Page 123 of Be With Me
She flagged one, and we climbed in.
“Well, that could have gone worse, I suppose,” I said, forcing a lightness I didn’t feel into my tone. “Any plans for Halloween?”
Jenny stared out the window and didn’t answer.
Frustration bubbled up inside of me. “Really? You’re giving me the silent treatment now? Jenny, this is getting ridiculous. It was one prep meeting. You have to let it go.”
Her head snapped toward me, her eyes sharp. “I know you’re sleeping with him, Mia.”
My jaw snapped shut. Her words might as well have been a slap.
How?
Did she see Romolo and me as we passed in the hallway? No. She hadn’t been behind me. I was sure of it.
My grip tightened around my purse. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. I saw Romolo’s jacket in the coat check. It’s the exact same jacket that was hanging in your apartment when I dropped off the cards that one time.”
Crap!
My mind raced. I needed a reasonable explanation. Or maybe I just need to deny, deny, deny.
I feigned annoyance. “Do you think he’s the only man in this city who owns that jacket?”
Her eyes rolled, like she wasn’t even remotely buying my shit. “Please. He spent that whole unfortunate encounter avoiding looking at you. And when he finally did?” She scoffed. “Jesus, Mia. He looked at you like you werehis. I’m surprised no one else noticed.”
The shrill wail of an ambulance siren cut through the air. Anxiety tightened around my throat. If Jenny told my dad, my whole life would implode. Especially after how badly that lunch had just gone—my dad wouldn’t even try to understand. He was on a goddamn warpath.
The only way I could salvage this was if I stayed calm and chose my words carefully.
Jenny clasped her hands in her lap, her knuckles white. “I’m waiting for your explanation.”
“We met at a party. It hasn’t been long,” I hedged.
“Is it serious?” She was in damage-control mode, trying to assess the threat. Depending on her assessment, she’d decide whether to loop in Dad or not.
I needed to defuse her.
“It’s nothing. A mistake.” The lie burned across my tongue.
She huffed. “Bullshit. I know you, Mia. You wouldn’t risk all this over a casual fling. So be honest with me. How bad is it? Do you love him?”
Love. The word dripped from her lips like an accusation.
A lump thickened my throat. The backs of my eyes prickled. I turned away before she could see my face crack.
Do you love him?
It was a question I hadn’t dared to ask myself.
I didn’t know the answer. Or maybe I did, but I wasn’t ready to confront it.
Even now, my body ached for his presence. To press my face against his chest, feel his arms tighten around me, hear that low, familiar murmur against my ear. He was one of the most dangerous men in this city, but somehow, he had become my safest place.
The hardened exterior that masked something deeper. The sharp edges softened by moments of tenderness. The darkness I wanted to believe I’d shed some light into.
He wasn’t an easy person to understand. Or to love.
