Page 43 of My UnTrue Love
How could such an ideal man be single?
Clem watched with a worried frown as Bill answered his phone on the second ring. “Hello?” His expression filled with quiet satisfaction. “No, not too early, at all. I was hoping you’d call. Sure. Tomorrow’s fine. What time? Yeah, that works. I’m looking forward to seein’ you.” He hung up and went back to his breakfast.
Clementine stared at him.
Bill didn’t seem to notice.
Thirty seconds ticked by.
He chewed his cereal.
Clem waited some more.
Bill flipped a page in the music notebook, like nothing odd was happening.
Clem crossed her arms over her chest.
Bill slowly raised his eyes to her face, the spoon halfway to his mouth.
Clem scowled at him.
Bill blinked, as if he had no idea what was going on. “Something wrong, darlin’?”
“Are you dating anybody else?” She blurted out.
His head tilted to one side.
“Because you shouldn’t.” She rushed on, before he could answer. “You should focus on me.”
Russet-colored eyebrows soared.
Clem flinched, hearing her own words. “I mean, on yourcareer. You know? All your energy has to go to that, right now.…And maybe forever. Probably forever. Like other girls should not be a thing,ever again.” She nodded. “Think about it.”
“Okay.”Bill agreed.
What did that mean? “Okay,” he’d think about it or “okay” he wouldn’t date other girls? Usually, she could understand his barely-words just fine, but now she was too panicked to even try. She opened her lips, ready to press the issue, but there was a knock at the door. Good Lord! Phone calls and now visitors?
“Who’s that?”
“Don’t care.” Bill stayed focused on her face. “They don’t matter to me.”
“How do you know they don’t matter, if you don’t know who they are?”
“You’re the only person who matters and you’re already here.”
Clem’s heartbeat sped up. Bill didn’t talk about his emotions without a lot of prompting. He didn’t talk aboutanythingwithout a lot of prompting. He wouldn’t voluntarily tell her how important she was to him unless he was feeling the feelings that she was feeling. Right?
She chewed on her lower lip.
Bill’s head tilted to one side, like he was surprised to see her sudden apprehension.
More knocking.
“Just ignore it. Whoever it is, they’ll go away.” He leaned closer to her and smiled in reassurance. That made her feel better. “You and me are having a real important conversation.”
“Are we?” She asked breathlessly. This was going to be agoodconversation. She could tell by the intensity of his expression. Whenever Bill focused all his passion on her…
“Yoo-hoo!” Rosalee called from the other side of the door. “Bill, are you there? Oh, B-iiiiill?” The long sing-song-y cadence to the word was as abrasive as chewing cactus spines.
