Page 13 of One Little Lie
And I do. Big. Toothy. Happy.
“We’ll last forever, huh?” My voice is thick with emotion, but when she rests her palm on my chest, I think I might explode.
“We’re sempiternal.” Her damn smile wraps around my body like a protective shield, eviscerating all my worries, fears, and insecurities.
Chapter 5
Rylan
“Cheers.” Colton clinks his mug with mine.
We’re sitting across from each other in a red-and-white checkered booth at The Marinated Mushroom, Burke Hollow’s Italian restaurant and pizzeria. My best friend has never grown out of his pizza obsession, so here we are, having a beer and waiting on his spinach and bacon carb addiction. The scents of yeast and marinara drifting from the kitchen are oddly comforting.
Leaning back into the booth, Colton rests one arm along the back and watches me over the top of his glass. My chest pings painfully when he smirks. They all have the same crooked lip that tilts up. I used to love that about Hatty.
“I talked to Preston this morning.”
The claw that had my heart in a vice releases its grip. “Yeah? When’s he coming?”
Colton chuckles. “As soon as your parents can get packed up?”
“What? I talked to Mom this morning; she didn’t mention anything.”Why wouldn’t she have told me?
“I think it was a Preston special.”
Preston has always been generous, but when their father died, he really had to lean on my mom to learn the ropes of The Westbrook Group. He’s made sure to repay her tenfold since he found his footing.
“She says she’s never allowed to retire.”
“Oh, God. The place would burn to the ground. Preston wouldn’t be able to function. He counts on her for everything.”
I smile because I know she’ll work as long as humanly possible. She and Sylvie have become the best of friends over the years, but she will probably always feel indebted to the Westbrooks for their kindness. Our lives would have been very different if they hadn’t swooped in and claimed us as their own all those years ago.
My parents are the best examples of love I’ve ever seen. I know it broke their hearts when I left home and put an ocean between us. My mom’s the only person on earth who knows the truth about Hatty and me, and as much as it broke her, she understood my need for space.
“So,” Colton prods, “you gonna tell me what the hell happened in London and why you left in such a hurry?”
Worrying my bottom lip, I play with the straw the waitress left for our waters.
“Ryguy? What’s going on?” He reaches across the table and stills my hands.
The bell on the door chimes, and we both lift our gaze. The place has been pretty quiet, so the shrill sound catches our attention, and we both watch as Hatty walks through the door, oblivious to his surroundings.
Like a bad 80’s movie, time moves in slow motion as Hatty enters the restaurant.
“Halt,” Colton calls. “Hey, over here.”
Hatty stops mid-stride, then turns, and everything but him fades to the background. His focus locks on Colton’s hand that still has a firm grasp on mine. My fingers twitch with the need to pull them away, but Colty holds on tightly.
“Come on, come sit.”
His eyes never leave our hands, but they narrow before a pained expression crosses his face.
After all this time, I still want to run to him. To protect him and fix what’s wrong. Once upon a time, I would have known before he did.How can I still long for him after all he’s done?Slowly, he drags his gaze up my arm to meet my eyes. It feels like a lover’s kiss. My mouth instantly goes dry. I might even see stars because I’m surely not breathing.
When Hatty’s glare takes me prisoner, I’m lost.I’ve loved this man for all my life. Even if my mind won’t admit it, my heart recognizes his beat from a thousand miles away. And when his face goes hard, I know that’s just how far from me he is.
“Can’t. Just picking up some pizza for Ash. See you later,” he barks.
