiting.

"It's cold in here. Why is it so cold? Sullivan, why did you give Ophelia the coldest room in the house?" Reyna asked as she rubbed her arms. It was evident that she was upset and stalling.

"It's usually not this cold. I normally have a fire, which warms the room nicely, but I didn't get to bed until late last night, so I didn't get a chance to light one," Ophelia explained.

No one replied, and after a minute, Ophelia decided she would have to lead the conversation since she had a feeling it was about her. "You all are here because you are either about to fire me due to my behavior last night, or you want an explanation about last night, but no one wants to ask for fear of hurting my feelings. Which is it?"

"I think your behavior last night was fine. You gave as good as you got, and I realized that our little Phee has a spectacular temper." Sawyer shot her a smile from the window. "I think your personal life is personal, and I object to us being here to ask you about it."

"I object as well," Sullivan said from his place by the door.

Ophelia looked at his broad shoulders in his dress shirt, his long legs in his slacks, and his damp hair curling around his collar, and she had to remind herself that they weren't going to acknowledge their attraction. She bet he smelled good too.

Ophelia forced her eyes towards Reyna and nodded.

"I would like to share. You all trust me with your private lives, and I think it's about time that I trust you." Ophelia looked at them, letting the comment sink in. She wanted them to know that their trust meant a lot to her and that sharing was a way she could do that.

"Sullivan knew I had family here," she began, "and I told him it wouldn't be a problem because I thought it wouldn't, but now it is. I had no intention of seeing them, but I forgot how small this town is after ten years of being away." She frowned as she gathered her thoughts. She had been rambling, and it was best to make this story a short as possible. They all had to get on with their day.

"You really don't have to, sweetie," Reyna insisted, even though she was the one who had gathered them all there. Perhaps she was having second thoughts.

"I'm just afraid that you all will think of me differently after you know all of the details. I'm used to being treated as an outcast, and I have a fear that you all will do the same." Ophelia shrugged as she looked at her hands in her lap.

"I hope you know us well enough to know that we aren't that fickle," Sullivan said drily from across the room.

"My brain knows that, but my emotions don't." Ophelia looked over her shoulder at him but couldn't read a response in his stony face. She took a deep breath and turned to the others, glad that he was behind her.

"My mother left my father, Ryan Carter, for Gavin Barrett, when I was six years old. I have a brother, Aaron, who is four years older than me." Ophelia took a deep breath. That had been the easy part.