Page 123 of These White Lies
“Maybe,” she acknowledges, flipping me her middle finger as she disappears.
34
ELIZABETH
The past few days have been quiet. Oddly quiet, considering what’s waiting for us at the end of the week. I stay tucked inside Brady’s headquarters working, while he buries himself in Elite’s endless stream of responsibilities. It feels more routine than it should—like a normal couple working from home—instead of hiding from people who want me dead.
I bury myself in work, pretending I don’t listen for the sound of his footsteps outside the door, or how for the first time in my life, I am thinking about more than my job.
I’ve converted the coffee table into a makeshift desk and am pleasantly surprised that I can still accomplish most of my tasks without too much trouble. However, it’s a little awkward when I have to decline in-person meetings. I’m not sure how I’ll explain it all when it’s finally safe for me to emerge back in the real world.
As busy as we both are, we make it a point to share at least one meal together. I love listening to him talk about Elite. He wants more than just a successful business. He wants to be the best in the world—and I recognize that hunger. It mirrors my own, and it surprises me how much I crave that kind of passion in someone else.
The longer I’m here, the more I want him. It’s not just the pull of his body—though the steady cocktail of dopamine and serotonin from countless orgasms has my hormones out of control. It’s the way he smiles at me when I challenge him, the way he listens when I speak, and the way he carries his authority and responsibility without complaint. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want him.
At night, I give him everything I’m still too terrified to put into words. With him, I can strip down to more than just my skin. Only with Brady have I ever felt safe enough to be completely open.
I’m in love with him. But I can’t say it. It’s ridiculous, but I’m scared if I say it out loud then I’ll have put my heart at risk, even though I know there isn’t a hurtful bone in his body. Every time I open my mouth to say it, my tongue freezes, and I end up showing him the only way I can. With my body. And the way he stares into my eyes and holds me through the night, I know he feels the same.
One of us just needs to stop being a coward and say it.
The party is tonight.
I’ve already showered, done my makeup, and slipped into the short, red dress Dahlia sent over. On her it probably hangs looser, but on me it clings, showing more than I’m used to. I stare at myself in the mirror for a long moment, my mouth tightening when I realize the bodice is too tight for me to reach around to pull the zipper all the way up.
The bright red color will be impossible to ignore.Good.I’m not hiding from these people anymore.
The stitches are gone. Brady brought in a doctor earlier today to examine them. Then he held my hand the entire time, murmuring some nonsense to keep me from looking while the doctor snipped the stitches out.
I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, putting on my heels, when the knock comes. My stomach jumps with nerves.
I expect Brady, but it’s Sera filling my doorway.
I stop with my hand still on the knob. We haven’t spoken since I came back, and the last thing I want before walking into a night like this is a fight.
“Hi,” I say, carefully. Then I turn, gathering my hair over one shoulder. “Do me a favor? I can’t reach the zipper.”
There’s a pause before she steps in. Then I hear the scrape of her boots on the floor. Her fingers catch the zipper and draw it up in one smooth pull. I face her again, and her expression is cool, only the smallest degree away from frozen.
“I made it clear I didn’t think you were good for my brother,” she says without preamble, her arms folding across her chest. “But apparently, he wants you. I’m not a complete psycho. I love my brother, and it’s just you seem… hard. With everything he deals with, I thought maybe he’d be better off with someone,” she says, as she pulls a face, “softer. But he cares about you, so what do I know?”
“I can be hard,” I admit. “I’ve had to be. My job demands it, probably the same way yours does. Women in male-dominated fields don’t get second chances. We have to outlast everyone. And if we show emotion? They decide it’s weakness.”
She cracks the tiniest smile, and it transforms her face. Sera is truly gorgeous when she smiles. “Men like to think they’re tougher, but the egos… Unreal!”
A genuine smile spreads across my face. “Exactly. Trust me, you’ve never met so many male prima donnas until you’ve worked in the entertainment industry.”
Sera giggles, and I do an internal excited shimmy.
Her expression sobers. “Are you ever soft? Can you turn it off?”
I take a beat before answering, weighing the words I want to use. I get the distinct impression the question is as much about her as it is about me.
“With your brother.” Warmth spreads through my chest at the thought of Brady. “Because he makes it safe for me to be soft. I don’t have to worry that he’s looking for an angle or trying to take something from me. It’s a gift I’m not sure I can ever repay.”
Sera doesn’t move, but her eyes linger on me clearly trying to decide if she wants to continue the conversation. Her throat works, then she says softly, “It’s hard. To always be on alert. To always be on watch.”
“I know,” I agree. “I’ve never been able to let my guard down before.”
