Page 140 of Play Pretend

“That’s not true,” Ronan said. “Our museum is really great. It’s interactive and you learn a lot about the town and Maine. The farmer’s market was today, and there’s always live music there. You probably would’ve enjoyed it.”

“Oh, and there are the boat tours!” I said excitedly. “I went on them so many times when I first moved here. They take you to these little islands off the coast?—”

“And the whale tours,” Ronan finished, and I nodded.

“Yes! Those are so fun. Maybe we can go tomorrow?—”

“Uh,no,” Vanessa laughed. “I’d rather not spend my time on a smelly boat in the middle of the ocean.” My excitement waned slightly, and my shoulders dropped.

“Well, they don’t smell,” I muttered. “They’re tour boats. Not fishing boats.”

She flicked her hair over her shoulder as she lifted her hand for the waiter, ignoring me once again. He came to the table, and she sweetly asked for another bottle of wine.

“We thought you were going to call today,” Dad said, and I blinked.

“What?”

“After you stormed out last night, I just assumed you would’ve called. You’ve never acted like this before.” Heshrugged, his gaze flicking to Ronan. He leaned closer, dropping his voice so no one else could hear. “Are you sure you’re alright? Is he…” He glanced at Ronan again. “Is he abusing you?”

I jolted away, my eyes wide. “What?”

“If he is, just tell me and we can get you out of here. I told you it was ridiculous to move here on your own. You can come back with us, and?—”

“He’s not abusing me,” I snapped. “Where in the world did you get that idea?”

He and Lydia shared a look. “He speaks for you, he’s always by your side?—”

“Are you kidding me?” Ronan said in a deathly low voice. “Are youfuckingkidding me?”

“All I’m saying is that before you were in my daughter’s life, she wasn’t like this.” Dad waved his hand at me.

“You mean she let you walk all over her,” Ronan shot back. “You’re upset because I don’t put up with your bullshit.”

Dad’s face reddened, but he kept his mouth clamped shut as the waiter refilled Lydia and Vanessa’s glasses. Vanessa leaned back in her chair, grinning.

“Ourbullshit?” she said slyly. My mouth turned to sandpaper as she rested her glass on the table. “Should you tell him, or should I? I feel like if we’re going to have this conversation, then Dad needs to have all the info, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?” Dad asked. “Tell me what?”

Ronan took a deep breath, but I couldn’t—I couldn’t feel my fingers. Air wouldn’t fill my lungs. The world was spinning, and my body was shaking.

“She’s been lying for the last year,” Vanessa said. “Their relationship isfake.”

“It’s not fake,” Ronan growled. “We live together now. She’s my?—”

“It’s fake?” Dad repeated, not acknowledging us, and Vanessa nodded. His attention was solely on her.

“I overheard them talking about it last night,” she simpered. “I was waiting for her to come clean, but it’s obvious they were going to keep this up. I didn’t feel right lying to you, Dad.” She glanced at us, her eyes sparkling. “And then Ronan was saying that she’s had to deal withourbullshit, but…” She shrugged. “She’s the one who’s lying. We’ve never done that to her. We’ve always been honest.”

Dad shifted his gaze to me. I felt two inches tall as I stared back at him. His anger and disappointment were palpable. I tried to swallow past the dryness in my throat, tried to see past the blurring of my vision.

“Whose idea was this?” he asked, his eyes on me.

“Mine,” I blurted before Ronan could try to take the blame for it. “It was my idea.”

“But I agreed to it,” Ronan rushed out. “I wanted to do this.”

“So, youwantedto lie to us?” Dad said, lifting his brows. Vanessa grinned smugly, almost triumphantly as she leaned back in her chair again, as if she were enjoying the show. “Have you done anything you’ve said you were doing? Do you even work at the bakery? Was your house truly broken into? Do you even—do you even live here? In this town? Have you doneanythingwith your life, or has it all been a lie?”

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