“I’m fine,” I croak, then clear my throat. “Just a little tired. I should get some sleep.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, I rise to my feet, take my purse and walk in a calm, deliberate manner up the stairs.
Chapter Twenty-Two
David
“Good morning,” I say, walking into the kitchen.
Erin jumps. “Oh! David! You startled me.”
“I did? Sorry. Um, you want some breakfast?”
She shakes her head while averting her eyes, then picks up her mug and starts gulping coffee.
I watch her throat work. No good morning? No smile? Barely even a look my way?
Something’s wrong here. And maybe it’s been wrong since last night. She started acting strange after watching TV…
Did she notice my reaction to her?
Shit. Her nearness sort of got me distracted. I’d seen that episode already, and wasn’t paying much attention. Instead, I was enjoying having her close, sharing the popcorn and feeling the nearness of her small, beautiful body, enjoying the sweet, fruity scent of her. It’s not a perfume, but it’s more captivating than any of the fancy brands my exes liked to spray on themselves.
Aaand I got hard. I had to shift position a little to hide it from her. Thankfully, she was too engrossed in the episode to notice.
So why was she so jumpy at the end there? And why is she still jumpy?
My phone beeps.
–Mom: I texted Erin yesterday afternoon, but she hasn’t responded. Can you ask her to check her phone?
Uh-oh. Better get a handle on this before Mom asks her to do something outlandish. This is new territory, so there’s no telling what she might want.
Matt’s voice surfaces inside my head. “New territory”? You talking about the lying or the engagement?
I scowl. “The lying” is necessary because of the circumstances, i.e., Shelly’s sudden reappearance in my life. So technically, she’s the one who’s lying.
Wow, that logic is ridiculous, even for you.
Whatever. I’m not wrong, though. Besides, this isn’t a major issue. If the engagement ends in three months… Well, Mom will just have to deal. And I’ll… Ah, I don’t want to think about that yet. We aren’t even through the first week.
I turn my attention back to the text. Mom’s waiting for a response.
–Me: What do you need?
–Mom: To talk to her about the party. Alexandra’s the star, but so is Erin. And you too, of course.
I almost smile. There’s an engagement, and all of a sudden her son’s an afterthought.
–Me: I’ll ask her to get in touch. She’s been really busy.
I tack that on at the end so Mom doesn’t think Erin
was ignoring her on purpose.
–Mom: Thanks, hon. Can’t wait to see you two!
I pocket the phone and turn to Erin, who’s putting her empty mug in the dishwasher. “Mom wants you to answer her text,” I say. “So if you can take a look when you get a chance…”