Page 10 of Loving Lies (Granton University 3)

With a wince, Tess buried her face in her hands and peeked between the gap in her fingers. “I told him I was his girlfriend.”

Bailey’s jaw dropped. “You did what? Holy shit, Tess! Why would you say that?”

“I just told you why!”

“But his girlfriend? Why would you go that route? Couldn’t you have just said you two shared a class together or something?”

Tess began to wring her hands. “That was the original plan, but I…I froze. He was just

…he was so hot. Like…an eleven hot. Like mouth-wateringly gorgeously hot.”

“Oh.” Bailey rolled her eyes. “Jesus, what is it about a guy with a pretty face that brings out your stupid gene?”

“I don’t know,” Tess wailed, gripping her hair. “But I wish it’d just go away and quit afflicting me because it’s going to get me into deep trouble one of these days.”

“You mean like it just did.”

Tess dropped her hands to scowl. “You’re not helping.”

“Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? You got yourself into this one, babe.”

“You weren’t supposed to let me get into it in the first place, babe. I thought we were going to do all our assigned jobs together. But you just raced off, leaving me standing there by myself to deal with him alone.”

Bailey shrugged. “Hey, you should’ve told me that. I didn’t know you wanted us to tag team our duties.”

“I couldn’t tell you! You were halfway down the hall before I could even open my mouth.” She fisted her hand and punched her friend in the arm, right at the shoulder joint. “Thanks for deserting me, by the way.”

When the elevator doors opened, she marched into the foyer, leaving Bailey behind. But Bailey caught up to her soon enough and quietly kept pace as Tess stormed outside and all the way to Bailey’s car. Her friend silently clicked the car unlocked on her key fob, and Tess yanked open the passenger side door.

Neither of them spoke until Bailey started the engine. Putting the gear into reverse, she briefly glanced over and bit her lip, scowling at Tess.

Bailey might be the braver of the two, but she was always the first to cave after an argument. Letting out a groan, she mumbled, “I’m sorry, okay?”

And Tess was always the first to forgive. But this time she sniffed, folded her arms over her chest, and turned to stare out the passenger side window.

Another mute minute passed.

Finally, Bailey asked as she pulled out of the parking garage, “So, what are you going to do about this amnesiac guy who thinks you’re his girlfriend now?”

Just thinking about Jonah’s situation made her want to bawl for him. “I have to go back tomorrow.”

Bailey stomped on the break at a red light. “What? Are you crazy?”

She sounded so incredulous, Tess turned to scowl at her. “I can’t not go. I told him I would.”

“Oh, my God, Tess. You lied about everything else. Why start being honest now?”

Stomach knotting with guilt, Tess bit her lip. “I have to go back. He needs me.”

She said it so quietly, she kind of hoped Bailey hadn’t heard her because she knew her friend would jump all over that one. But apparently, Bailey had elephant ears.

“He needs you?” This time she punched the gas as she zipped into traffic. “Oh, brother. You talked to him for, what, ten minutes? How could he possibly need you?”

“He doesn’t have anyone else. You don’t understand. You didn’t see him.”

“So, you’re just going to keep lying to him, telling him you’re his girlfriend, then?”

“Yes. I think I have to. Until he gets his memory back, anyway. Then he’ll have his life returned to him, and he won’t need me anymore.”

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