Page 15 of A Lie so Dangerous and Fragile

“We’ll make this work, trust me,” she assured me.

“Yes.” I nodded in understanding.

“I will speak to my friend and see when you can both meet and get to know each other.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“He is really sweet. You will like him. Who knows? You might even become a real couple,” she said and laughed.

I felt like she was trying to play matchmaker. She’d been asking me to go on dates, but I’d told her I wasn’t ready for a relationship. It was as if that side of me was dead, and I could never fall in love again.

“Thank you, Mrs. Porter, for everything.” I smiled at her.

“Anything for you and Kayden. I don’t think your heart can survive another heartbreak. I don’t want that monster back in your life. He doesn’t deserve you or Kayden. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks.” I sniffled.

“I guess I’m too late.”His words flickered in my head. Damn right he was. I really hoped we never ran into each other again.

***

It was Wednesday, and I was meeting Ryan today. Mrs. Porter had told me she already explained everything to him.

I hoped Mrs. Carter would let us leave early today. I wanted to take sick leave, but I had used all my sick leave already to spend some time with Kayden.

I tried to finish all my assigned tasks early and make an excuse to leave. I entered the third room, struggling with my cleaning equipment. A lady in a black silk robe lay on the bed in front of her laptop. I’d thought no one was inside since I waited ten minutes for an answer.

She took a glance at me after I greeted her and didn’t say anything. I pushed my cleaning cart toward the bathroom. The door opened before I could reach for the door handle, and Adrian stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist and water dripping down his impressive torso.

I froze. His eyes scanned my uniform and the cleaning cart I was holding tightly.

“What are you waiting for? Go in there and do your job. So shameless,” the lady said from behind me.

“Don’t speak to her like that, Lindsay,” Adrian said.

He turned to me and tried to say something, but I gave him a fake smile and pushed my cleaning supplies toward the bathroom. I couldn’t blame him for sleeping with different women every day.

I walked past him into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I didn’t need him defending me. I had heard worse anyway. It was best to ignore them. When I came out of the bathroom, the room was empty. I made the bed and cleaned the room.

It was past three in the afternoon when I finished, and Mrs. Carter allowed me to go. I was meeting Ryan at the diner where I worked. I arrived before him. The description Mrs. Porter had given me didn’t match any of the guys in the diner.

I went to say hi to my manager. We were very fond of each other, and I enjoyed annoying him.

Ryan was nowhere to be seen when I returned. I stayed with Jules behind the counter. I looked up when the door opened. Curly, dark hair? Check. Green eyes? Check. Flannel shirt and dark jeans? Check.

He was here. I felt a bit nervous. I waved awkwardly at him as he looked around. He didn’t even give me a smile like the one I was giving him. Had he been forced to do this?

I took two cups of soda, fries, and cheeseburgers. I joined him at the booth next to the window.

“Hi,” I said, putting his drink down.

He didn’t look my way or say anything. He sipped the drink instead. His curly hair covered his forehead. He had a light stubble, and his lips held the straw in a pout. I noticed the little lip ring.

“Um … thanks for agreeing to this. Ryan, right?”

He didn’t say anything. Mrs. Porter hadn’t told me he was mute. How was it going to work? There was no way people would see us as a couple.

“Um … do you have something you would like to say?”

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