Page 79 of 7 Dirty Lies

“It must be nice to get to travel the world for a reason.”I’d hopped a plane several times to go to one of Adam’s races.They were always in such far-flung and interesting places that it was hard to ignore an opportunity to explore with my sister.“Colt’s less of a traveler, but he enjoys a bitofit.”

“It is nice to travel but I really enjoy these weeks we get here at home.”She stoked the fire and rearranged the fuzzy blanket.“Any word on the screenplay?”She knew how much it meant to me to finally have one in contention to become amovie.

“Two bits of news,actually.”

She waited patiently for me toexplain.

I made her wait abitmore.

Because that’s what littlesistersdo.

“Well for one, I finally gave it to Colt to read.Twodaysago.”

She threw a pillow at me.“I told you to send him the firstdraft.”

“Yeah, well.It’s so personal.What if he didn’tlikeit?”

“Wait.Doesthatmean?”

I grinned.“They bought it and they’ve slated it to begin productionnextyear.”

Elizabeth squealed.“So youhadtotellhim.”

“Pretty much.”I shrugged.“And now to find out if he’s okay with what Iwrote.”

In my lastemail from Elizabeth’s house in Brackley I didn’t ask Colt if he’d read the script or what he thought of it.If he didn’t bring it up it had to mean he either hated it or wastoobusy.

Plus I was way too nervoustoask.

But as I sat down on the lounge chair where I’d first seen him a year ago, the sun blazing down, the warm Caribbean breeze washing over my skin, I really wished I’dasked.

It would be nice to worry about one less thing.Because even though I knew I loved Colt, I was nervous something had happened in our six weeks apart to make him changehismind.

Those nerves skyrocketed as the sun began to wane and he still wasn’tthere.

Oh god.What if he did changehismind?

What if Louisa had shown up again and done some sort of sexual Kung Fu on him to make him realize that while what we had was special, it was also supercomplicated.

And complicatedwasbad.

And simple arrangementsweregood.

Yeah, I needed to stop.IcalledTed.

“Hello, Princess.How’s paradise?”Evangeline cooed in thebackground.

“Lonely.”

The line was silent.“I’m sure he’sjustlate.”

“That’s why I’m calling.I need someone to talk me down off theledge.”

“He’s crazy about you, Lil.He’ll bethere.”

“But how do you know?”I really hated when people said things they couldn’t back up.“Everything will be fine.”When your dog is dying.No, actually, everything will not be fine and you saying so doesn’t change that!“I’m sure things will get better.”How?Exactly.If you know so much perhaps you could tell me how to make things better.People liked to say soothing things that actually just made you feelworse.

“Because I saw himyesterday.”

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