Page 62 of Unless It's You
Ben leans forward and slides his elbows on the table. “Has she said anything to you about me? Or a bucket list? Or are you keeping it purely work? I know you and her never quite got on when we were dating.”
The blood drains from my face. Apparently,everyonethought I hated Stella. And since Ben never knew she and I had kissed before they got together... he had no reason to question it. To doubt my loyalty. But I never hated her. I was protecting myself. Protecting myself from all of this. I’m in deep and it feels too late to save myself. This was the danger if I talked to her while she was with Ben.
Would her great-aunt dictate that she get back together with him? It’s possible. The woman seems like she was delightfully unhinged. Or maybe she only asked for Stella to reconnect with him.
Either way, I can’t compete with Ben. I won’t. Hope crumbles off me like the rotten soles of old boots, my plans to bring up hanging out with Stella gone.
“No,” I lie to my best friend. “Not sure what bucket list she’s talking about.” Prickles of sweat sting my forehead and armpits. I shift in my chair, suddenly uncomfortable in my own skin. I hate lying to Ben. And how I feel about Stella is the only thing I’ve ever lied to him about. What was I supposed to say when he firststarted dating her?Hey, mate, you know I made out with her a few days ago, right?
Maybe. Maybe if I had told him right away, they wouldn’t have gone out.
“Well, I guess I’ll find out what it’s all about Saturday night. I’m thinking I’ll have her meet me here at eight. How’s it been working with her?”
Ben’s watching me carefully. I can only imagine what he’s seeing. Hopefully not someone losing their shit.
“Fine, I guess.” I shrug and drink, knowing I’m trying too hard to be casual. Is there a sheen of sweat on my forehead? I hear her screamharder. I taste her on my lips. Feel her rub herself on me in the middle of the night.
“You’re being weird, mate.”
I finish the pint and drop it down on the table with a too-aggressive sound. “Nope. All good. She’s fine,” I repeat myself. Damn. I need some other detail. “Um, let’s see. Her aunt Evelyn just died. So I think she’s been bummed about that.” Across the room, the bartender mixes a cocktail for the two women, and I watch so I don’t have to meet Ben’s curious gaze.
“Right. She said that in her message. What else? It’d be good to have information for when I see her.”
What else can I tell him? Details, but not too personal?
“She’s been mentoring a teenage girl. Her name is Izzy.” I swallow. Stella loves talking about Izzy, and her face lights up when she does, even though she doesn’t realize it. I shouldn’t tell Ben this. It’s not my story to tell. “You could ask her about that.”
But I’m loyal to Ben, not Stella. I need to remember that.
“You seem to know a lot about her outside of the commercial, huh. Aunt Edith dying, her mentoring...”
“Evelyn.”
“Huh?”
“It was her auntEvelyn.”
“Isn’t that what I said?”
“Oh, maybe.” I shrug. “And I don’t know. She babbles a lot to her coworkers. I overhear sometimes.” It feels like a betrayal to blow off our conversations.
“Yeah, she can be like that, I guess.” But Ben gives me a funny look, and the air between us tenses. Or maybe I’m imagining it.
The thing is, Stella’snotlike that. She doesn’t babble. She doesn’t throw her personal information out into the world for anyone to hear. I had to practically force her to accept my help on the bucket list, and that was only because her great-aunt literally put it in the will.
“Enough about Stella Hart. Besides hearing from her, I also sent Ulrike a text. And she actually texted me back.”
“No way. You’re on fire.”
“I know. I’m trying to get her to meet up with me. What about you and Helen? Any progress there?”
I could let him believe there’s something going on with Helen, and then he won’t be suspicious about Stella.Ishe suspicious? My head’s all messed up.
“Maybe. I might head up to Newcastle again soon.” That part’s true. Except it’ll be with Stella. Not Helen.
“How’s her kid?”
“He’s cute. Kids aren’t really my thing though.”
