Page 61 of Unraveling the Truth About Love
Chapter Twenty-Eight
RILEY AWOKE TO the alarm at six o’clock and reached across the empty bed. She bolted out of bed, hurrying into the hall wearing Josh’s T-shirt and her underwear.
“Josh?” she called as she walked down the hall. She found him asleep on the couch in the living room. He stirred when she sat beside him, and when she kissed his forehead, he blinked awake.
“Hey,” she whispered.“Missed you last night. Why’d you sleep out here?”
He scrubbed his face with his hand. “Hi. I didn’t want to wake you.” He pushed himself up to a sitting position.
“Please don’t ever worry about that. I’d always rather be next to you. Why didn’t you at least sleep in the guest room?” she asked.
“It felt too far away.”
She kissed his cheek and felt him stiffen against her lips. “What’s wrong?”She searched his downcast eyes. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
Josh cleared his throat. “Let me get some coffee.” He pushed to his feet and started for the kitchen.
Riley was on his heels. “Why didn’t you return my texts last night? Did something happen with Claudia? I know you texted Mia and Simone. I was with them last night when the texts came through.”
Josh didn’t respond.He put both hands on the counter and leaned over it.
“You’re missing your morning run,” she said.This has got to be bad.
“I know,” he whispered.
She touched his back, hating the way he pulled away just slightly but enough to send a very strong message. “Josh? Have I done something?”
When he turned, his eyes were filled with love. Relieved, she took a step toward him. He looked away, and inthat flash of an instant, she saw his eyes narrow, then close, stopping her in her tracks.
“Josh?” The hair on the back of her neck prickled.
“Riley, let’s sit down.”
She moved robotically to a chair. He sat across from her, but he felt a million miles away. Her mouth went dry, and she thought she might be sick as she waited for him to speak.
“Where did you get that design for Max’s dress?”he asked.
She shook her head, thinking she’d misheard him. “Wheredid I get it? Do you mean where did I get my ideas from?”
He sighed, running his hand through his hair again. His eyes darted around the table, to the left of her, to her lap, anywhere but meeting her confused stare. When his eyes finally found hers, it was the rest of his face that sent the pit of her stomach on a downhill rollercoaster. Worry lines streaked his forehead, and a deep vee had formed between his furrowed brows.
“Riley, Claudia said the design was hers.”
Riley felt like she’d been kicked in the gut. She pushed to her feet, sending the chair flying backward. “What? That little witch. You know that’s not true.” Her entire body shook. She crossed her arms in an effort to stop them from trembling. Her lowerlip shook, and she bit it, holding it in place.Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
“Babe,” he said.
She wished that endearment didn’t remind her of just how much she loved him. “Josh, you know this isn’t true. You were there when I showed it to Max. You saw the drawing. You saw me laboring over the design right there at your dining room table.”Don’t cry.
“I saw the sketch when you showed it to Max, butI didn’t see you draw it.” He looked at her then with a mixture of disbelief and empathy—or maybe it was pity, she couldn’t tell.
“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t steal anything. I can prove it.” She didn’t mean to yell. She swiped at a tear that had broken loose.Prove it? I have to prove something to you?“I can’t believe this. You’d believe Claudia over me? It’s me, Josh. Remember?” Therewas no stopping the flow of angry tears. She sucked air into her constricted lungs. “Remember me, Josh? The girl you said you loved? Do you really think I’d do something like that?”
He dropped his eyes. “I didn’t want to believe it, but she showed me scanned sketches of all the drawings, dated well before you showed the dress to Max. I accused her of lying, of stealing. I accused her of everythingI could think of. Then I had to watch her click through image after image on her computer of scanned clothing designs she’d supposedly sketched. Designs I’d never seen before, with the exception of Max’s wedding dress and one dress that I had actually witnessed her designing earlier in the month.Witnessed, Riley.Why didn’t I witness you drawing the wedding dress in the first place? You haveto believe me. I didn’t want to believe her—even when her proof was indisputable. So I talked to the staff and—”
“You talked to the staff?”This can’t be happening.“You’ve humiliated me without any proof.”
“Riley, no one has seen you drawing anything besides JBD work.”
