Page 43 of Blame It On the Secret Santa

He nodded and took a bite of his sandwich, the muscle in his jaw prominent as he ate.

“Are you?” I questioned, though I didn’t know if I wanted to know the answer to that, given we’d just hooked up. But then again, maybe this was something we should have talked aboutbeforewe had sex. It just went to show how clearly I had been thinking before it happened.

“No.”

I rubbed my lips and bobbed my head, unsure of how to keep the conversation going between us.

“I don’t want things to be weird between us,” I blurted out, hating the anxiety in my voice.

“They won’t be.”

“How can you say that? They already are.”

He pushed the last of his sandwich into his mouth and leaned back in his chair as he studied me.

“Things aren’t awkward between us, Cass. It’s just been a long day, and havingyoubring up my brother just shifted my mood. That’s all.”

“But why?” I leaned forward, desperate for him to tell me what was going on.

“It just did. I don’t feel like talking about it.”

“But, Sean, that’s not fair. Something serious happened between you guys, and I don’t deserve to know what it was?”

“No.”

His answer was sharp and quick as his eyes blazed with emotion that I couldn’t quite read.

“Really? That’s it? Just ano,and that’s the end of it?”

“Yeah, Cassidy. That’s the end of it.”

“Why are you being so difficult? It’s not like I’m going to go around town spreading gossip about something that happened between you guys years ago. I’m not that person. I just want to know for my own reasons.”

“Because it wouldn’t matter if I told you what happened.”

“Why not? I’m clearly sitting here telling you I want to know.” I held my hands helplessly in front of me.

“Because you didn’t believe me back then, so why would you believe me now?”

He got up, threw his trash away, and walked out the door.

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