Page 213 of Tempting-

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"So..." She zips her purse and taps her fingers against it.

"So...?"

Her chest heaves with her sigh.

I keep my lips pressed together.

I can't say anything.

She can't know.

It's just not an option.

"Whatever is happening, you can tell me." She turns toward me. "I won't be mad."

I don't believe that. I force my lips into a smile. "Nothing is happening."

"You... you and Brendon are being weird. And your lipstick was smudged in the car."

"I had a snack at Inked Hearts."

"Nobody snacks at Inked Hearts."

"In the lobby."

She shakes her head. "What is it, Kay? Why don't you want to tell me?"

"It's nothing." Shakiness seeps into my voice. I want it to be nothing. Or at least nothing important. But it's huge.

"It's something." She presses her ass against the counter. Folds her arms. Frustration creeps into her eyes.

It's hurting her that I'm keeping a secret.

This is my chance.

I can confess everything.

Or I can double down on the lie.

I take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

Her dark eyes stay fixed on mine.

"I... uh... Brendon... uh. Brendon caught me and Dean." Guilt nags at my throat. It takes everything I have to keep my expression neutral.

"Oh." Emma tilts her head, turning over the so called admission.

"Yeah." I dig into my lie. "We were just kissing, but he got pissed."

"What did he say?"

"Dean's a whore. I can do better. That kind of thing."

"Did he threaten to kill Dean?"

"More or less." Or a lot less.

Emma's eyes bore into mine. "Really?"

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