Page 93 of So Close

“Amy.” She sets her hand on my forearm. “Are you okay?”

With a jerk of my arm, I throw her hand off. I didn’t have a legal team; I had Darius. Why wouldn’t I trust my husband? “I’m fine!”

“Let me help you.”

“What do you get out of it?” I snap, pivoting on the seat to sit face to face with her.

“We’re family,” she says simply. “You’re my sister, even if it’s only through marriage. I don’t have any other siblings. No cousins or aunts or grandparents. I have Kane and, hopefully, you.”

We’re family. I remember Kane saying something similar.It’s good to have family.Total bullshit. What have any of them done to welcome me? When have they put me first or had my back? Now Lily thinks we can sit down for drinks, and she can casually twist my mind into knots for entertainment?

“Family,” I repeat, my mouth twisting with distaste. “Did Kane tell you he screwed me? For a good twelve hours straight, I’d guess. Time kinda blurs when you’re locked in a non-stop orgasm. Does that make us anincestuousfamily?”

She’s calm and cool, unruffled by my anger. “He told me, yes.”

I want to grab her by the hair and slam her face into the bar.

“I’m sorry.” She looks me in the eye so that I can read her sincerity. “And you’re right to call me out for being facetious. I want to help you because you’re a woman who’s lost some power, and that’s dangerous. I want to help you because I want to make amends. Kane hurt you because of me. He’s a grown man and responsible for making his own amends, but I can still feel regret for his pain and how that pain affected you.”

“Oh, great. Just what I need. Your goddamn pity.” I take a big swallow, relishing the burn in the pit of my stomach. I gesture for another drink.

“Reject my pity,” she says. “Accept my help. I’ll revise my offer. Instead of taking a referral commission, I’ll invest directly in Social Creamery, or I can offer a loan.”

“I can get a fucking loan!”

Her eyes never stray from my face as she takes another sip.

“Did Kane put you up to this?” I force myself to dial back my temper. She’s totally in control of herself and this conversation, and the madder I get, the more I look like I can’t hold my own. “Or is this all your idea? Get me out of the office so Kane doesn’t see me daily? Is that why he hasn’t come back to work?”

“I don’t worry about Kane being around any woman. I don’t say that to be cruel. It’s just the truth. And you and I being at odds only helps Aliyah. I’m not your enemy, Amy, or your rival. We can help each other and come out ahead. That’s all I’m proposing. If we can find our way to being friends or allies, I’d like that, too.”

A voice in my head tells me she’s right, that I can use someone on my side. I could certainly use an influx of cash. I don’t know what to think about Darius anymore. When I’m with him, I’m sure he loves me. But then there’s all this other shit. Could he possibly be ignorant of an exit clause? Has he been stringing me along?Why?

Lily’s posture has changed subtly. It’s not something I can put my finger on, but there’s the sense that she’s settled into her element. She’s powerful, confident, sexy. I can see why Kane’s such a lunatic over her, and I understand why I’ll never have him again. At least not while she’s breathing …

“I’m sorry I’ve been … abrasive,” I say tightly, knowing it’s best to wear my Lily guise. I’m powerful, confident and sexy, too. I roll my shoulders back and manage a smile when the bartender takes my empty glass and presents me with a new drink. He doesn’t smile or even make eye contact. “I’ve had a few rough days recently, and this is a lot of information to digest at once.”

“It’s fine,” she dismisses with an artless wave of her hand. That stone Kane gave her catches the light, and I realize it’s the reddish-purple color of a human heart. “You don’t have to apologize. Trust is earned, and I’m happy to earn yours.”

I imagine her heart beating in my hand, strong and sure, never anxious or afraid. Then I close my fingers, feeling the rubbery flesh give under pressure until hot blood the shade of her lipstick runs down my forearm and drips from my elbow.

As delightful as that fantasy is, my pulse is racing, and a distant part of my mind registers my panicked thoughts. I need to read the contract. I need to know what it says. I lick an icy vodka droplet from my lip. I don’t even taste the vermouth anymore, thankfully.

“What time is it?” I ask.

“Almost seven.”

“Oh! I have to go,” I lie. Because I can’t sit here another minute, making small talk, feeling inadequate and exposed. Feeling like a moron. I have to act and take control.

I have to be Lily.

Sliding off my stool, I grab my martini and gulp it down. “I’m sorry to run off like this. I didn’t realize the time.”

Lily’s smile seems fragile around the edges. “Maybe we could do this again sometime soon? And not talk business.”

“I’d like that.” I lean forward and press my lips to her cheek. I hold them there for a beat too long because she smells so good. I wonder if she notices that I’m wearing the same perfume. I wonder if she misses her long hair and covets mine. Her skin is soft and plush beneath my lips. When I pull back, she has a lip print on her face the same shade as the lipstick on her mouth. “Bye!”

Digging in my purse, I toss cash on the bar and rush out like I’m in a hurry. I wave my arm at the curb, and a cab cuts recklessly across lanes to reach me. I hop in and pull out my phone, looking through my contacts for Ramin’s address. As Baharan’s CLO, he can find out what is in the contract if he doesn’t know offhand. By the time I tell the driver where we’re going, he’s already rejoined traffic.

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