Page 68 of The Truth in My Lies (Secrets of Suburbi 1)

Nothing I said was helping.

“And I…” God, what could I say to make him change his mind? That I was in love with someone else? Just the thought was jarring. In love? I wasn’t in love with Ben Jones. I barely knew him. And he didn’t even like me back. “I’ll…kill myself if you make me leave.”

He let go of my arm, like my skin burned him. “Why would you even say that?”

“Because it’s true. I love it here, and I won’t be happy anywhere else you take me. For once in your life, would it hurt you to ask what I want?”

“I’ve already made up my mind. We’ll look online for houses if that’s what you want. But we’re moving, Adeline. I have a few meetings this week that I can’t reschedule. I’ll leave Monday morning and be back Wednesday night. Take the time to pack and say goodbye to your friends. I’ll pick you up after my flight on Wednesday night and we’ll leave together.”

For the first time in years, I saw the tick. He hid it well. He always had. But I could see it now. He was clenching his jaw, grinding his teeth back and forth. He was nervous. Something wasn’t right. The promotion. The move. “What did you do?” I whispered. Because whatever it was, it had most likely put me in danger too.

“If you don’t have anything productive to add to this conversation, then it would be best if you said nothing at all.”

“What are you running from?”

“Enough, Adeline.” His tone was harsh but his voice was quiet.

I nodded and looked down at the salad I hadn’t touched. “I need to use the restroom.”

He grabbed my hand before I slid out of my seat. “I love you, Adeline.”

“I love you too.” The words were hollow. And I breathed easier the farther I walked away from him.

Chapter 33

Wednesday night. It moved up my timeline, but it was still doable. Definitely still doable. I started pacing back and forth in the restroom. The stuff from Amazon would come Monday night at the latest. I could get it all set up on Tuesday. And I’d have Wednesday morning and afternoon to perfect everything.

No. Charlotte and the gawkers were coming on Wednesday. That would ruin everything. I’d need to call her and tell her not to come. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. I didn’t have the witch’s number. I had none of their numbers because I wasn’t actually friends with them.

My eyes stayed glued to the ceiling as someone else walked into the restroom. I didn’t care if I looked like a crazy person. I was a woman with a deadline and I didn’t give a shit about anything but the end result. I’d figure out the Charlotte issue. Even if I had to walk down the street and tell her to stay away from me. Was her number in the phone book? Did I even have a phone book?

The click of the lock made me tear my gaze from the tiles on the ceiling. Ben was standing there with his arms folded across his chest in the sexiest way possible. His face was stern and his eyes were staring daggers at me. But he was wearing a ridiculous fake mustache and a baseball cap. We were at a fancy restaurant. What was he thinking?

“What the hell, Addy?” he said.

It took me a second to realize he was really there. That the man with the weird mustache was actually Ben in the flesh. “What are you doing here?” For a moment I wanted to run into his arms. Like he was here to protect me from that monster sitting across from me in the restaurant. But I knew that wasn’t why he was here. He was probably going to report me to the police. Was planning a murder a crime if I hadn’t done it yet? I’d feign innocence. I’d tell them that Ben made the sketches.

“Are you serious right now? You tape up the cameras so I can’t see you and then you leave the house. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“You followed me here?”

“Yes. I was worried about you.”

“Well as you can see, I’m perfectly fine. And he’s still alive too. So stop worrying about everything so much.”

“Addy…”

“And stop stalking me.”

He took off his baseball cap and fisted it in his hand. “I’m not stalking you. I’m trying to protect you.”

“By dressing up like a homeless man?”

He exhaled slowly. “It’s a disguise. I didn’t want anyone to recognize me.”

“Why? So that you can’t be brought down as an accomplice?”

He took a step toward me. “You are planning on doing it, then?”

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