Page 47 of Christmas for Keeps

Fuck that. I’ll need a drink to get through it.“Beer’s fine.” Zach didn’t move, and an enormous lump formed in my throat. I hoped I could get the drink down. “A beer’s fine,” I repeated.

“Oh yeah. Duh.” He put a hand on his chest, then immediately dropped it to his side, only to use it to hook a thumb toward the kitchen. “Be right back.”

I claimed the recliner to avoid sitting together on the couch. This would be hard enough, and we’d need space between us.

Zach came back and handed me a bottle of Blue Moon. “Wouldn’t you rather sit over here?” He nodded at the sofa. “You can’t see the fire from the chair.”

“It’s okay. I need to see you.”Without touching you.

He flopped onto the couch. “I like your sweatshirt. It’s cute.”

I glanced down, even though I knew a lion and unicorn were on the front. “It’s from my school. They divide the students into two teams, lions and unicorns, and we all wear our shirts on special days.” Zach nodded, and I decided it was time to put it out there. I’d tell him what I knew and keep things simple. Imagine my surprise when I said, “Students have only a lion or a unicorn on their shirt, but teachers have both.”

“That’s fun.” His voice shook in rhythm to his knee, which jiggled so hard I was afraid it might fly apart.

“No favoritism, you know.”What the actual fuck, Connor? Tell him.

Zach furrowed his brow. “What?”

“You know. No favoring unicorns over lions, or vice versa.”Add cowardice to my list of less-than-admirable traits.

“Oh.” He drank some beer and then locked his eyes onto mine. “What’s going on, babe? The lions and unicorns are nice, but what’s wrong? You’ve been crying and angry. I—” His voice broke, cutting him off. When I said nothing, he cleared his throat. “It’s unfair to keep me in the dark. Whatever’s wrong, we can fix it if we work together. But I have to know what we’re dealing with.”

“Why did you lie to me?”Fuck, that was too loud. So much for keeping an open mind.

“Lie?” He put a hand over his stomach. “I-I don’t…What?”

Lowering my voice, I repeated, “Why did you lie to me?”

“About what?” He shook his head. “I haven’t lied to you.”

I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. “Please don’t play games.”

“I’m not. What are you talking about?”

Struggling to maintain my equilibrium, I mumbled, “Don’t make me say it. Just… why were you dishonest? You didn’t need to lie. I would have understood.”

“I haven’t lied, Con!” He held up two hands in apology. “Sorry, but youknowI’m not a liar. What do you think I was dishonest about?”

I sipped my beer and stared at the bottle.

“Con, if you’re going to accuse me of lying, you should tell me what you’re talking about.”

Following another guzzle of beer, I returned my eyes to him. “You told me you haven’t been with anyone else since we were together.”

He looked like I’d bashed him with a club. I guess getting caught in a lie will do that to you.

I huffed. “If you have nothing to say, then—”

Obviously shaken up, he spoke in short phrases. “Until this week with you… I haven’t… since the last time… you and I… were together.”

“That isn’t what I’ve heard.”

“What the hell have you heard?” he yelled. “And from who? If they said I’ve been with someone, they’re the liar.”

I shrugged.

His nostrils flared. “Talk to me, goddammit. If you’re accusing me like this, I deserve to know the details and who the fuck said it.”

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