Page 29 of The Liar

“Yes, of course.” He sounded eager. Way too eager. But then, I supposed his entire operation might hinge on what I did or said next. “Just say when.”

I hesitated, reluctant to concede anything, but Hallie and I had already agreed that having the necessary conversation at our apartment would probably be the safestoption, since I had no doubt he’d made sure it was clean of listening devices.

“How about at the apartment after your shift ends?” I’d rather see him somewhere neutral, where we didn’t share so many memories, but privacy mattered more than my own desires at this point.

“Perfect. I should be home a little after midnight. I…” He paused. “I look forward to seeing you.”

I ended the call and glared at the screen, internally torn between cursing him out and melting a little. Why did he have to sound so sincere? He was an excellent actor.

I turned to Hallie. “It’s done.”

“Good job, Jo. You were so strong.”

I sighed. “I don’t feel it. It’s going to be so difficult being alone in the place where we’ve lived together. We had so many good times. How am I supposed to remember they’re all fake?”

She smiled sympathetically. “Maybe not all of them were fake. Could he have meant it when he said he had real feelings for you?”

I rested my head against the sofa cushion. “I don’t see how. You don’t lie to and manipulate the people you love.”

“He could have been backed into a corner,” she offered.

I shook my head. “I can’t allow myself to consider any shades of gray. If I do, I’ll start hoping, and that’s a surefire way to get hurt.”

Hallie nodded as if she understood. Really, I doubted most people could, but I appreciated the effort.

“You do what you need to,” she said.

I huffed. “What I need to do is pack my bag.”

She winced. “Just remember that you’re always welcome here. If you go back and it hurts too much, then my spare bed is waiting for you whenever you want.”

I forced a smile. “Thanks, Hallie.”

“We’re friends. Friends take care of each other. Especially when they’re in male-dominated careers, surrounded by stupid men all day, every day.” She pursed her lips. “Not that I’m bitter or anything. It’s just easy to get frustrated sometimes.”

“Trust me, I know.” There were days when I’d love to see how Hanson would deal with the crap I’ve had to put up with.

I went to the spare bedroom, packed my belongings into my duffel bag, and carried it out to the living area.

“Got everything you need?” Hallie asked.

“Except for a hug.”

She laughed. “We can’t have that.”

She gave me a quick hug and I squeezed her back tightly, absorbing all the strength that I could from the embrace. When we separated, she touched my arm.

“Don’t forget: you can come straight back if you want to.”

“I know.”

I left and drove home, the vehicle crawling down familiar streets more slowly than needed as I delayed the inevitable. Fortunately, West’s shift wouldn’t be over for hours, so the apartment was empty when I finally arrived.

I dropped my bag on the living room floor and wandered into the bedroom. I considered packing his clothes into a suitcase and shifting them into the spare room, but as I gazed at the massive bed, memories of all the times he’d made love to me there paraded through my mind.

No, it would be better if I were the one to change rooms. At least then, I wouldn’t have to fight off the ghosts of the past while I tried to snatch a few hours of sleep.

Decision made, I spent the next half hour moving my clothes from our shared closet to the spare bedroom. I removed all my toiletries from the attached bathroom andplaced them in the near-empty cabinet in the main bathroom. I moved the little jewelry I did have, the book on my nightstand, and then the whole damn nightstand itself.

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