“Oh?” Mom seems to perk up. “Who’s this friend?”
“Julie.” I know Mom remembers that name. She was my only friend back at the magazine. “She broke up with her boyfriend, and she needs a little girl time.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Mom’s just saying the words. There’s no emotion there. “How long will you be gone?”
“A week or two.” I turn to my father. “Dad, I’m going to have to quit the job at the store. I plan on looking for something in the city while I’m there. I’ll call Richard later.”
“No worries. I’ll call him. He’ll understand considering the situation.”
“Oh, right.” I look at Billy then at my feet. For some reason, those words from my dad hurt more than anything my mom has said or done. What did I expect? “The situation”ismy fault. “I don’t mind. I’ll message him.”
“I said I’d do it,” Dad snaps.
I feel my eyes burn, and I do my damn best to will away any tears. But one slips past and slides down my cheek. “Oh, Jo.” My dad must have seen it.
I quickly wipe it away. “No, it’s okay. I know this is all my fault.”
“No, it’s not.” Billy slides his arm over my shoulders. “This is not your fault.”
When nobody jumps in to agree with him, I pull away and gather myself. “Well, I guess I’ll go pack up. Billy, you don’t mind if I ride with you into the city?”
“No. I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
“Thanks.” With that, I race down the basement stairs to pack. And to cry. Because what else am I supposed to do?
Chapter Eleven
I’mbusy trying to decide what I need to take with me for two weeks when I feel a hand on my lower back. It startles me, and I jump and squeak like a deranged mouse. “Shit, Billy.” I laugh and pant at the same time. “Don’t sneak up on me.”
“Sorry.” He smirks. “I assumed you heard me clomping down the wooden steps.”
“My mind is on other things.”
“I know.” Billy sits down on the sofa bed that is now in sofa-mode. “So, you should have warned me.”
As I pick up those dirty leggings from the other day, I turn to look at him. “Warn you about what?”
“What a good liar you are.”
“Huh?” I stand up and turn to face him.
“You lied so smoothly up there about your friend, I almost believed you.”
“Oh, yeah?” I snap. “Did you ever consider it was true?”
“Oh, uh….”
“Because it is. Julie finally broke up with the cheating bastard she was dating. If you were listening, I didn’t specifically say I was staying with her. I left that out. But…” I grab whatever clean clothes are in the basket and shove them into my bag. “I think I should stay with her.”
“What?” Billy quickly stands and moves toward me. “Why?”
“You should have warned me,” I say in a mocking tone. “What a good liar you are.”
“I’m sorry. I….”
“You what? You didn’t think? Well, guess what, asshole, that’s obvious. I don’t need this.” I say the last sentence louder than probably necessary, but it feels good to yell a little. “I don’t fucking need this bullshit. Not from a guy I just met. I’ve been through enough in the last forty-eight hours,William.” I emphasize his name because it feels right. And because he doesn’t like it when I call him William. So there.
“Our first fight,” he says while wrapping his big arms around me. When his lips touch my neck, I relax into him. “Make-up sex is the best. I can’t wait to try it with you.” He kisses my neck again, right below my ear.
