Page 207 of The Liar's Reckoning

“I knew I would, and while it was happening, I knew it was worse than I thought, and afterwards I haven’t gone a day without wishing I’d just said no. And then when I saw what happened to you?—”

“Don’t.” I say softly. “I don’t want to rehash it.”

“Me neither, really. I just wanted you to know that it didn’t occur to me—not once until I was sitting across from him—that what you two had was anything more than a sex thing.”

“A sex thing?”

“Sure. All I had at that point in my life were sex things. He was married. I assumed he was cheating. I didn’t know it was?—”

“Love?” I finish for him.

“Yeah.”

“And now that you do?”

“Now? Now that I havehim?” He gestures in Christian’s general direction. “Now that I can understand what losing someone I love would do to me? I’ll put it this way—I don’t know of very many ways to deal with problems money can’t fix. It’s one of those things I’ve had to learn to live with because I can’t change it.”

“So you’re sorry,” I say.

“Beyond that. If there were anything I could do—if there’severanything I can do, please know I’ll do it.”

I sigh. “Just keep an eye on the Lawthers,” I say. “Can’t have a bunch of rich Catholics with a questionable agenda running the city.”

“Speaking of this law you mentioned.”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me more.”

It as good a time as any to change the subject. Christian arrives, senses the calm, and sets down a tray of food.

I grab a pretzel, sit back, and talk politics until I’m so drunk I start talking about Graham.

“I thinkI can speak for both of us when I say I had no idea the two of you were so…” Christian hesitates. We’re still on the terrace, and the moon is full overhead, heavy with light, despite the city trying to outshine it.

In love?I want to finish for him, but don’t because I don’t say things like that to Christian. He might be a former cuddle partner and close friend, but we both had secrets we kept, and even as drunk as I am, I’m not trying to cry tonight or be sappy about the situation with Graham. It’s ending—it’sbeenover. “Yeah,” I say, letting the sentence remain unfinished.

“Past tense doesn’t feel accurate,” Gibson says, not letting it go.

The guy isn’t so bad. He’s guarded, but he’s got huge stars in his eyes when it comes to Chris. Jealous doesn’t even begin to describe it, but alcohol dulls my bitterness. I’m entirely self-focused at the moment.

“I just mean it surprises me that his family isthatimportant to him,” Chris says.

“That’s the thing about generational wealth,” Gibson says. “I swear I’ve seen this a million times. Like the arranged marriages—look at Ollie and Elodie’s for example. It probably would have happened to Marianne, too, if I hadn’t impressed her parents.”

Christian doesn’t even wince at the woman’s name, but I do. “At least Ollie has a spine.”

“Olivier was a spoiled, only child, prone to acting out. Graham’s an eldest son with a different set of expectations and a very different kind of family. I wouldn’t call him spineless. He had a lot to lose and probably no clue how to navigate a scandal like that on his own.”

And just like that, I hate Gibson even less. Because while he’s alluding to the blackmail situation, I can already tell he’s notgoing to get into it. From his one meeting with Graham, Gibson also seems to have gotten a great read on my ex. I’ve pictured what that lunch must have been like a million times—Gibson, the villain, threatening a bewildered senator with his closest kept secret. Graham, panicking and defensive.

But Christian’s immediate concern afterwards over tapas should have been a huge hint that Gibson left the meeting genuinely worried about Graham’s welfare, and the regrets he’s expressed tonight are sincere. He’d cornered Graham, and he sensed his fear. By now, I understand that wasn’t the way he prefers to use his influence.

“Since you’ve been seeing each other again, what do you think is gonna happen between you now?” Chris asks.

“I think I’m gonna move to Florida, and he’ll miss me for a while and then find a way to keep himself busy.”

“You think you’ll be able to do the same thing?”

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