Page 44 of Twisted Lies

He smiles and finally glances up from the keys. “No. Lily, I’ve waited a long time for this. I’ve had the time to get everything ready. I have a gun to their heads, and they know it. I know they will try something in time, but I have time to get ready for that as well. It’s all about the timing. The time to return is now. Everything is under control.” Nodding, I stand and move into the bathroom to take a shower. I needed a moment with my thoughts.

After taking my time in hot water, I change clothes and find him still typing away. “I made us dinner reservation tonight at a restaurant nearby.”

“Meeting?” I ask, trying to decide what to wear.

“No. Just us,” he responds, still typing.

“No meeting?” I ask again, wanting to make sure I heard him correctly. It seemed all he had were meetings or events where we needed to act a certain way.

I see him grin a little at my question. “No meeting. If you really want, I can call a few people,” he offers.

I laugh and fall onto the bed, glancing up at him. “No. I’m very happy to not have to keep up names or, at least, only your two.”

“Ha. Funny,” he says, shutting the computer screen. “How are you feeling with everything?”

“A little overwhelmed.”

“I can understand that. I would be worried if you weren’t. It’s a lot of information being thrown at you. I’ve had years to go over this in my head, and I still feel a little off balance at times,” he admits, but I have a hard time believing him. He never seems off balance. He seems to always be in control and knows what to say and do at the right moment. I think he just said it to comfort me. If anything, he seems more ready for whatever comes next than the last year I’ve known him.

“Do you think you’ll be able to pull everything off?” I ask and wonder if he will answer.

He’s silent for a moment, and I wonder if I’ve asked one too many questions close together.

“I do. At the very least, the top things that need to be done. It’s all about the timing. I wanted to do this years ago, but it was never the right time. Either they had too much power or had an alliance that would cause huge issues. At times, it was hard to find the information I needed because they had covered their tracks so well. I knew if I went in too soon, it would backfire. You have no idea how frustrating it was waiting, but everything needed to be just right.” He speaks as if some of the words had only ever been said in his head. I hear the relief in his voice after he has finally spoken them out loud to another living person. “But onto a better topic. Dinner. It’s a French place. Just opened. Chris went the other night and said it was good.”

“How dressy is it?” I ask, dreading the answer. My feet will have sores for the rest of my life from wearing high heels this much.

He laughs at my look. “Don’t worry, it’s a jeans place. Chris hates dressing up. He would never go anywhere that requires it if he could avoid it.”

“I’m starting to like Chris more and more.”

He laughs once more, and I’m falling in love with the sound. Where did that thought come from? Love and Elijah do not go hand and hand.

“Let’s turn on the TV till dinner. I can’t look at that computer any longer,” he says, flipping on the TV. I don’t respond, still trying to figure out where the love thought came from. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to notice as he goes through channels. The quicker this act gets over with, the better. The lines are getting blurred, and that’s the last thing I need.

* * *

He was right. Dinner is not the dress up kind of place. I love it on sight. It’s packed with life and action; people are drinking and eating. Laughter rings through the room, and kids run about. We luck out and are seated quickly.

“You like it?” he asks, pulling out the seat for me.

“I do. I really do. The best part is we don’t have to act. I don’t know how you and Mi…Claire did it for so long without snapping.”

He laughs, and I try not to enjoy it as much as I do, but I fail miserably. “It took some getting used to, but when it’s life and death, it makes it easier. It helped to have my sister there as well. Made it better. We could still be us when it was just the two of us. Without her, I may have snapped.”

“Were you two always close?” I ask.

“Yes. We had a lot in common. Claire was involved in the business from a young age, so we did a lot together.”

“Is it common to have women involved?”

“Not really, but Claire, well, you know Claire. She gets what she wants.”

“Was it just the two of you? Any other siblings I should be looking out for?” I ask. His face twists quickly, and I almost think I’m imagining it. “I think that’s enough family talk for one night,” he answers, closing the subject. I note he didn’t answer about having other siblings. I wonder…then I remind myself it’s best not to wonder.

The rest of the night goes well—no more talk about family or the past. We simply enjoy each other’s company and people watching. He seems younger in this place with no one watching. Once more, I find myself using theloveword, watching his eyes take in the room and the experience.

ChapterSeventeen

---