Page 166 of One Big Little Secret

It’s burning the tip of my tongue, the truth about the only girl Patton Rory is seeing.

But if I do that, she’ll freak.

She’ll probably work overtime, grinding me into dust, especially if she thinks I ‘stole him’ right under her nose.

Not to my face, of course. She’d be sickly sweet and absolutely murderous behind my back.

First, she’ll tell everyone who’s anyone in this town that I’m just another ‘bread girl’ who slept with him to get ahead. I don’t have much of a social life and even fewer opportunities, and what little I do have revolves around Kayla and her favors.

Or if I confess to dating Patton, her grudges.

I don’t need her rumor mill spinning in overdrive and frankly, neither does Patton.

Also, if she finds out, she’ll tell my parents for sure. We haven’t spoken in years, but the second they get wind of it, they’ll be all over me.

Total circus.

I don’t even know if I’m ready to have them back in my life. Not without a real heartfelt apology, certainly.

“Yeah. It’s a date, I guess.” My shoulders sag. Truth and lies all wrapped up in one nice unit, so close you can’t tell where one ends and another begins. “He’s in real estate.”

Truth, but lie, because my intention is to deceive—and Kayla slurps it right up.

“So exciting!” she squeals. “Tell me where he’s at this instant. Out of ten?”

“Easy ten.”

“Oh, okay. But how wouldIrate him?”

I can’t bite back my smile. “You’d probably give him a ten, too, Kayla. He’s hot. Like Arizona heatwave.”

“Shut up!” She gasps. “I can’twaitto meet him. After you get Patton on board with me, we’ll do a double date.”

Hell no, we won’t.

Patton knocks and enters the room with Arlo in tow. He frowns at me, and I mouth Kayla’s name.

“Honestly, Kay, I can’t really do anything for you,” I say. “You guys have met several times. You’ll have to close the deal, right?”

She huffs a breath. “That’s a little selfish, Lemmykins. I bet if you arranged another few meetups, I could hit the zone. He’s probably just intimidated, but once I show him how down-to-earth I am, he’ll be smitten.”

Holy hell.

Her gross image of Patton is so different from the real deal it’s like calling a cartoon scribble a Picasso painting.

“I’ll see what I can do. No promises.”

“You’re the best, bestie,” she says, happy again. “I’ll pop on over soon. Say hi to Patton for me when you next see him. See ya!” The call, thankfully, ends.

I drop the phone back on the table with a groan. “Sometimes I hate that girl.”

Arlo clambers onto the big bed and starts bouncing before I stop him with a glare.

“Queen Bee Kayla is icky,” he informs me.

“Arlo! Whatever you do, keep that to yourself.” I want to tell him that isn’t nice, but the nickname rubbed off yours truly.

I never said I was perfect, okay?

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