Page 76 of Rival Hearts

“Something is wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“For the last two or three days, you’ve been unbearable. On cloud nine. Grady. Grady. Grady. Today? You haven’t said his name once, and a few times, you would’ve been right to mention him since he did so much work for the concert and strip show.”

I picked up my coffee and took a sip, waving off Lila with fake nonchalance. Since I’d seen his text message, I’d been whirling, lost in a haze of negative thoughts. “I’m taking a deep breath and getting some perspective.”

“What does that mean?” Lila arched her eyebrows and threw another teaspoon of sugar into her mug.

“It means Grady and I have been having fun the last few days, but it doesn’t mean whatever this is will last.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you kidding me?” She held up her hand and shook her head. “The two of you have been a jumble ofknots, sexual tension, and misunderstandings for months, and now you’ve banged a few times and you’reoverhim? That might happen to other people, but I don’t believe that’s happeningto you.”

I picked up my spoon and stirred my coffee, even though I was drinking it black today. That wasn’t what I was saying, but how did I tell Lila the truth without admitting I’d read his text message? When he checked his phone later and frowned, his expression only confirmed that Jack’s message hadn’t been a surprise. Then, he hadn’t brought up the offer over lunch or at any other point before he left my house, which only confirmed he didn’t want me involved.

Lila grabbed my spoon, heaped it full of sugar and dumped it in my cup, stirring furiously.

“Hey!” I snatched the spoon back. “What was that for?”

“Black coffee? That’s the drink of depressed people.”

“No, it’s not.”

Lila shrugged. “Maybe it’s serial killers. You take sugar in your coffee. Always. And when you’re feeling really good, it’s hazelnut from Kathy’s Café.”

I hadn’t been able to stir up the enthusiasm for drinking coffee at all. This one was almost cold. Maybe Lila had a point.

“Just tell me. You only hesitate when you think you’ve done something to makeyoulook bad. Hello? I don’t care. You’re my bestie. You could be plotting to destroy the world, and I’d ask how to help.”

“You think you know me that well?” I sipped my coffee and had to admit it was better with sugar. Perhaps telling Lila what I’d read would make the news easier to digest.

Lila stared expectantly and then picked up her coffee and took a sip. Her gaze never left my face.

“When Grady was in the kitchen today, I saw a text on his phone.”

“As long as the text wasn’t from Sabrina about the Plan B pill, nothing can be that bad.” She gestured to my slumped position in the chair.

“He’s been offered a producing job in LA and hasn’t told me.”

“Oh.” Her face fell. “I think I might almost prefer him banging Sabrina.”

I winced. “I would not. Gross. No. Just, no. But I don’t know why he hasn’t told me about the job.”

“Did you ask him?”

“Obviously not. Then I’d have to admit I looked at his phone. I’d also have to admit I care whether he stays or goes.”

Lila frowned and chugged the last of her coffee before taking the cup to the sink. “Youdocare.”

My extreme caring was the biggest problem in this scenario. If I didn’t have all these stupid feelings, I could enjoy the sex and let him leave, off on another adventure. The temporary relationship would be a blip in our respective lives.

I cared far, far too much. The thought of him leaving made me physically ill, and that intensity was after three days of sleeping with him. How would I feel if we managed to last any longer? I rubbed my face and took another drink before following Lila to the sink. “Trent warned me Grady would probably leave.”

“He’s still running for mayor.”

“Do you honestly think he cares? I’m pretty sure he ran because he knew it would piss me off.” I’d come to that conclusion after hours of obsessive Grady thoughts.

“That’s a fair point,” she agreed. “But Maggie, the way he looks at you.”

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