Page 54 of This Beautiful Lie
“It is. About them. About us.”
And then it hit me. Every story in that binder rewrote itself in my head, suddenly so obvious I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it before.
I glanced toward the deck, where the faint hum of steel guitar carried on the breeze. “I can’t lie to them,” I whispered. “I can’t—” The words caught in my throat. “They’re your family.”
Something flickered in his eyes—guilt, or maybe something softer. “We had a deal.”
“That was before I knew what I was agreeing to.”
“Why does it matter who they are?” he asked quietly. “You’ll never see them again after this.”
I froze—because he was absolutely right. I wouldn’t.
So why was my chest aching?
I had a sudden flash of Helen—so soft, steady, and irritatingly wise.
Maybe Dean was making a mistake. But it was his mistake to make, not mine.
“What’s your plan?” I whispered, for the first time seeing the wounded little boy who’d lost his parents way too soon. Seeing the boy who locked doors and protected everyone around him.
His gaze flickered over my face. “What do you mean?”
“After this—when you go back to your life, and I go back to mine—what’s your plan?”
Realization softened the lines of his forehead, and he shrugged. “After this weekend—I’ll tell them we broke up.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
I pressed my lips together, wanting to refuse. Wanting to walk away. But for some reason… I couldn’t.
Dean’s eyes were on mine, searching for something. Maybe agreement. Maybe acceptance. Then he tilted his head to theside and lifted his chin toward the deck. “If we stay out here much longer, there will be rumors.”
There was something playful in his tone. Something boyish that made my heart patter.
A smile slipped out of me before I could stop it.
I turned away—biting my lower lip in an effort to tame it, but it was too late. He’d already seen the way he affected me
He came toward me, then stopped just a breath away, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his overalls. “I’m sorry I didn’t make myself clear earlier.”
The way he said it, the way he took accountability for what could have easily been my own mistake, sent my pulse skittering.
“Yes, they are my family,” he went on, “but the deal is still the same. One week. That’s all. Then you never have to see me again.”
I looked up at him, and his eyes locked with mine, warm and inviting. “I promise there won’t be any more surprises.”
He offered me his arm, “What do you say?”
I hesitated for a heartbeat, then against my better judgment, looped my arm into his.
He glanced at me, a twinkle in his eye, as he walked toward the deck. “How did you figure it out, anyway?”
I tipped my head up, unable to hide the amusement in my voice when I answered. “I met your grandma in the bathroom,” I said.
His brows lifted, and the corner of his mouth tugged in an adorable grin. “You did, huh?”
