Page 86 of Tell Me It’s Right

He rolls over to look at me. I pretend to be very interested in my book.

“You are a terrible, terrible liar.”

My jaw drops open. “I—I am not lying.”

“You’reconcealingsomething. Same thing, basically.”

I shut my book with an audible thunk. “I am not.”

“Your voice only does that weird high-pitched thing when you are.”

I open my mouth, close it. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he knows that.

He sits up and lays a hand on my leg. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to give you a hard time. Are you guys fighting or something?”

I sit up too and squint against the sun reflecting off the ocean. And I realize I don’t want to lie to him. Both because lying is what got me into this mess in the first place, but also becausethere’s something about talking with Liam that makes admitting it aloud easier. He might hide behind his jokes and sarcasm sometimes, but I’ve never felt judgment from him.

I sigh. “No. I’ve gotten myself into a weird situation with them.”

He sits quietly and waits for me to continue, his thumb stroking idly along my thigh.

“When we graduated, it felt like they all hit the ground running. Found jobs, places to live, new relationships. I didn’t want to be theoneperson in the group chat who completely fell on her face. It started out with a few white lies that I thought would be more temporary circumstances than they were.”

Liam nods slowly. “So they don’t know that you’re back here?”

I shake my head.

“That you live with Leo?”

Another shake.

“And the shop…”

I wince. “They think I work for a magazine in Philly, and that I’m dating some guy I met through work.”

He nods again.

“Not that I wouldn’t want them to know about that one,” I hurry to add. “I had just already told them before I got the job with you and…”

“It felt like too late to backtrack,” he offers.

“Yeah.”

He frowns and scoots to my side so he can look out at the water too. “So this has been going on since you graduated?”

“I mean, it’s not like it’s constantly brought up, but yeah. That’s when it started.”

He glances at me sideways. “That was months ago.”

My shoulders slump. “I know.”

His frown deepens as he stares out at the waves.

My face grows hotter with each moment of silence that passes. I don’t know why I said anything about it. “I know it probably sounds stupid?—”

His hand shoots out and grasps my knee. “I’m not thinking that.” He turns, his eyes finding mine, that troubled furrow deep between his eyebrows. “I was just thinking you shouldn’t have to do that. If they were good friends to you, you wouldn’t feel like they wouldn’t be there for you.”

“It’s not that. They’re great. I guess I was embarrassed.”

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