Page 29 of Always a Chance
“Oscar,” Johnny said. Dad looked at him like he hadn’t noticed him before. “Aidan is my roommate. I’m sorry; this is all my fault. I asked Talia for a moment of her time.” He gave him a self-deprecating smile. “I should have considered Gianna more.”
If this worked, I was going to scream.
Dad’s shoulders relaxed, and he seemed to shrink right there on the spot. “Thank you, Johnny. If you know him and vouch for him, I don’t have to throw him through the window.”
I couldn’t help laughing at the glimpse of the joking man my father once was. That earned me a hesitant smile from the man himself.
Still, irritation welled in me that he took Johnny’s word over mine. Dad wasted no time escaping to his office, and Johnny turned to me. “I’m ready.”
“For…”
“To tell the truth. To everyone. I want my readers to know me. Even if they don’t stick around, I want them to know who I am.”
I shared a stunned look with my sister, neither of us knowing what to say. Mr. Irons was going to flip over this exclusive if he revealed his identity, and it was sure to not only save my job but maybe get me a promotion.
And yet, something told me it was a very bad idea. Those were the best kind. “Okay, I’ll do it. But this can’t be halfway. That’s not how I report. You have to let me into every part of your life. Let me crack you open and put the real you on paper.”
For the first time, Johnny hesitated. I understood it. For two people who hated each other, we were putting ourselves in the predicament of having to spend way too much time together.
“Done.” That didn’t come from Johnny, but Aidan looked at him. “This is what you want, Johnny. If anyone can write you the way you truly are, it’s Talia.”
“I won’t sugarcoat what I see.” I met Johnny’s eyes in challenge.
He stared right back. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
15
JOHNNY
This was a mistake. I couldn’t get that thought out of my head. Talia was going to write a hit piece on me just because she could. Yet, in the back of my mind, I knew that wasn’t true. The Talia I’d known would never hurt anyone. I had to believe that girl was still in there.
The smell of duster filled the air as I sprayed the table. Again. I rubbed furiously at the smooth wood, trying to get every last speck of dust.
“What is wrong with you?” Aidan asked, walking around the kitchen island to the living room. “You never clean.”
It was true. Aidan was the clean freak. I rarely noticed my surroundings while I worked, so a little mess never bothered me. “I’ve also never invited a woman who hates my guts into my home.”
His brow furrowed, but one corner of his mouth lifted. “Hates you. Right.”
I didn’t like the way his tone seemed as if he was enjoying himself during my freak-out. Aidan was normally the one with anxious quirks, bouts of hyperactivity. Usually cleaning or cooking.
A sweet scent overpowered the lemon Pledge. “Did you make cookies?”
He shrugged. “Talia wasn’t only your friend.”
I walked into the kitchen, flipped on the oven light, and peered in. Oatmeal raisin. I smiled at the thought of Aidan remembering my Talia’s favorite cookies. No, not mine. Not anymore.
But maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. It was just Tali, after all.
I found Aidan picking up my cleaning supplies. “What are you doing?”
“The place looks fine.”
I snatched the dusting rag from him. “I wasn’t done.”
He set the rest down and put his hands on his hips. “Stop being weird.”
“I’m not weird. You’re weird.”
