Page 76 of Beautiful Lies
“Yeah, I figured,” Killian said with a snort. “You sure you’re okay?”
Funny, he didn’t give a shit how I was last Thanksgiving. “It’s cool. I’ve got plans.”
“The soup kitchen.”
I worked it last year with Tate and I was doing it again this year. After we’d left the soup kitchen last year, I hadn’t been in a good place. Tate had walked with me for miles. Not talking. Just being there for me so I didn’t do anything I’d regret. “It’s a good thing to do.”
“Yeah.” He was silent for a few seconds and I had no idea what the purpose of this phone call was. “We’ll be back Saturday night. If you need me, call me.”
If I needed him, which I wouldn’t, I doubted that he’d be able to help me from three hundred miles away. Not to mention that Killian wasn’t much of a conversationalist. What I didn’t tell him was that Tate was my first phone call these days. Not Killian. I didn’t want to burden him with any more of my shit. “I’m good. Enjoy your weekend. Catch you later.”
He said goodbye, with Eden echoing it in the background and I tossed my phone on the counter, taking a seat at the island next to Ava who was chewing on her lip.
“I wish—”
I placed my fingers over her lips, already knowing what she was going to say. “Shh. It doesn’t matter. It’s just one day.”
“It’s not. It’s Thanksgiving.”
“I’ll pick you up in Bay Ridge on Friday morning.”
“I know, but it’s not right that you—”
I pulled her into a kiss to stop the rest of the words. We’d already been over this. Her family didn’t accept me and turning up at their family Thanksgiving would ruin it for her. “Do you want to be with me, Ava? I’m not just talking about tomorrow.”
She lifted her eyes to mine. “Yes.”
“Do I make you happy?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all that matters to me. Okay?”
She gave me a little smile. “Okay.” But her gray eyes had clouded over and that brilliant smile from earlier was gone.
“Let’s go to bed,” I said as she stifled a yawn. She nodded and followed me into the bedroom. After we took turns in the bathroom, we undressed and climbed into bed. I pulled the comforter over her shoulder and wrapped an arm around her as she fit her body into the curve of mine. She fell asleep instantly, her fingers entwined with mine, and despite not being able to spend Thanksgiving with her, I was happy. I was at peace. There were no monsters lurking in the dark for me tonight. Just Ava, her pale hair spread across the pillow, her skin soft and warm, her smile from earlier imprinted on my brain.
22
Ava
“He’s a nice boy. And so handsome. His mother showed me photos. And he’s a lawyer,” my mom said. “I gave his mother your number. You can bet he’ll be calling you.”
Happy Thanksgiving. The table was laden with food, the wine was flowing, and my mom hadn’t stopped harping on me since I’d walked in the door. “If he does, he’ll be wasting his time,” I said. “I’m not interested.”
My mom sighed and looked down the table at my father. “Lars, talk to your daughter. Tell her how important it is to find a nice man. Someone who’s a good provider.”
“Pass the cranberry sauce,” my dad said. My mom passed it down the table and it changed hands until it reached me. I set it next to the brussels sprouts in front of him. Did anyone like brussels sprouts? My dad helped himself to the cranberry sauce, ignoring my mother’s pointed look.
“What happened to that other young man… the blond one?” my grandma asked.
“He looked like a pansy,” my grandpa said, earning him a sharp elbow from my grandma.
“He’s just a friend,” I told my grandma. “And you can’t call a guy a pansy,” I told my grandpa. He grunted and shoveled food into his mouth.
“She dumped him for no good reason,” my mom said, throwing up her hands. “Can you believe that? Such a good catch.”
I sighed and pushed the food around on my plate, thinking about Connor. It seemed so wrong that I couldn’t even invite him to my family’s Thanksgiving dinner. But I’d probably done him a favor.
