That’s when the tears came to me. Ben released me and wiped his thumbs under my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Jess. You know that’s not true.”
“He’s been cheating,” I croaked.
Ben pulled me to him again, squeezing me hard. He murmured in my ear, “Hon, I know this is a bad time, but we have guests.”
“Hi there!” came a cheerful voice. I leaned around Mikey to see the source, a short red-headed woman with Mikey’s dimples and a taller blonde woman who looked like she spent a lot of time in the sun.
“Jessalyn, meet my mother, Debbie, and my Aunt Lori.”
The red-headed woman stepped forward with a look of sheer delight. “I’ve heard so much about you! Ben didn’t mention that you two were an item!”
Ben put his arm around my waist and brought me inside. I looked at him for help.
“It’s all very new,” he said pleasantly. New was an understatement. A scheme hatched up when I stepped off the elevator was morelike it. “Mom and Lori are going to stay with us for a couple of days. We were just about to head out for dinner.”
“Oh, well, I can let y’all go catch up,” I said as graciously as possible. I really wanted to go sob in my bed, but it seemed my bed would still not be mine.
“Nonsense, sweetie. Come eat with us! You’re part of the family,” his aunt Lori said. Never have I ever loathed Midwestern hospitality so much as I did right in that moment.
Ben kissed my temple and squeezed my side, where his hand still hadn’t left. “Yeah, hon. Come with us. Unload from that bad day at work.”
He was covering the Cole situation for me by blaming my upset on work. Not bad, Mikey.
I forced a megawatt smile that I hoped looked authentic. “I guess if you insist! I’m just going to go freshen up and then I’ll be ready. That okay, baby?”
“Of course, darlin’,” he said, stifling a laugh. As I left the kitchen, I glared at him over his mom and Lori’s shoulders.
“DARLIN’?” I mouthed. He just shot me a dimply smile and a wink. I stepped into my room to find two suitcases already in there. Christ. I fired off a text to Kitty.
SOS. Mikey’s mom and aunt are here and they’re staying in my room. They think we’re a couple. There are other complications. I might need to take you up on your offer
I took off my blouse and bra, waving fresh air under my boobs and analyzing the situation. Ben had kissed me. I’d kissed Ben? Why was it such an amazing kiss? But it wasn’t real. Right?
Cole was seeing Sheila. That was real. Hehad beenseeing Sheila. I’d been cheated on. I was shaking. Another wave of nausea passed over me. How had I not known? How could he do that to me? No wonder he was so eager to find a reason for us to split up.
And now I had to keep up the ruse that Ben and I were dating because his mom and aunt saw us kissing? I had to go to dinner with them. Sleep in his bed *again*. Unless Kitty, who I also didn’t know that well, could offer me an out.
I applied a fresh layer of deodorant as sweat broke out in every fold of my body. My phone pinged.
Kitty Gatto
OMGGGGGG you poor thing!
Yes of course. Come on over. Let me know when you’re on your way
THANK YOU so much!! I’ll keep you posted. I’m headed out to dinner with them now. This is insane.
There was a knock at the door. “Can I come in?”
“Hang on,” I said, scrambling to hold a shirt to my front. So much for airing out my boobs.
The door creaked open and Ben stepped inside. “Shit, sorry,” he said as he realized I was topless.
“I said ‘hang on!’” I hissed.
“Sorry, I thought you said ‘come on!’”
“Well, your mom and your aunt think you’ve seen it all before anyway, huh?”
