Page 14 of Rival Hearts
I just didn’t plan my morning right. I got caught up. Even I make mistakes, you know.
I grinned at Maya over my screen, and she rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth turning up into a smile.
My phone rang next to me, and I jumped. Gabe’s name flashed on the caller ID.
Shit.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. I walked out of the room, heading through large double doors that led to a communal garden at the center where we hired the working space.
“You’re up earlier than I thought you’d be,” I said, forcing a smile. “How are you feeling?”
“I think I’ve already died and these are the final contractions.”
I laughed. “You do this every year and then you always complain.” I was relieved he didn’t ask me about last night. I hadn’t returned his messages after I’d fled the scene at Alex’s place this morning.
“It’s all part of growing up,” Gabe grumbled. “You’re still young. You’ll get to a point where you just don’t recover the way you should.”
I laughed. “I’m only five years younger than you.”
“That’s like two decades in drinking age.” Gabe snorted. “But now that I’ve humored you avoiding the topic long enough, do you want to tell me why you skipped out on my party?”
My stomach twisted. I’d hoped he wouldn’t ask. The conversation had been so lighthearted.
“I just wasn’t feeling it,” I admitted. That wasn’t a lie.
“It was my birthday, though.”
“Not your actual birthday,” I pointed out. “I spent the day with you, remember?”
“Yeah, I know.” Gabe sighed. “I wanted you to meet some of my friends.”
I thought about the guys who acted like they were still part of a frat house and shuddered. Those weren’t exactly the kind of people I wanted to meet. Alex flashed in my mind.
Hewas someone I’d been more than happy to meet.
My stomach twisted again.
I should never have done what I’d done. If he’d been honest with me about who he was, maybe that would never have happened.
Do you hate that it did?
I squashed the small voice at the back of my mind.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “We can go out again sometime, and you can introduce me.”
“That’s a good idea. We’ll all remember more of it then, anyway.”
I laughed.
“What did you end up doing?” Gabe asked.
Alex.
“I just had a quiet night in.” I felt like shit for lying outright, but I couldn’t tell my brother I’d slept with his best friend. “I’m starting the campaign today, so I didn’t want something too crazy.” The lie rolled off my tongue way too easily. At least the part about the campaign was true.
“Oh, right! I nearly forgot. You’re going to do great, sis. You always do.”
I smiled, uncertainty creeping in. “I don’t know. I worry they won’t listen. I mean… who am I? And then Victoria Morgan would have invested all that money for nothing, and—”
