Page 78 of Lie With Me

“We need a condom, Viv,” he reminds me sternly.

“Why? I’m not sleeping with anyone else, and neither are you.” The heat inside me dies. Smothering every lovesick emotion I had earlier as anxiety and fear rise from the ashes.

Tripp is silent, but the look he gives me is intense. His jaw clenches, and his nostrils flare as he lifts his hips away from mine. His unwillingness to answer my question has unease clawing its way from the pit of my stomach up to my chest.

I’ve never known Tripp not to say what’s on his mind. So, the fact that he can’t seem to find the words is telling. And suddenly, I think I know why.

He’s always voiced his concern about me still working at Désirer—about how he can’t be with meall the time and how he doesn’t want me working the Dreamers or Desires wings. I’ve told him I quit those, but here, at this moment, I realize he doesn’t believe me.

Why else would he not want to have sex with me without a condom?

Or, perhaps I read this situation entirely wrong, andhe’sthe one sleeping with other people. All those late nights at the office. The time he spends at the club while I’m working. The extravagant diamonds—apology gifts.

I’ve seen this happen a million times to women like me. It happened to Carmela.

How could I have been so stupid?

“Of course. I’m sorry, it was stupid of me to suggest.” My words are ice as I push him away from me.

“Viv–”

“No, I totally get it. Better to be safe than sorry.” I turn, and my hand finds the doorknob as tears line my eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m not really in the mood for anything anymore.”

“Valentina…”

“I’m fine.”

He chuckles.Chuckles. “Please don’t take this the wrong way. You know I’ve never made you feel cheap–”

“You just did.” I don’t give him another chance to say anything, and I bolt out the door. He calls my name repeatedly, but it gets swallowed by the din of the crowd as I reemerge into the party.

Hastily, I make my way toward the exit when a hand grasps my wrist. “Valentina, what happened?”

Carmela’s worried eyes dart between my own as I turn to see she’s the one who grabbed me. Without thinking it over, the words leave my mouth with a sob before I can stop them. “I can’t work at the club anymore.”

Tears begin to flow down my cheeks, and I don’t even care when a few people glance my way curiously. All Carmela does is nod. “Okay. That’s okay. We can talk about it.”

Her eyes dart over my shoulder, and I turn to see Jackson standing there with Ginny. From the look on his face, I can tell he overheard me.

“Oh my god, Lenni, what happened?” Ginny rushes to my side, leading me away from the party without another word.

“I’m so sorry, Gin. Please don’t let me ruin today for you. I just need a second.”

Pulling us toward the bathroom, she shushes me. “Well, I need to pee, and someone needs to help me with my dress.”

Through my tears, I laugh. It’s all I can do while my heart breaks into a million pieces.

Tripp

That didnotgo as fucking planned.

Everything I wanted to tell her—everything I wanted to confess—was mistaken in one panicked moment of hesitation, one moment where I wondered if she was ready to hear everything I have to say to her. I watched it all play out on her face, and still, I couldn’t just open my mouth and tell her that whatever she was thinking, it was all wrong.

It’s honestly amazing how badly I screwed that up. And how quickly Lenni disappeared from the party.

“Care to tell me what just happened?” Jackson appears beside me as I scan the sea of tuxedos and gowns for any sign of red.

“What do you mean?” I ask as he steps into view. His eyes narrow, and instantly I realize he’s talking about Lenni. “Where is she?”

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