Page 81 of Love Me Not

Even with everything else going on, it was impossible to forget what happened between us earlier.

“Can I ask you something?”

I was immediately on alert, so I sat straighter before giving her a short nod.

“Mint chocolate chip, really?”

There was a pause before I snorted.

“Is that why you were looking at me like that in the ice cream shop?”I asked, unable to hold back my laughter.

The ice cream shop was cute, and our time there was mostly spent with Bella and me talking and sharing bits of each other’s ice cream.Lux didn’t get anything; she just stared at us with an expression I couldn’t make out.

“It’s an abomination,” she said casually and took a sip of her wine.“Just like that sorry excuse for wine you brought back.If you want to get drunk, let me know and I’ll get you the good stuff.Don’t waste your palate on that shit.”

I gave her a forced smile.

“I don’t like drinking,” I admitted.“Nor do I ever get drunk.I just wanted to… relax.”

She gave me a long look.

“Maybe you haven’t had the good stuff, so you don’t know you’ve been missing out.Some stuff is worth getting drunk on.”

Was there a double meaning there?I couldn’t tell.My head was buzzing, and not entirely because of the alcohol.Her presence had me on edge, and all I wanted to do was fall into her arms again.Forget everything other than us.

But that’s a bad idea and unethical, I reminded myself.She’s your boss.

“Actually… I told you my parents died.It was an accident.They were hit by a drunk driver,” I said.“I couldn’t ever really bring myself to drink much after that.”

Lux’s eyes fell to her wine.

“My sister died in an accident too.No one was drunk, though.Just a shitty driver who ran a red light.Luckily Bella was at school.”

I took another sip of my wine, hoping it would give me the courage to say what I needed to.But it didn’t.I was floundering on how to bring up the inevitable.

Lux beat me to it.

“They asked you to pay for her bills, didn’t they?”

I nodded, my eyes falling to the wine.

“Did you hear?”

“Only the volume,” she said.“Not the words.”

“She wanted my dirty money.My brother basically spilled everything he told me that night to my aunt.Neither is very proud of me.”

“Juliette.”

I looked up to meet her darkened gaze.She was looking at me that way again.The mix of seriousness and longing had me wanting to close the space between us and curl up against her.

“You are worth every penny I spent on you.More, even.If you asked me for another million—a fucking billion—I’d give it to you.And no one has the right to callyoudirty.”

I swallowed thickly, the tears coming back.Why does she have to say all the right things?

“Do you understand me, Juliette?”she asked, her tone demanding my answer.“Don’t let anyone ever make you believe otherwise.”

“I understand, Lux.”

---