Page 65 of Tangled In Lies

He made me add his and Holden’s numbers to my phone last week, but this is the first time he’scontacted me.

Phoenix

Hold said you’re awake. How are you feeling?

Maybe a pinch isn’t so bad after all. Phoenix is texting me, asking me how I’m feeling. Did anything life-altering happen that I forgot about? Or some kind of a body swap?

My fingers hover over the screen longer than ever before.

Me

I’m okay.

Me

We could have gone to the gala tonight. I said I’d go.

Phoenix

Not until you feel better.

Something warm and forbidden blooms in my chest.

Phoenix

We can’t have the press catch on to anything.

And the feeling disappears into thin air again.

I laugh to myself.

I wasn’t really thinking he actually cared about my well-being, was I? Not even for a moment?

Because that would be utterly foolish of me.

I have no clue how to respond, so I type out what I wanted to tell him instead.

Me

I’m sorry about last night. Of course, I’ll pay for whatever damage I caused and clean it up.

He replies almost immediately.

Phoenix

Don’t worry about it. It’s already been taken care of.

Me

Thank you.

I feel like I should say more, but I don’t know what, so I sigh and tuck my phone in my pocket.

Unable to help myself, I take a quick glimpse into the piano room, and it’s back to its meticulous order, just like Phoenix said. After another long glance at the piano, I drag myself downstairs to the media room just as Huxley wheels a cart into it.

He looks up at me. “Oh, good morning, Miss Caldwell. I’m so happy to see you awake.”

“Thank you, Huxley. How are you?”

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