Page 30 of Ordinary Secrets

“Everyone says that until the right person comes along,” Trey says with a smirk. “Maybe yours came along on the side of a highway.”

I knit my eyebrows together. “I’ve barely spoken two words to Kevin. I highly doubt he’s right for me.”

Dramatically, Trey slumps his shoulders. We both know I knew what he meant. “I wasn’t talking about Kevin,” he says.

“So, what? You were talking about yourself?” I try not to show how much that piques my interest, because again, I’m not looking... right?

“Is it out of the realm of possibilities for that to be true?”

“You barely know me.”

“You’re right. How ’bout we get to know each other over dinner?”

Dinner? With this guy?A man who looks like he just walked off the cover of a magazine?

“Uh, you’re not really my type,” I lie because I can’t have dinner with him. Getting involved with me is a whole can of worms he doesn’t want to open. Until my ex is officially out of my life, I can’t start something new. Especially not after what happened with the last guy I had dinner with. I can’t put anyone else in danger like that.

“Not your type?” Trey jerks his head back like he’s offended. He probably is. I’m sure he’s used to being everyone’s type. Women probably throw themselves at him left and right. I witnessed it firsthand when those fangirls were practically begging me to help them get into his pants.

“Yeah.” I avoid his eyes by playing with the bits of egg still on my plate. “I’m not really into guys like you.”

“Guys like me?” He sets his fork down and twists on his stool to fully face me. His tone goes from sounding offended to slightly hurt. “And what exactly is the type of guy you think I am, that I’m not good enough for you?”

“Oh no! I didn’t mean it like that. I just... Oh, never mind.” I slash a hand through the air, trying to end this conversation before I dig myself into a deeper hole.

“No, no,” he chuckles, not because anything is funny. He’s chuckling to hide how much my rejection is damaging his ego. “Please, do explain. Don’t leave me hangin’.”

“Come on, Trey,” I say, smiling as an attempt to keep things lighthearted. I don’t mean to hurt him. This is for his own good. “You’ve got a long line of women who’d love to have your attention. Don’t waste your time on me.”

He leans over to look out the living room window. With a hand cupped to his forehead, he squints as if trying to see better. “Hmm... Where is thislong lineof women you speak of?”

I giggle at his overdramatic silliness. “I didn’t mean literally. Just that there’s plenty of women out there who’d want to date you.”

“Who says I want to date any of them?”

“Don’t you?”

“Only ifyou’rein that line.”

I can’t see it, but I know my cheeks are turning red.

How can I tell Trey that this is for his sake without explaining the situation with my ex? Would anything I say stop him from having an interest in me? I don’t even know why he’s interested at all. We just met, and he knows nothing about me, yet I’ve caught him staring at me more times than not.

I can’t think straight. There’s no denying that I’m attracted to this man. Who wouldn’t be? Stunning blue-gray eyes. A handsome smile.And those arms...The fangirls last night were right about his charming personality. It must be working, because I’m actually considering accepting this dinner thing.

“Arella . . .”

My name sounds so sweet coming from his lips. I want to keep hearing him say it.

“Could you give me a chance?”

I ponder it for a moment, even though I already know which way I’m leaning. “How about this? We can go out for dinner, but not as a date. Could we go as a couple of new friends grabbing a bite to eat?”

He flashes me the biggest grin. “I’ll take what I can get.”

9

TREY

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