That woman obviously not being me.
That lie was, “Peachy.”
He didn’t let my chin go, and in the streetlights thatilluminated the interior of the car, he studied me.
“You sure?”he asked.
God, I hated that he could read me.
I nodded, still held in his light grip.“Yep.”
It took him another couple of moments to let me go.When hedid, I looked to my knees.
“You were great tonight,” he stated.
“Thanks, sugar,” I muttered.
“You’re always great.”
“Thanks,” I repeated.
“Party go okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Your friend like her cake?”
I looked out the windshield and nodded.
“Good,” Marcus murmured, sounding distracted.
I drew in a breath.
I let it go.
Marcus fell silent.
I did not fill that void.
Ronald drove us to Marcus’s penthouse and he rode up with usand stood in the vestibule as Marcus let us in.
“Thank you, Ronald,” Marcus said to him as I scooted in thedoor Marcus pushed open for me.
Ronald had no reply.
I looked out the windows at the lights of the city, theshadowed grandeur of the Front Range, hating it that was the last time I’d seethat view and wishing in that moment something that gorgeous had never beengiven to me.
Wishing that so I wouldn’t wish the same about other, moreimportant things.
I heard the door close behind me.
I turned to Marcus.
“Ready for bed?”he asked.
“I’m leaving,” I blurted.
That wasn’t how I’d wanted to start it.
