Page 29 of The Lie That Stole Christmas

“You make one slip with the scissors.”

Luca’s head tilted, sympathy shining in his eyes.“Sweetie, the short bangs were the least of your problems.The zebra-print leggings under a denim skirt?Or what about the skinny sequin scarves?”

“I wanted to be Hannah Montana.”

“Because you were living a double life?”

Her head tilted as she narrowed her gaze.“Now you’re just creating gossip.You’re better than that, Luca.”

“Am I?”

Ashley laughed at his raised eyebrows.“Where are Tori and Taylor?”

“Tori had to take a call from a client, and Taylor ran to her room to grab a pair of gloves.”

“In other words, we have time to kill.”

He rested his elbow on the door, his chin on his open palm.“Yes, so tell me about this fight with Carter.”

“I’d rather talk about you.How has your love life been?”

“I met someone.”

“Oh!”Ashley exclaimed.“Do tell.”

“Not much to tell.We dated for two years.I was head over heels in love, and then his mother got sick, and he left me for Miami.”

“Why didn’t you go with him?”

“I couldn’t.”

“Surely you could have.You loved him, no?”

“More than anything, but your grandfather needed me.”

“Not saying you aren’t the best, but he could have found another driver.”

“Everyone had abandoned him.I couldn’t be another name on that list.Not after everything he has done for me over the years.”

Luca had a record after nearly killing a man who attacked his friend outside a bar.It wasn’t a secret among the Wetherbys, though Luca never spoke about it.The incident had divided his small hometown.Some called him a hero for stopping a hate crime against his friend, while others believed he’d gone too far.In the end, he took a plea deal and served a year in jail for aggravated assault.

“He was abandoned because of his own actions.”

“Yes, which is exactly why I stayed.He could have easily abandoned me after the background check, but he didn’t.He told me people mess up every day, and some let that define their entire lives; those people are weak.The strong.They accept they did wrong, learn from it, and use every day to do better than the last.And that’s what I’ve done.”

“Maybe he needed to take his own advice.”

“He was grieving.”

“We all were.”The words lashed out with more hurt and anger than she had meant.“Didn’t make it right.”

“No, and he knows that.”

“Does he?”

“I think he knew within the first year, but he was too embarrassed to fix what he had broken.Besides, he wasn’t the only one to cause damage that day.Everyone did and said things they shouldn’t have.”

She met his gaze, and he didn’t have to say a word.“If Aunt Marilyn kept her mouth shut.”