I got home. There was no way I could ever call him now. Not after what I’d done. Just as well; he was clearly dangerous. I’d almost jumped into bed with him on the first night—who knew how I would have reacted the next time I saw him.
It seemed like a good idea to give up men for an indefinite period of time. Maybe become a nun.
“I’m going home. You people drive me crazy.” I kept my head down to dig inside my purse for my keys.
“Wait! What’s he look like?” Lexie asked.
Matt’s image slide easily into mind, the way his lips turned up into a lopsided smile, all dimples and sexy. I shivered and my cheeks grew warm. .
“Oh,” Mom said on a breath and clasped her hands together against her chest. “You really like this one.”
“Mom, please don’t get any ideas,” I pleaded, losing the smile. “It’s still new.”
Like nonexistent new. But the attraction? Yeah, that was real. Just the thought of him made me tingle all over.
“ Hmm ,” Catherine said with pursed lips. She still didn’t believe my story so I did what any desperate girl would—I took out my cell phone and flipped to the picture of me and Matt. Truthfully, I’d been looking at it all day.
I flashed the picture at Catherine, let her have a good look at it, before turning it so Mom and Lexie could see. Then I dropped the phone into my purse and said, “He’s real, so quit looking at me like that.”
“He’s cute,” Lexie said then gazed back at me with question in her eyes. She seemed hurt I hadn’t told her about him.
“Bring him to dinner Saturday. I want to meet him,” Mom said.
I shook my head and grasped the front door handle. “No. It’s too early for that. Love you guys.”
I escaped before they could ask me anything else. Outside the sun was low on the horizon, the sky a shadow of orange and red. Normally, I would have stopped to take in the sunset, breathe in the colors and smells of a May evening, but I was too deep in the load of crap I’d just made up.
And why the hell had I used Matt’s name?
What is wrong with you?!?
I threw my car into reverse and backed out of my parents’ driveway with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Catherine could sniff out a lie from a mile away, and I was no good at telling them. Obviously—I’d just made up a boyfriend in a moment of panic. How pathetic was I? And if they found out my story was a load of bull, they’d all be pissed.
This is all Catherine’s fault , I reasoned and flipped on the stereo. And Lexie hadn’t been any help in the matter.
They’d forced my hand!
I never would have made up such a stupid story if it weren’t for them butting in the way they had. They were ruthless, really.
“They’re crazy!” I said to my empty car. I stopped at the stop sign and looked both ways before turning onto the street. “I mean, they’re really bat-shit crazy right now. I had no choice .”
My fib had been a matter of survival. Drastic situations called for drastic measures. It was the only way…
How hard could it be to maintain a fabricated relationship with a guy who would never find out?
“I’ll have a fake break up after engagement party,” I muttered and turned the corner. “Piece of cake.”
Chapter Seven
My passion had always been art. When I was little, I’d been content brandishing a pack of crayons and doodling on any surface available—walls, sidewalks, the refrigerator door, but mostly on paper. Especially after my parents had threatened to take away my art supplies. As I grew older and learned a bit of self-control, I focused my creativity on surfaces that wouldn’t be scrubbed or repainted. I’d fallen in love with color and it was a part of me, like breathing.
Art was an outlet for my every emotion, and a fundamental aspect of my life that I never once questioned. I painted whatever moved me, mostly visions from dreams so vivid that I spent days, sometimes weeks getting an image out of my head before I
It seemed like a good idea to give up men for an indefinite period of time. Maybe become a nun.
“I’m going home. You people drive me crazy.” I kept my head down to dig inside my purse for my keys.
“Wait! What’s he look like?” Lexie asked.
Matt’s image slide easily into mind, the way his lips turned up into a lopsided smile, all dimples and sexy. I shivered and my cheeks grew warm. .
“Oh,” Mom said on a breath and clasped her hands together against her chest. “You really like this one.”
“Mom, please don’t get any ideas,” I pleaded, losing the smile. “It’s still new.”
Like nonexistent new. But the attraction? Yeah, that was real. Just the thought of him made me tingle all over.
“ Hmm ,” Catherine said with pursed lips. She still didn’t believe my story so I did what any desperate girl would—I took out my cell phone and flipped to the picture of me and Matt. Truthfully, I’d been looking at it all day.
I flashed the picture at Catherine, let her have a good look at it, before turning it so Mom and Lexie could see. Then I dropped the phone into my purse and said, “He’s real, so quit looking at me like that.”
“He’s cute,” Lexie said then gazed back at me with question in her eyes. She seemed hurt I hadn’t told her about him.
“Bring him to dinner Saturday. I want to meet him,” Mom said.
I shook my head and grasped the front door handle. “No. It’s too early for that. Love you guys.”
I escaped before they could ask me anything else. Outside the sun was low on the horizon, the sky a shadow of orange and red. Normally, I would have stopped to take in the sunset, breathe in the colors and smells of a May evening, but I was too deep in the load of crap I’d just made up.
And why the hell had I used Matt’s name?
What is wrong with you?!?
I threw my car into reverse and backed out of my parents’ driveway with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Catherine could sniff out a lie from a mile away, and I was no good at telling them. Obviously—I’d just made up a boyfriend in a moment of panic. How pathetic was I? And if they found out my story was a load of bull, they’d all be pissed.
This is all Catherine’s fault , I reasoned and flipped on the stereo. And Lexie hadn’t been any help in the matter.
They’d forced my hand!
I never would have made up such a stupid story if it weren’t for them butting in the way they had. They were ruthless, really.
“They’re crazy!” I said to my empty car. I stopped at the stop sign and looked both ways before turning onto the street. “I mean, they’re really bat-shit crazy right now. I had no choice .”
My fib had been a matter of survival. Drastic situations called for drastic measures. It was the only way…
How hard could it be to maintain a fabricated relationship with a guy who would never find out?
“I’ll have a fake break up after engagement party,” I muttered and turned the corner. “Piece of cake.”
Chapter Seven
My passion had always been art. When I was little, I’d been content brandishing a pack of crayons and doodling on any surface available—walls, sidewalks, the refrigerator door, but mostly on paper. Especially after my parents had threatened to take away my art supplies. As I grew older and learned a bit of self-control, I focused my creativity on surfaces that wouldn’t be scrubbed or repainted. I’d fallen in love with color and it was a part of me, like breathing.
Art was an outlet for my every emotion, and a fundamental aspect of my life that I never once questioned. I painted whatever moved me, mostly visions from dreams so vivid that I spent days, sometimes weeks getting an image out of my head before I
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