Page 51 of Beautiful Lies
Ava
It had been three weeks since the night Connor came to watch my aerial silks class. Last week, Killian helped Connor move into Jared’s place. It didn’t take them long. Connor didn’t have a lot of stuff and most of what he had ended up at Goodwill because Connor bought Jared’s furniture. Jared wanted to make a fresh start in San Diego when or if he ended up settling down there. First, he was going traveling and had no plans beyond the next few months.
“You again,” Claudia grouched, standing on the other side of the partition of Forever Ink’s office. You couldn’t really call it an office. Just a space in the back partitioned off from the rest of the shop.
I lifted my mug of green tea to my lips and eyed her over the rim as I took a sip. “You should get used to me. I’m going to be hanging around a lot.”
She rolled her eyes and rested her folded arms on the partition. “What’s the deal with you and Connor?”
I arched a brow. “Are we friends now?”
“I know when to cut my losses. Besides, he never paid me the slightest interest.”
I smiled at her admission. It shouldn’t matter. Unfortunately, it did.
“Don’t gloat. It’s annoying.”
“Ugh. I know. You’re right,” I said, wiping the smile off my face. “Where is he?”
She looked over her shoulder. “Consulting with a client. Up front.” She returned her attention to me and raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
“We’re just friends.”
She snorted. “That never works.”
“It’s working.” I’d been refraining from bitchy comments and Connor had been treating me as a friend. Sort of.
“Take it from me, it will end in one of two ways. You’ll either get back together and it will all work out because you’re older and wiser and you’ve forgiven each other for past mistakes. Or you’ll be reminded of all the reasons you couldn’t be with each other and you’ll realize that people don’t change that much.”
“Are you speaking from experience?”
“I have a degree in psychology. It’s useless for everything except giving advice. I’m great at dishing it out. Taking it is a different story.”
“Well, thanks for the chat.”
“Anytime. And for the record, I’d still do him.”
“For the record, if you go after him, I’ll scratch your eyes out.”What was my problem? I didn’t want him, but I didn’t want anyone else to have him either? Who was I kidding? I still wanted him. I just didn’twantto want him. I squeezed the stapler a few times in frustration, the staples forming a heap on the desktop.
She made a meow sound. “The kitten has claws.”
I brushed the staples into the wastepaper basket, hiding the evidence. “And wicked Krav Maga skills. Watch your back.”
“Damn girl, I love it when you get all Kill Bill.”
I looked over my shoulder at Connor, eyeing the Led Zeppelin T-shirt he’d had since high school. It never used to fit him so… snugly. He needed to stay away from the gym or start wearing looser T-shirts. This was far too distracting. “Where did you come from?”
He grinned. “Watch your back. I was right behind it.”
I swung my gaze to Claudia, my eyes narrowed. She shrugged. “I thought he was up front.”
“He moves like a ninja,” I muttered.
Claudia disappeared to the front of the shop, leaving me alone with Connor. He tossed his electronic cigarette on the newly-installed shelf behind me. A few days ago, I’d gotten Connor to hang shelves on the wall to store the color-coded binders I’d set up for him. It was easier than digging through the cardboard filing boxes Jared had used for the paperwork. “That thing sucks.”
“Vaping won’t blacken your lungs like nicotine, tar—”
“Yeah, yeah. I heard your lecture already.”
