Page 123 of Veil of Lies

“You hungry, princess?” I asked with a laugh. Given how little we’d both eaten, it was unsurprising.

“I wasn’t, but now we’re away from there, my appetite has returned. It’s fine though, I have a cereal bar back at the hotel.”

I frowned at her. “Nope, not happening. If my girl’s hungry, she gets food. End of.”

“Oh my god, listen to yourself!” she scoffed, her eyes rolling. “Cut the possessive alpha bullshit right now. I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah, no, princess.” I was all in now. And what Stella needed to realize was that I took care of my own.

Chapter 93

Stella

I loved old-fashioned diners. Dad had always enjoyed taking me to places like this as a kid. He said it was good for me to see what life was like in Small Town America. A reminder that not everyone was lucky enough to be as wealthy as us.

The lesson I took away from these trips was not about money; it was that a burger and fries followed by a slice of apple pie was the food of the Gods. Honestly, meals like that were a special treat for me. Dad’s personal chef was amazing, but nothing beat a greasy burger and a chocolate milkshake from a truck stop.

We sat in a corner booth of a 24-hour diner as rain lashed down outside. Bright fluorescent lighting picked out every detail of the worn Formica tables and scratched leather seats and at the far end of the room was an old jukebox full of 45s. It was retro and cool at the same time.

This late, the diner wasn’t too busy. A small huddle of teens giggled and flirted. A couple of off-duty cops drank coffee at the counter and chatted with a server, and an older woman read a paperback novel with a bare-chested man on the cover while she nursed a drink. People hurried past the large windows, sheltering from the rain under umbrellas and hats.

It was a slice of Americana reminiscent of Nighthawks, one of my favorite paintings by Edward Hopper.

The scent of coffee, cinnamon, and fried meat tickled my nose, causing my stomach to growl even more loudly, much to Brax’s amusement. I was starting to wish I’d done the ribeye more justice.

“What can I get you kids?” The waitress’s complexion was sallow and strands of hair hung loose from a messy bun, but she blessed us with a warm smile anyway.

“Two burgers and fries, one chocolate milkshake, and a coffee please,” Brax said.

By the time the food arrived ten minutes later, my appetite had returned with a vengeance. I scoffed the lot down in record time, although I did make a point of savoring the milkshake.

“You’re a cheap date,” Brax commented as he scooped up the last few fries and dipped them in ketchup.

“Always. Just give me a burger and a milkshake and I’m happy.”

“My dream woman,” he snorted. “I once took a date to the movies and she was horrified when I suggested we stop at the MacDonald’s Drive-Thru.”

I laughed. “Serves you right for dicking high-maintenance chicks.”

“You’re right. I’ve always had poor taste in women.”

Yup, Exhibit A: Rowena. “Can’t say my judgment has been spot on either,” I admitted. My good humor faded when I thought about Brody. What an asshole he turned out to be.

“Your ex who outed you to the world’s media?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“If I ever have the pleasure of meeting him, I can promise you he won’t enjoy it.”

“My hero!” I pretended to swoon and he grinned at me.

I liked making Brax smile. He didn’t smile enough, in my opinion. When he did smile, the whole world lit up, dazzling me with its beauty.

“Would you like some dessert?” We both looked at the worn plastic menu. Apple pie sounded good, but so did ice cream. Oh wait, I could have both? My mind was made up.

Our waitress wandered over with a pad and pencil rather than an iPad. Technology clearly hadn’t arrived here yet.

“You guys want anything else?”

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