Page 40 of Best Kept Secret

"She's my daughter's aunt. Can we drop this now?"

"No. I thought you were sleeping with her and that was why you were avoiding me." Fallon sounded angry.

"Christ, Fallon! Of course, I'm avoiding you. What do you expect? Every time we talk, you want to hammer on about how Mira needs to go—and I need her, Fallon. She's the one who's taking care of Pari."

Fallon sighed loudly. "Then hire a nanny. I can give you some recommendations. Give that girl some money, and get her out of your life."

"Fallon, fuckin' hell. Give it a rest, will you?"

"Are you sure you're not sleepin' with her, Beau?"

I waited to hear his response.

"No, I'm not. As you said, she's child-like. Why the hell would I have sex with her? And fuckin' her would complicate this whole thing with Pari. So, rest assured I have no interest whatsoever beyond Mira's role as my daughter's aunt. Okay?"

"Well, at least you're showing some sense."

Damn it! I was such an idiot. Here I was thinking he was into me, and he only saw me as Pari's aunt. That's all. I had gotten dressed and made up to seduce him, and he…didn't want me.

You're damaged goods, Mira, you know that.No onewants you.

I needed to get out of there. Fast.

I spun on my heel, my vision blurred by the tears I was trying to hold back, and hurried toward Anson's car parked just down the street. The people milling around didn't notice me; I was justanother face in the crowd, just another person in the middle of a busy Friday night in Savannah. The warm breeze felt suffocating now, like the air itself was closing in on me.

But then I heard my name.

"Mira!"

I didn't stop. I couldn't.

"Mira, wait!" Beau's voice was closer now, sharp, cutting through the noise around me. I reached the car and yanked at the door handle, my hands trembling, but before I could get inside, Beau grabbed my arm gently, turning me around to face him. His expression was frantic, his eyes searching mine, but I couldn't meet them. I couldn't look at him.

"Mira," he said, and I pulled my arm away from him.

Don't touch me, my body screamed.Please don't touch me.

"Everything okay, Mira?" Anson's driver asked as he stepped out of the car. I bit down on my lower lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.

"It's fine, Conner," Beau replied. "I've got this."

The driver looked at me and when I nodded, went back into the car. I tried to move away from Beau, but he put a hand on my arm, gentle this time but still arresting. "No," he said firmly. "I was only tryin' to put her off, that's all."

He didn't need to explain whoherwas. He knew I'd overheard Fallon and him. Could my humiliation get any worse?

"I…I have to go. I…Nova and Anson are with Pari…I have to go." I felt light-headed. Why did I listen to Nova? I'd dressed up like a bitch in heat, and Beau didn't even want me. The joke was, as always, on me. I wasn't good for much to him, but taking care of Pari…until when? Until he hired a nanny. Then he'd get rid of me.

"Mira, please, just hear me out," he said, his voice softer now, urgent. "That wasn't—what you heard, that's not—"

"Not what?" I asked weakly, finally looking up at him, my voice breaking under the strain of the hurt clawing its way up my throat. "Not what it sounded like? Because it sounded pretty damn clear to me, Beau."

He swallowed hard, his grip loosening on my arm but not letting go. "I'm not telling Fallon how I feel. I was just trying to get away from her. Then I saw you and—"

"You're doing damage control," I cut in, stepping back, and pulling myself free from his grasp. "I get it. Don't worry. I'll still take care of Pari. I'll always take care of her. She's my baby, even if I didn't give birth to her. I'm not with her becauseyouneed me to take care of her, I'm here because she needs to be taken care of. It's what Asha wanted."

Beau let me go, and ran a hand through his hair, frustration flashing in his eyes. "I didn't want to cause a scene with Fallon, Mira. She's not important.Youare."

I stared at him in disbelief.

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