Page 64 of Her Dark Lies
I whisper, “Do not say anything, Katie. Please.”
“He doesn’t know about Shane?”
“No. He doesn’t. Just stay quiet, for me. I will handle this.”
“You’ll handle what, darling?” Jack asks, stepping onto the terrace.
37
The Great Confession
Jack is soaking wet.
“Where have you been?” I ask.
“Oh, Elliot needed to talk about the server issue.”
“In the pool?”
He swipes a hand through his hair, slicking it back into place. “We walked to the cottages. Hey, Katie. You all settled in?”
“I am, Jack. Thank you. Your family’s hospitality is wonderful.”
I shoot her a look—she’s laying it on pretty thick.
“What are you going to handle?” Jack asks me.
I don’t answer. My head is still reeling, my mind is screaming not to tell him anything, that he’s going to hate me, that he’s going to leave me.
This is my greatest fear. I can put voice to it, now that I’m faced with its imminent prospect. If he finds out about my past, he’s going to walk away. Why would he want to be saddled with me? His family, his parents, they aren’t going to want me as a part of the Compton clan when they find out the horrors I’ve been through. The horrors I’ve caused.
“I texted, but you didn’t answer.”
He glances at his phone. “It didn’t come through. The signal is pretty bad today, with the weather. What’s up?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just checking to see where you were.”
“Missed me already?”
“I always miss you when you’re not here.”
He beams at me. Katie clears her throat. “God, get a room.”
We laugh, then silence envelops us.
“Well, that’s my cue. Brunch is in fifteen minutes. I better get moving. I’ll see you down there.”
Katie gives me a stare that saystell him or I will.
Once the door is shut, he rubs his face and sighs. “God, what a morning. Elliot is being a first-class asshole. Just a heads-up, in case he’s rude to you. He’s in a mood.”
“Got it. Everything okay with the servers? Any news?”
“Nothing yet. Seriously, you don’t need to worry about it. Dad’s got it handled.”
Jack pulls me in for a hug and the move strikes me in a way it never has before. Unlike my previous lovers, he is a gentle, tactile man, never worried about PDA. He’s always holding my hand, draping an arm across my shoulders, playing with my hair. Lots of kisses and private touches. I’ve never had anyone so openly affectionate before.
Normally it makes me feel cherished, treasured.
