Page 13 of Threaded Lies

Winnie prances around my legs as I make my way to the front door. I have half a mind to ignore whoever is here, but my mom’s texts are growing more frantic by the hour. The last thing I need is for her to freak out and have the chief put out an APB on me with all that’s going on.

When I look through the peephole at who stands on the other side, all I can do is sag with resignation at the conversation I need to have, but clearly by how I’ve been hiding out, don’t want to.

With a deep breath, I open the front door and come face-to-face with a fate I sealed when I took that phone call.

You have to face the music sometime, Row.

“Chad. Hi.”

His grin is one of pure relief. His eyes light up and when he steps in to give me a hug, that light fades into confusion as I take a step back to avoid it.

Chad’s eyebrows furrow and his eyes assess me. “You’re here.” He sounds accusatory, but he has every right to be, considering I’ve dodged him at every chance.

“Yeah, I needed to start going through Gran’s stuff. Clear my head. Just … stuff.”

“Stuff? Like the same kind of stuff that has you come back from a meeting in Georgia, avoid being in the office, and when you do come in like you did today, you leave without heading up to our floor or saying anything to anyone?”

I swallow and offer a disingenuous smile. “You act like I was hiding or something. I was in the studio shooting a new ad campaign.”

“Today, maybe. But when have you ever come to work and then left without going up to your office?”

“I had too much makeup on. Wanted to take a shower and wash it off and work from home,” I lie. My makeup was off when I left but he doesn’t need to know that.

“You mean Gran’s house, because you’ve yet to go home to yours.”

“Chad?” I act confounded but shouldn’t be surprised that he knows I haven’t been staying at my house.

“What? You don’t think I haven’t been by your house to make sure you’re okay? Or that I haven’t been fending off our mothers from bombarding you with wedding details?” He shakes his head. “Fine. Sure. Today you needed to take a shower, but what about the past few days? What’s your excuse there?”

I look inside the partially opened doorway to Gran’s foyer and dread knowing the polite thing to do is to ask him. The last thing I want to do is invite him in because it’s so much more than that.

Then again, it is Chad and he’s the one who came up with this whole convoluted idea.

“Come in?” I ask, trying to infuse warmth in my voice.

He clears his throat and nods. Realizing that I’m not as welcoming and cheerful as I should be, he fills the awkward silence with praise for Winnie and she adds to it with the thumping of her tail.

Once we’re seated in the front room and staring at each other, he lifts his hands. “So are you going to answer me? You agreed to this and then have completely ignored me,” he pushes.

His guard slips ever so slightly and it’s there—the love, the adoration, the hope—he’s felt for me all these years. The reason he’s doing this for me and hoping, somehow, it will make me feel the same in turn.

“The answer is complicated,” I murmur.

“Complicated?” He snorts. “That’s the type of shit someone says when they’re going through a breakup. Should I worry that’s why you’re avoiding the office?” He looks a little closer at me, and I hold my expression as stoic as possible. “Row? Is that it?”

I struggle to find my voice. If I’m too overeager in response, then he’ll know he’s right. The last thing I want is anyone knowing that Holden and I were … a thing. That would put so much in jeopardy for me—my reputation, my standing, my family’s opinion that I really don’t care about, but now, clearly need in my favor.

“You’re being ridiculous, Chad.” I wave my hand and roll my eyes.

“Oh my God. That’s it, isn’t it? Who in the hell is it?” His eyes widen and lips fall lax as he leans in closer.

Shit. “Why would you even say something like that?”

“Because I know you, Rowan Rothschild. I’ve known you my whole life and I swear to god that—”

“I’m not dating anyone.”

“Obviously, since you broke up with and are avoiding him.”