Page 120 of Accidentally Under Your Tree

"Fine…we'll tell them tonight when we get home."

"Thanks."

I found Lizzy standing with her parents and a group of high schoolers. One of the orchestra kids held her phone in front of Lizzy's face. She stilled like she did when she was nervous.

I rubbed at the back of my neck, my muscles knotting into one. My throat closed, dreading what could be on that screen. With numb fingers, I slid my phone from my pocket and pulled up the show's most popular profile. The half a second it took for it to load was the longest in my life. My heart beat a panicked rhythm in my ears.

My breath rushed from my lungs. Relief washing over me and drying the cold sweat that had beaded on my forehead.

There was a picture of me and Lizzy, but it was as innocent as I could hope for. In the shot we were standing far enough apart, our facial expressions innocent. Some comments were suspicious, but nothing too bad. She had been nervous a few seconds ago, but she was probably experiencing the same wash of comfort I was.

If I needed any more reason to end the lie, dodging this bullet would have been it.

I turned to show Rose, only to find the space where she'd been at my side was empty and I hadn't even heard her leave. I'd been too absorbed in Lizzy.

I didn't bother to look if Lawrence were still with the group he'd been in.

I knew he wasn't.

My stomach dropped for the second time in less than a minute.

"Where's Rosie?" Kelly asked at my side. I jumped, caught off-guard yet again. The women of this family moved with incredible stealth.

Jim and Lizzy joined us.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket. My attempt to not look at Lizzy failed, instead I answered her mom while looking directly into Lizzy's eyes. "I don't know. She was just right here."

"We were just going to head out," Kelly explained. "She couldn't have gone far."

We'd all arrived together, piled in the family minivan. So, if Kelly said it was time to go, then it was time.

"I'll text her," I said, but Kelly was already walking down the hall toward the dark auditorium. Her heels clicking in contrast to the heavy footfalls of Jim's boots at her side, her arm hooked in his.

Lizzy chewed at the cuticles of her thumb, and I paused in typing the message to Rose. "What's wrong?"

Crossing her arms on her chest, Lizzy shook her head. "Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

The jerk of her head was the only answer she gave me. Turning, she followed her parents. Her back was ramrod straight.

Unease fitted back into my shoulders. I wanted to rush to her side, ask her if this was about the photo, but there were too many eyes around us.

I wasn't sure she wanted me near her, or worse, that she might actuallywantdistance. Which was the exact opposite of what I wanted.

We'd had a fun day, been freer with each other than we should have been. But in the end, what I was offering her was empty. I was still hiding. The pale shadow of what we could become was bullshit if all I could give her was kisses in the dark and nothing else.

A loud gasp snapped my head up.

"Mom," Rose's surprised voice called from inside the opened door of the auditorium.

"What the hell?" Jim demanded louder than I'd ever heard him be before.

"Shit," a man hissed. I didn't have to see him to know, without a doubt, it was Lawrence.

My jaw tightened grinding my teeth. I took the last few steps through the open doors. The aisle lights in the floor were the only illumination in the spacious room. The darkness ate it up, leaving just the outlines of Lizzy and her family and Lawrence visible. The outline of a jaw, a shoulder, the angry wrinkles on Jim's forehead. Rose and Lawrence tucked into a darkened corner, standing far too closely as if they'd just been in each other's arms.

I knew this lie would blow up in our faces, but I thought it would be my fault.

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