Page 47 of Leah

Fuck.

Busted.

“That too,” I quickly added.

With a hard voice, he asked, “You’re not really in a relationship, are you? I knew you were lying, but you can’t even be on top of your damn lie. That’s just sad.”

I sighed and turned away from him. Resting on my back, I looked up at the dark ceiling. “It wasn’t entirely a lie.”

“He’s real?”

“Yeah.”

“And why’d you guys break up?”

“Because he found a job very far from here.”

“Why did you break up?” he repeated, not buying my answer.

“Because I wanted him to focus on his job—”

“Why,Leah?”

I shot him an angry look. “That’s the truth—”

“Stop,” he cut in, harshly. “You think three years has changed the way you lie? I can read you like a fucking book, and you’re telling me bullshit right now. So, what’s the truth then? Was he an asshole?”

“No.”

“Did he cheat on you?”

“No.”

“Was he boring?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know!”

He scoffed, settling himself on his elbows so he could look down at my face. “You don’t know?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know. He was everything I should have wanted.”

“And?”

“And I still didn’t want him.”

He considered that for a moment, and then said quietly, “Maybe there’s a reason for that.”

I looked at him, dubiously. “What kind of reason?”

“Maybe you’ve been holding on to me.”

God, he was so abrupt!

I ignored the way my insides warmed. “No, Carter—”

---