Page 36 of One Big Little Secret

But I didn’t think we’d do this now.

I didn’t think we’d do this at all.

I thought he’d just pretend to forget, to convince himself it never happened, just like me.

Nope. Remember how I said I’m Miss Unlucky?

And of course Mr. Honesty chose the best time to have this little talk after kicking me to the curb for being an idiot, proving he doesn’t have a single civil bone in his body.

Or is it some kind of twisted punishment? He’s been annoyed with me all day.

So maybe that’s partly my fault.

I’m sure I haven’t been a perfect angel. Maybe Ihaveenjoyed the way he loses that mask of gruff professionalism, too.

God, there’s nomaybeabout it, and now it’s payback time.

He rests the edge of his hand against the steering wheel and turns to face me, a frown tugging his lips down.

“Salem?” he asks.

Shit.

I haven’t said anything yet.

I’m just sitting here mute because I don’t know what to say.

Panic and horror wrestle in my gut, threatening to turn me inside out.

What the hell do I do?

How does anyone respond to this?

“Yes,” I say. “Yes.”Say something besides ‘yes.’“I think I was.”

“Good.” He sounds both relieved and annoyed.

“Yes,” I say again, trying not to smack myself in the head.

“It was a long time ago now,” he rumbles.

“Sure was,” I say miserably.

Holy cringe.

“We were so young.” He looks at me like he’s reflecting on just how youngIwas back then. Barely twenty-one. Just a fresh-faced baby in the merciless world who didn’t know better than to sleep with a man who was destined to become one of the most desirable men in the entire city.

I mean, from the way Kayla talks about him, he could be on the top one hundred hottest bachelors in America list.

“Young, yes,” I echo. At least it’s not just ‘yes’ this time.

Stupid.

He clears his throat like every word takes crushing effort. “Everyone in their twenties has bad hookups that might come back to haunt them. We all make mistakes.”

Mistakes. Right-o.

At least it’s taking him effort to get this out.

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