I tried to disentangle myself from Memphis’s hold, but he refused to release me. He dropped his mouth to my ear, whispered, “Sorry,” and then kissed the spot just below it. “Please tell me.”
I hesitated and then said, “He won’t talk to me.”
Memphis loosened his hold on me enough so that he could look at me as he spoke. “What do you mean?”
“He found out I lied about why I was away from the apartment so many nights last week. I kept telling him I had to work,” I admitted as a wave of fresh shame washed over me. “He thinks I’m seeing someone who’s a customer at my uncle’s car shop.”
I pulled free of Memphis and crossed my arms. “I think he believed me, but I think he’s hiding something.”
“Why do you think that?”
I shook my head. “He’s just not acting like himself. I saw this bruise on his side this morning, but when I asked him about it, he said he fell.”
“You don’t believe him?”
I chewed on my lip. “I mean, it’s not like I have any right to accuse him of lying to me considering that’s all I’ve been doing, but no, I don’t believe him. He’s…he’s just off somehow.”
Memphis reached out to stroke his fingers over my cheek. I shivered at the contact and not just because I always physically responded when Memphis touched me.
“Is there someone you can talk to about him? His folks? His friends?”
“His parents left for Disneyworld yesterday…most of our family went. And I don’t think he’d appreciate it if I went behind his back like that. I…I don’t know if he has friends that he still hangs out without here. I think he might be back with his girlfriend, but I’m not really sure.”
I forced myself to look up at Memphis. “I’m sorry, I should just go. I know this isn’t what you stayed in town for…”
I turned to go, but Memphis grabbed my hand and tugged me to him. He gave me another sweet kiss, but didn’t take it any further. “Come lay down with me for a bit. Just resting, nothing else,” he said quickly. A mix of surprise and relief went through me and while I needed to get back to Tristan to try and get him to talk to me, I needed this too.
I let Memphis lead me to the bed. I kicked my shoes off and crawled on top of the bed and as soon as Memphis laid down I curled against his side. A sense of rightness went through me when his arm came around me and pulled me to him until I was resting against his chest. We stayed there like that for several long minutes before he said, “What are today’s questions?”
I smiled to myself because I didn’t miss the hint of dread in his voice.
“We don’t have to do that today,” I said softly. “I didn’t exactly keep up my end of the deal.”
Memphis’s fingers trailed over my temple and through my hair and I bit back a sigh.
“Brennan,” he said quietly.
“Yeah?”
“Ask me the questions.”
I barely moved or breathed as I heard the unspoken demand. Did I dare risk it? Was he really giving me permission to cross that line?
“Do you have any family?”
There was just the slightest tightening of his arm around me before he said, “Not anymore. They’re gone.”
I knew I was treading on dangerous ground so I ignored the need to ask what had happened to them and instead said, “All of them?”
“Yes.”
I was ready to accept the simple response and move on to myfinal question when Memphis’s chest rose and fell beneath my ear just before he said, “My father died a few years after I was born and my mom remarried when I was ten. She and my stepdad had my sister, Janie, a couple years after that.”
I waited to see if he would say anything else, but when he remained silent, I began rubbing my fingers in a circle in the middle of his chest. I was blown away that he’d shared as much as he had and while I had a million more questions, I knew better than to press my luck.
“I get one more question, right?” I said softly.
“Right.”
