Page 58 of Family Forever
“So how’s our breakup a bad thing? Wasn’t that part of the original plan?”
With her lack of response, he continued, “Because now you feel the need to come clean, and you’re afraid he won’t forgive you for lying.”
She nodded. “That, and he’ll back off because of that crazy notion he has that I need to experience life before returning to Humdrum, USA. He’ll know I’ve done nothing these past five months but work my butt off at school.” She blinked back her welling tears. “What should I do, tell me what to do?”
“I don’t know, plus, I’m pretty sure you already know what you are going to do. You won’t be able to live without telling him the truth.”
“But I don’t want to lose him.”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. And remember the dagger he shot at me with his eyes when he thought we were a couple on New Year’s? He loves you. He’ll forgive you.”
Marissa stretched up onto her tiptoes and kissed Terry on the cheek. “You’re a good friend. I hope you’re right. Thank you.”
Marissa’s economics class was a bust. She couldn’t focus on supply and demand to save her life. Skimming her fingertips over her lips, she recalled the pleasure-filled hours she spent kissing Dylan. She could have kissed him until the cows came home if her dang body didn’t require sleep. For the longest time she continued to kiss him with all she had, tempting him, hoping to draw more than kisses from him. But not wholesome Dylan. He would never dream of rushing things or not planning out every last move and analyzing them to death before deciding the correct move to make. But during one weak moment, his hand had actually slipped under her sweatshirt and he splayed his fingers across her lower back before he inched them around her side and skimmed his fingertips across her stomach. Desire ripped through her and she willed him to move his hand up. She wanted his warm touch on her breast. But he caught himself and pulled his hand out from under her shirt.
Students began filing out of the lecture hall. Honestly, she couldn’t recall one thing the instructor had said during the entire class period. As she rose from her seat, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and tapped Cole’s contact number. She needed his help to figure out what to do about her lies to Dylan.
“I’m guessing you have some news to share,” he answered, bypassing the customary hello.
“What do you mean?”
“Nice try, but I’ve got a brother walking around on cloud nine right now, and he tells me he had a visitor last night.”
“He did?” It seemed unusual for Dylan to readily share that information with Cole, or anyone for that matter.
“Well, I may have had to pry it from him, but the point is he was so unusually cheery, especially for the way he’s been acting lately, I knew something was up.”
Marissa couldn’t help but smile.Finally.Her smile quickly faded as she recalled the lying, her lying. The reason she called Cole in the first place. The air drained from her lungs.
“Marissa, are you still there.”
“Yeah.”
“Aren’t you happy?”
“Yes, and no.”
“I’m not following.”
“I lied to him this morning.”
“About what?”
“Terry.”
“Terry?” The confusion in Cole’s voice was unmistakable.
“Yes. I borrowed Terry’s car last night to go home, and Dylan asked about me and Terry. I freaked out and lied. I told him we broke up but are still friends.”
Cole chuckled. “That’s it?”
“This isn’t funny. This is serious.”
“But this was the plan all along, and it worked.”
“I know, and I felt guilty enough before when we led Dylan on. But now… God, I feel even worse, and when he finds out."
“You’re not planning on telling him, are you?” Cole interrupted.
