Page 13 of Flawless Lyric

“You got yourself a deal. Be here by eight just in case traffic’s crazy.”

I set my glass next to hers and she walks me to the door.

“Thank you, Micah.”

I hate that it feels a bit awkward, so I pull her in for a hug. I’m a goner when she wraps her arms around me, leaning her head against my chest.

“My pleasure. Get some sleep, Beauty.” Grabbing her keys, she walks me to the car. It takes all of my willpower not to pull her in for a kiss. Because I’m not convinced that Jeff isn’t lurking somewhere out there. “Lock your doors and don’t hesitate to text me if you need me. Good night.”

I wait until she’s safely tucked inside and then drive away. My only consolation is knowing I’ll be seeing her again in less than eight hours.

No rest for the weary, but she’s worth it.

* * *

LYRIC

My emotions areall over the place. Making it very difficult to fall asleep. So I stare up at the ceiling and debate whether to text Novalee. I ultimately decide against it, remembering what Micah said about her wanting to push my buttons. Maybe he’s right, but in the back of my mind I’m curious as to why she couldn’t tell me the truth. Is she doing something wrong? If she is, most likely I’ll never know unless she gets caught. Which technically she did since I ran into Jeff at the bar.

That’s a whole other problem. One that I can’t wrap my head around since I’m too exhausted. It’s something I’ll need to address very soon since he now thinks Micah and I are together. Or worse. How did my life become so complicated in such a short period of time? It’s because I finally put myself first after all these years, and Novalee and Jeff can’t accept it. Do I feel guilty? Absolutely, but I can’t and won’t change a thing. After all these years, it’s finally my turn and I’m going to enjoy every minute. Even if it kills me.

Micah’s a whole different ball game. He’s young, determined, and my boss’s son. A complicated distraction that would be hazardous to my health. Literally. I don’t know if I have enough stamina left inside of me to keep up with him. I’ve had more orgasms with him in one night than I’ve ever had in my whole life. I swear! For so long, I felt disconnected with my sexuality. I wasn’t thin enough or sexy enough, but that all changed that night. Knowing that Micah’s still interested is a boost to my ego.

I spend the next few hours tossing and turning. When the small hand’s on the five and the larger hand’s on the nine, I shut off my alarm. I crawl out of bed and blindly find my way into the kitchen, desperate for coffee and a cold shower. Thank goodness I set everything up yesterday before I left. With any luck the morning will run smoothly, and I’ll just need to worry about the afternoon. Baby steps, Lyric. Baby steps.

I’m sitting in the dark with my coffee cup tucked between both hands when the back door opens. I watch Novalee tiptoe through the kitchen, and right before she steps over the threshold I flip on the light.

“Mom.” Yep. The car isn’t in the driveway. Did she think I’d left for work already?

“Where have you been, Novalee? And before you answer that question, I already know you weren’t at your dad’s.” Now I’ve got her attention.

“Um, Dad and I went to dinner, but I skipped the…” I’m shaking my head because even though I gave her an out she’s still lying.

“Why don’t you give me the truth instead of making things up on the fly? God, Novalee. You want us to trust you but then you pull a stunt like this. It makes it really hard.” I take a sip just to calm my nerves. Before I have a chance to gather my thoughts, she manipulates the conversation.

“Fine. Gracie didn’t want to go to Jason’s alone so I canceled with Dad, and I went with her instead. I didn’t think it was a big deal. And since I’m eighteen, I don’t need to answer to you and Dad anymore.” Oh, she of little faith.

My hands are shaking as I set my empty cup next to the coffeemaker. In a few short strides I stand face to face with my own flesh and blood. She’s defiant, thinks she knows everything. I’m about to set her straight.

“Just because you have legacy status to Stanford doesn’t mean you get a free ride, Novalee. Who’s paying for your tuition and all of your other expenses? Care to take a wild guess? It’s me and your father. Until you can pay for everything yourself, you answer to us.” I exit the room before I say more that I’ll later regret. I’m beginning to believe that the phrase “What you don’t know won’t hurt you” is true.

Undressing, I set the shower water to warm. I don’t think my heart could stand anything colder. Then I spend a good amount of time scrubbing and exfoliating while the tears course down my face. It’s the perfect place to let everything out. It’s always been my go-to getaway where it’s just me, myself, and I. A place where I can purge without anyone watching me. Expecting me to be my happy-go-lucky self. Miss Positivity.

Stop it, Lyric. Don’t you dare go there again. You’re on the right track, you just need to put one foot in front of the other. You’re worth it.

Stepping out of the shower, I spend the next thirty minutes fussing over my unruly hair and adding a touch of makeup. Desperately trying to fix what damage the lack of sleep did to me. After dressing, I go back downstairs for a second cup of coffee. Novalee is nowhere to be found so I assume she’s sleeping.

It’s now seven thirty and Micah should be here in thirty minutes or so. My plan is to meet him outside just in case Novalee decides to come back downstairs. That is one meet and greet I don’t feel the need to explain. It’s just a matter of time before her dad fills her in on what happened. My only hope is that he won’t tell her about Micah punching him. If he does, things could get way more complicated.

I’m sitting on the sofa scrolling through my emails when I hear a car pull into the driveway. Throwing my phone inside my purse, I walk out the front door and lock it behind me. Micah doesn’t move so I decide to slip into the passenger side. Maybe he’s being thoughtful and doesn’t want my neighbors to see him. Tongues would be wagging, which is the last thing I need right now.

“Good morning, Beauty. Did you sleep well?” After fastening my seatbelt, I look up completely deadpan. A soft chuckle escapes as he backs out of the driveway. “That good, huh?”

“Not a wink. How about you?” He pauses as if he’s choosing his words very carefully.

“I slept pretty good, knowing I was going to see you today.” Well, I walked right into that one, didn’t I?

“Lucky you, since I know you have a busy day.” It was meant to be a joke, but he bristles.

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