Page 117 of The Liar's Reckoning

Atext from Graham catches me in the middle of a conversation with Drew. I stare down at it while Drew waits expectantly for me to answer whatever he just asked me. His freshly mintedhusbandis perched on the arm of the sofa next to him also giving me a look.

It’s been a weird roller coaster of a year. While I’ve been carrying on an affair with a married senator, my hot, tattooed roommate who only ever identified as straight hopped right onto the gay train and started fucking some screwed-up socialite. Now they’re newlyweds living in goddamn Brooklyn. And their place isnice.All renovated, great neighborhood, smells like cookies and everything.

Drew finally got a break and found steady work as a model. Truth be told, he’s never looked better. His husband’s not so bad either. Olivier Riley—formerly Arnaud—is pretty as fuck with soft brown curls and porcelain skin. He’s lean, tall, gorgeous, and moves like a damn panther. But I gotta say, I never saw this coming.

And this text…

Graham

Where are you?

It’s not really like Graham to demand an answer without a lot of surrounding niceties. I can practically feel his stress from here. But maybe I’m reading too much into it.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “What was that?” I type outBrooklynin my text thread with Graham.

His instant follow up is, of course,

What the hell are you doing in Brooklyn?

“I asked if you wanna go to The Hamptons for Fourth of July.”

“Right. Hold that thought. Is there someplace I can make a call?”

Drew and Olivier exchange a look. Then Ollie gestures to a set of French doors leading to a small side yard.

“Thanks,” I say, standing. “Sorry.”

It’s one of the first warm, humid days of summer, but there’s a tree out here providing decent shade. I put a call through to Graham.

“What’s in Brooklyn?”

I laugh. It’s a very typical Graham question. “Drew and Ollie,” I remind him.

“Is that where they live?”

He sounds weird. The hair on my arms stands up as I answer in the affirmative, then I get even more tense as he asks about the house and Drew. He’s stalling and it couldn’t be more obvious.

“Drew’s great. Hale and healthy. What’s going on with you?”

“Avery wants a divorce.”

My eyes widen at the tree trunk, and I almost drop the phone. “Seriously?”

“She kicked me out.”

“Of your own apartment?”

“She found out about the place in Chelsea.”

“Oh.” I rub my arm and turn in a slow circle. “Does she know about me?”

“I don’t think so. Not any more than she already knew, but she did ask if that’s where I go to fuck my boyfriend.”

Ouch. I knew things have been distant between Graham and Avery, but he never mentioned it was hostile.

“But she wants a divorce all of a sudden?” I ask. “Is she seeing someone, too?”

“Maybe? I don’t know. To be honest, she kinda caught me off guard.”

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