“My turn.”
Max and Noah didn’t argue. She supposed when you had as much money as they did, there was no point haggling over the cost of dinner, even at one of the most expensive restaurants in Manhattan.
“I really enjoyed meeting you, Abby,” Max smiled warmly, when they stepped into the balmy night air. “Can I call you tomorrow to arrange a playdate with the girls?”
Abby’s heart was twisting. How could Max be so forgiving? So understanding? Wasn’t she furious that Abby had kept Charlotte a secret?
“Sure,” she murmured quickly. “I know Charlotte would love that.”
Max’s eyes narrowed for the briefest moment and then she leaned forward, kissing Abby’s cheeks. “I would too.” She squeezed Abby’s hand, as if for courage, then stepped back.
“How long are you here for?” Gray asked casually, reaching out and shaking Noah’s hand.
“Another week or so,” Max said. “Our plans aren’t set in stone. We thought we might go to the Hamptons for a while.”
“Okay. I’ll see you again soon.”
“Actually, I’m going to pop into the office tomorrow morning. Are you free around nine?”
“Sure. I can be.”
Max kissed his cheek, then stepped into the sleek black limousine that was waiting on the kerb. They watched them drive away and as soon as the car turned the corner, Abby stepped to the side of Gray, putting some distance between them.Finally.
“Thank goodness that’s over,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else, but Gray heard it, and lifted a brow inquiringly.
“You didn’t like Max and Noah?”
Abby turned to him, her forehead furrowed. “Of course I did. What’s not to like?”
“So why are you glad it’s over?”
“I don’t like lying. To them, or anyone. I don’t like pretending we’re something we’re not.” She shivered, despite the warmth of the night.
They’d walked to the restaurant – as it was only a few blocks from Gray’s penthouse and the weather was perfect. She turned in the direction of his place and started to stride, wanting nothing more than to be home. Not that it was home.
Suddenly she yearned for that – for her own bed, her own space. Gray was too much. Too everything. He was taking over her world—her breath, her body, her soul, her dreams, her DNA, her very existence.
“How exactly did we lie to them?”
He was right behind her. Shefelthim there, even before he’d spoken. The words wrapped around her, curdling in her gut.
“Oh, come on, Gray. Don’t be so obtuse. A lie doesn’t have to be spoken words. We lied every time we acted like a loved-up couple, and you know it.”
She didn’t know if he had any reply to that. She didn’t give him a chance.
“How can you even ask how we lied? You slept with someone else less than twenty-four hours ago and now you’re acting as though you’re wildly in love with me? You don’t think that’s a huge, freaking lie?”
“Wait, what?”
She didn’t stop. Her heart was pounding, her breath was burning, her eyes were stinging. She needed to escape. She lifted a hand to hail a cab, suddenly needing to get away from Gray and everything she felt for him.
She gulped for air, it didn’t come; nor did a cab, but she kept her hand resolutely in the air, looking around for the hint of yellow, then wishing she hadn’t when her eyes collided with Gray, and his expression was so stony, so cold, that she felt something inside of her falter.
“Abby, stop.”
But she couldn’t stop, and finally, there was a cab, its light on—so much hope in that light. She lifted her hand higher until the indicator flickered on.
“Why?” She shrugged her slender shoulders, cold pain radiating through her.