Page 25 of Forever His This Christmas

“I know you miss her, Lisa, but what about your life there, your friends, Corey…how are you going to explain suddenly having a daughter you never mentioned?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted, unable to come up with even a feasible lie about it. Nothing could begin to explain the reason for it beyond the truth, and she wasn’t about to let that come out. “I just know she’s more important than anyone else is. She’s more important than my relationships with friends and Corey.”

“You really mean that? You’re going to end your relationship with Corey, the only person I’ve ever seen you love?”

“I don’t love him.”

“Yes, you do Lisa, I know you do. You’re scared to tell him the truth though.”

“I tell him the truth and he’s going to go back to Colorado and make a mess. I don’t want that. I don’t want Abby getting hurt because of anything in Colorado.”

“Fine, then tell him you got pregnant at fifteen, had Abby at sixteen and knew your parents would never understand,” Diane suggested, and she wanted to, more than anything, but he’d never believe it. “Tell him you asked me to watch her for you, but I can’t handle her anymore and that she needs you now. If he loves you, he won’t care, he’ll be thrilled to have her because he’ll see how much you love her.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do right now Diane. Let me think about it and I’ll let you know what we decide, alright?”

“Alright, just don’t do anything rash like you did getting that job in New York, Lisa. Give Corey a real chance. He’s nothing like the others you’ve known.”

“No, he’s not,” she agreed hanging up.

It was why she knew she couldn’t tell Corey the truth. She couldn’t tell him a lie either; he’d know it was a lie and demand the truth. All that would cause was more heartache and gossip she wanted to avoid. Her best option would be to break it off with Corey, end it before they went any further and she couldn’t see herself happy without him.

Chapter 8

Lisa opened the front door making sure the bedroom door was closed tightly. She didn’t want Abby overhearing this conversation. “Corey, it’s seven o’clock in the morning, other people are trying to sleep you know.”

“I don’t care. What the hell is going on, baby? You ran out at three yesterday morning, didn’t answer any of my calls, didn’t come home last night or even respond letting me know you’re breathing after telling me you’d call! Where the hell have you been?” he questioned, his voice rising and she didn’t want him waking Abby. He couldn’t know about her without it causing a world of trouble.

“It’s none of your business,” she whispered wanting him to lower his voice.

“Like hell it’s not,” he fumed, thankfully not as loudly though. “Dammit Lisa, what is going on?”

“I had a slight family emergency I was dealing with; it’s fine now.”

“Then why didn’t you come home?”

“I am home. I’ve also been thinking, and I know that it’s over.”

“What’s over?” he asked, wanting to shake her seeing the way she was back inside her shell. All of the walls he’d carefullycrumbled the last few months were back and reinforced with barbwire from the looks she was shooting him.

“Us—this thing between us, it’s over. I’ve seen it coming but ignored it because the sex was amazing.”

“No, we’re not over. We’re not even out yet. Six months of sleeping together and no one knows beyond your parents and one of your friends. So no, we’re not close to being over. I’m not just going to walk away from what I know this is Lisa. Baby…” he said pulling her into his arms. She resisted keeping herself rigid and he lowered his mouth to hers, trying to pull a response from her.

“It’s not going to work Corey and honestly it’s a little pathetic that you’re even trying,” she said when he finally stopped. She was barely holding onto her strength and will not to give in and tell him everything. Any more from him and she would likely fold.

“What happened Lisa? What suddenly made you close back up into yourself?”

“Nothing…”

“What was this family emergency then?”

“They thought my dad had a heart attack, it was just angina, but it showed me that I wasn’t listening to myself,” she said. It was only a half lie; her mother had called her last week telling her they’d thought her father had had a heart attack. It was close enough no one would ever guess.

“Why now? What did I do or say to make you think this was over?”

“It’s not you—honestly Corey it’s not. It’s me, through and through. The truth is I’m not cut out for relationships,” she said making his eyes darken with a hint of anger, but mostly, hurt. “I’ll admit the sex is still great, but I don’t want anything else. I don’t want to share what I do with my day; I don’t want to sharewhat I’m thinking or feeling. I don’t want to have to think about someone else’s feeling. I want sex and that’s it.”

“Then why do we have to be over? We can pull back; you can spend the night like you did at the beginning and then come here every few nights…”

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