Page 67 of Loving Lies (Granton University 3)

When Bailey didn’t answer, just stared with a pale, blank expression, Tess uncurled her fingers she hadn’t realized she’d balled into fists. She took a few deep breaths to rein in her overwhelming emotions, and it finally dawned on her what she’d just blurted out.

She gasped and covered her mouth.

Bailey tipped her head to the side. Quietly and slowly, she asked, “What do you mean I saw my mother die when I was seven? I was three when she…” She didn’t finish the sentence. She blinked a couple of times, then shook her head. “No.”

“Bailey,” Tess whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should have—”

Holding up her hand, Bailey silenced her with a single look. She opened her mouth once, then closed it and turned away. As she walked off without a word, Tess whispered the worst curse word she knew.

Realizing she’d just done what she’d been so mad at Bailey for doing by interfering where she didn’t belong, she hugged her waist and prayed for forgiveness.

This was bad, though. Bailey had never before walked away from a fight. She always stuck it out. When Tess was the one who wanted to crawl under a rock and hide from an argument, Bailey forced her to stay and talk it through.

Not sure if she should follow her friend and be the forceful one this time around or give her some space, she waited a second. Then another.

Since she was still wired from what she’d learned about Jonah, she decided to wait. Bailey probably wanted to confirm a few things with her family before—oh, dear Lord, Mr. Prescott was going to kill her. Bailey’s father had always intimidated Tess with his gruffness, so she’d always been careful not to displease him. She had no idea what he’d do when he found out Bailey knew the truth.

Chapter Nineteen

JONAH WASN’T SURE what he was doing.

He’d gotten a job today as a short order cook in a greasy diner at the edge of town. But that by no means meant his life was back on track. Sure, no reporters had mentioned his name on the news in the past few days, and he’d found a place to stay, sort of, but he knew this wasn’t what Tess’s friend Bailey had meant by seeking Tess out only when he had his shit together. His shit was strewn around him so far, he still woke up in the middle of the night, gasping for air from nightmares and his muscles twisting in pain from his wounds.

Except he couldn’t stay away.

Maybe if he just saw her once. Or if he could only talk to her. But, Christ, if he talked to her, he’d want to beg for her forgiveness, and then he’d beg her to give him another chance. Or would it be a first chance, since the first time around probably didn’t count? Didn’t matter. He shouldn’t be begging for anything; he shouldn’t be bothering her at all.

And he definitely shouldn’t be on the campus of Granton, staking out her dormitory on the hopes of seeing her walk by. Because if he saw her, he’d want to talk to her, and then he’d start begging. From there, everything would just spiral out of control.

But he couldn’t help it. He just had to see her, had to make sure she was okay. Happy. Healthy—

Damn it, okay, he wanted to see her because he craved it. One hit of Tess was all it would take. After that, he could deal with life again. And if she just so happened to see him back when he saw her, then maybe he could mention the whole job thing, his living arrangements, and maybe slip in that he was so far gone for her, his life felt purposeless without her in it.

He drew in a breath. No. He wouldn’t talk to her just yet. Maybe after he got rid of the crutches, or when—

Someone walking up the front walk to Grammar Hall caught his attention. He peered out his hiding spot, which was in the shadows of a nearby copse of trees, and caught his breath. Bailey marched determinedly toward the front entrance. The urge to leap out at her and bombard her with questions about Tess was overwhelming. He actually took a step forward, nearly tripping on his crutches.

Maybe this would be better than talking to Tess herself. He could check up on her, make sure she was doing okay, get his fix, and not actually bother her.

But the way Bailey was walking made him pause. It was a fast, almost angry clip. She’d lifted her chin defiantly high as if she was pissed as hell, while tears streamed down her cheeks. Not sure what that was about, he hung back, hesitating.

When someone called, “Bailey! Hey, Bailey. Wait up,” Jonah glanced over to catch some guy lifting his hand and waving to her down, trying to get her attention. But she was lost in her own world. She barely paused to unlock the front door and ya

nk it open before darting inside.

Her pursuer broke into a run and reached out to catch the closing door but didn’t make it in time. Staring at the locked entrance, he muttered a curse and ran his hands over his short crop of hair. Then he whirled away and paced toward a nearby bench to slump down. But as he landed with a plop, he winced and rubbed at a spot on the upper left-hand side of his chest, reminding Jonah of those times he hurt his bullet wounds, jarring them whenever he sat down too fast.

Wondering who this guy was, how he knew Bailey, and if that meant he knew Tess too, Jonah continued to study him. Contemplating if he should approach the stranger and ask about her, he sighed. This was bullshit. He should just—

Suddenly bench guy lurched to his feet. “Tess!” he called with a relieved kind of grin.

Jonah’s innards shuddered as that name seared him in half.

He whirled until he spotted her. Unlike Bailey, she poked along at a slow pace, her head hung low with her long beautiful red mane covering most of her face. Swallowing dryly, he soaked in the view. God, just seeing her…he wanted to go to her, gather her into his arms, and pull her close until she realized every smile and touch and kiss had been the real deal between them.

But when she looked up at the stranger’s call, it wasn’t Jonah she saw. From his angle, he still couldn’t see her face, which was slightly frustrating, but he didn’t care. He could see enough. And when she darted forward, he saw her throw her arms around another man. She hugged him tight and buried her face in his neck as if she just couldn’t get close enough.

Her “companion” seemed momentarily startled by the act, but then he eagerly drew his arms around her too and bowed his head to speak confidentially in her ear. As he led her inside, pausing so she could unlock the door for them, Jonah’s world crashed around him.

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