Page 58 of Crush
“Shecouldn't get any sleep because she wouldn't leavemealone. I just wanted to be left alone, but she kept wanting to argue and dig, dig, dig for information.”
“Dig for what information?”
“I can't tell you!”
“Chloe.” I lowered my voice. “Was your fight about Brynn?”
She hesitated before she answered. “No.”
Almost convincing, but given Cynthia's strange comments and what Brynn told me earlier, I didn't quite believe my daughter.
Chloe could sense that I didn't believe her, and she went into damage control mode.
“Okay,yes,sort of. Mom was picking fights with me ever since she asked me why I wasn't going to the gala with you this year.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“I told her the truth! That I didn't want to go because I'm too old for it and I think it's lame! But then she asked me who you were taking instead, and I said I didn't know, that you were probably going by yourself, but she couldtellI was lying … so she followed me around all night, badgering me non-stop, until I finally told her—not because I wanted to tell her, but because I just wanted to get her off my back.”
“And?”
“It didn't work! It just made her gomorecrazy! She started asking all these questions about you and Brynn, and …” Chloe bit her tongue. “And I don't know. She went even more nuts from there.”
I slapped my forehead. “Ugh.”
“How was the gala, anyway?” Chloe asked with a sudden optimism in her weary voice. “Did you two have fun together?”
The red-hot sensation of Brynn's plump pink lips against mine flashed through my memory, and I looked away guiltily.
“We did,” I said with a husky knot in my throat.
“Good,” she sniffled. “I really like Brynn.”
My shoulders sagged under all that guilt. “I know you do, Chloe. But Brynn and I went to the gala just as friends, understand?”
“Ofcourse,Dad. What, did you think that I thought you guys were going aslovers?I'm not stupid. Why would you even say something like that?”
I stared at her.Should I let this go?If it weren't for Cynthia's comments, I probably would have let it go. But clearly, Chloe told her mom something, and I thought I needed to know.
I tried a different approach, though.
“Chloe, you know that you hadnothingto do with the divorce, right?”
“Yeah. Sure, I know that.” She tutted, but behind her eyes, I could see that she was only placating me and giving me the answer I wanted.
“Chloe, really. It wasn't your fault. You didn't put your mom in that situation—she putyouin that situation. You only did what you thought was right. Which isveryadmirable. You're an amazing girl, with an honest soul. You're not to blame for our divorce, and I just want you to know that you don't have anything at all to make up for—”
But Chloe's expression hardened with anger. “Wait, did Brynn say something to you?”
I took a deep breath. “Earlier, at the gala, Brynn might have told me that you said a few things that had her a little worried.”
“And what did Brynn tell you?”
“She was just worried that you might get the wrong idea about us.” I squeezed Chloe's shoulder. “I know how much you like Brynn, Chloe. But I don't want you to get the wrong idea. She's our nanny, that's all. I hope that she stays with us for a very long time to come—but Brynn and I aren't anything more than that.”
My stomach flipped and flopped around in my gut—it was my body's way of telling me that I'd just told a bad lie and it hated me for being dishonest. It was the reason Cynthia knew I was such a bad liar; she could see it happening to me in real time. Thing is, this time, the reaction took me by surprise—I guess I wasn't evenawarethat I was being dishonest.
But of course Brynn wasn't justthe nanny.
