Page 45 of Something Borrowed

When Grady stood, a chill ran down her spine. She didn’t know he was up for the question option. Maybe she should have taken the dare, but she had a feeling she knew what his dare would be. Chills raced up her spine, a shiver that had nothing to do with the chilly breeze coming off the ocean, a prelude to the storm that was aiming directly for them. She stood, patience a worn thread, much like an old, used up blanket that had been tossed in the corner. Grady considered her slowly, a deep pensive look on his face.

For once, no one in the circle pushed for speed. This game had turned much more serious, a way to reconnect and to figure out what went wrong five years ago. More than Ethan and Delaney had split five years ago. The entire group, except for Grady, had fractured into a thousand pieces, split from their ideals, hopes, dreams, and goals.

Graduating from college was a significant life transition, as how one planned their life never quite met up with the reality of what their life was. Delaney had planned on marrying Ethan, who would work with his father in the investment firm. Anna was going to be a big Hollywood star. Wyatt had his eyes set on a professional football career until his knee injury. Only Matthew and Caroline had achieved their goal, or would in the next few days. And Brigid thought she was still on track for her own goals, having never deviated from her focus on law firm partnership at a prestigious law firm in Houston.

Then Grady came along and blew that entire image to shit with his questions about a relationship, making her want things she had no business wanting, not now in her career trajectory.

She shifted impatiently. “Anytime, Grady.”

He blinked as if waking up from a dream, then leveled a firm stare on her. “Truth, right?”

“Yes, truth. It’s always truth.” Anna broke in. “She’s predictably boring. Get on with it.”

A ghost of a smile crossed Grady’s face, but it wasn’t from amusement. “Fine. Brigid, do you love your job?”

Brigid heard the words, soft but powerful. “Of course I do.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Remember the consequences of lying.”

“Who says I’m lying?” She challenged him, hands firmly planted on her hips, anger boiling up to hide one simple fact.

She was lying, and Grady knew it.

* * *

Grady watched the play of emotions cross Brigid’s face. She was always a horrible liar, especially about things that were important to her. She might have been an outstanding lawyer, but he doubted she loved her job as much as she wanted her parent’s approval.

He had come close to asking her why she wouldn’t take their relationship to the next level, but she had really answered that last night, as far as she could. He didn’t think she even knew she was afraid of the commitment, of him leaving her and not loving her enough, especially if she failed, as she saw it. To her, love had conditions, and she wasn’t ready to see that. He was tired of having the same argument over and over. So, he switched the conversation.

And Brigid didn’t know what to do next.

He buried his smile and tried his best to be impassive, as if this was a poker hand to win the whole pot. “Brigid? Your answer?”

Anger. Confusion. Frustration. Doubt. Thoughtfulness. All played across her face as the group watched her expectantly. Her mouth opened and closed several times, as if choosing words, then discarding them.

Finally, she said, “I switch to dare.”

Before Caroline could step in and tell her she couldn’t switch, Grady intervened. “Fine, you admit you were lying about the truth. Now, I dare you…”

“I wasn’t lying.” Brigid straightened to her full five-foot eight height, body fairly quivering with indignation.

“Really? The only way to switch after the question was asked is to admit you were lying.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You’ve got that tied up in a neat little bow, don’t you? I’ll bet you were just waiting for this chance to embarrass me.”

He took a step forward, which forced her to tilt her head to look up at him. He gently grasped her shoulders. “I never intended to embarrass you. Believe me, there are a dozen other ways I could do that, especially with a dare. Come on, Brigid. It’s not a hard question.”

She lowered her voice so that only he could hear. “One of my bosses is sitting right there. Do you really think I’m going to admit anything about work in front of him?”

Without turning his head and keeping his eyes focused on hers, he said, “Matthew, nothing said here goes any further, right?”

“Of course not. Vegas rules.”

“Answer the question, sweetheart.”

She looked down at the buttons on his shirt, staring as if they were the most fascinating things she had ever seen. A small shudder ran through her, so faint he would have never noticed if he hadn’t been holding her. He resisted the urge to pull her to him, but the answer was important to more than the game. He had to know. She had to know. Then they could move on from there.

For once, the group was silent. In fact, they had receded from Grady’s consciousness, so he and Brigid seemed isolated in the circle, alone and intimate, the only sound being the dull roar of a churning ocean ahead of the storm coming up the coast.

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