Page 226 of The Liar's Reckoning

“Yeah, well…it’s complicated.”

“What’s he like?” Olivier asks.

“Graham?” I ask, surprised. None of my friends have ever asked me that.

He nods with his pretty eyes and his bouncy curls. A solemn look takes over Drew’s face.

“He’s…” How the hell am I supposed to describe someone I feel like I’m only just now truly getting to know but love with the full force of my heart? “Perfect for me. He’s perfect.”

Drew grins. “Perfect, huh?”

“I guess I mean I’ve never met anyone like him. He surprises me. I figure you guys know something about that.”

They share a look. “Putting it mildly,” Olivier says under his breath.

“Plus,” I say, trying to lighten it up. “He was a virgin when wemet, so I pretty much taught him everything he knows, and that comes in handy.”

Both of them laugh. “A virgin?” Drew asks. “Are youserious?”

“I’m only telling you that because you’ll never meet him.”

“Why say that?” Drew looks mystified and slightly offended.

“Apart from the fact that I’m moving to Florida, and he can’t ever be seen with me?”

“You’re talking like you’re together,” he says.

“We’re fucking. We’re not together. Honestly, I don’t know what’s gonna happen. The distance will be good.”

“For who?” Drew asks, finally letting go of Olivier and gesturing to the kitchen table for us to sit.

Ollie’s cooking, so he turns to check something in the oven that smells peppery and Italian.

Before my ass hits the chair, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and check it as I sit.

Graham

Got off the train. Got on another one. I’m back in NY.

I glance up at Drew. “Hang on a sec.”

“Is that him?”

Frowning at the text, I nod. I check his location and find his dot hovering around the Upper West Side. I’m relieved he’s not standing outside my apartment. It would take me at least half an hour to get there. I’ve tried to distract myself from thinking about him today by packing with Lilah and now coming here, but this is concerning. He turned around and came back? As in he was heading to DC and decided not to go?

I knew I should have checked in with him this afternoon, but I figured no news was no news. He told me to trust him, and I’m trusting him to let me know what he needs.

Me

Everything ok?

Graham

Everything?

That’s all I get. I do a quick Google News search to see if anything major happened, but there’s nothing from today.

“You need to call him?” Drew asks.

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