Page 50 of Whisked Away By the Alien

“Golda, what are you doing out here?” Mom asks. Dressed to go shopping, she’s standing at the top of the steps of the brownstone.

“I forgot my key.”

“Then why didn’t you knock?”

“I didn’t think you were home.” The lies roll off my tongue too easily. I’d like to blame it on Sten, since he lied to me, but it’s not his fault I’m a coward and don’t want to tell my mom what happened. She loves me, and I love her, but I’m not ready to hear the ‘you’re being too picky’ or ‘lose a little weight’ words of wisdom she always gives when things don’t go right.

I’m not even sure Stenikov lied to me. What if this was some misunderstanding? I never gave him a chance to explain. Everything from Friday night is all jumbled in my head.

All it would take to clear it up is talking with him, but… I’m scared. Scared to discover that he really doesn’t love me.

“Come in before you freeze to death, dear.”

“I’m not so lucky,” I mumble as I follow her inside.

“What type of talk is that?” She shuts the door behind me. I forgot she has super good hearing, not that I care at the moment. I want the comfort of being home, where I’m loved no matter what I say or do.

Sten loves you.

“Shut up,” I scold my inner voice.

“What’s that, dear?”

“I’m talking to myself. Ignore me.” The moment I dump my coat on the chair by the front door, I smell that delicious musk that is Sten.

“Is he here?” I should have asked thatbeforeentering.

“No. Stenala is helping your father with an assignment. Top secret apparently. I swear, sometimes I don’t think your father trusts me.”

Maybe it’s a male thing. After all, Sten said he’d just found out about his transfer the day before.Beforewe’d had sex. He should have told me earlier.

Would that have made a difference?

Honestly, I’m not sure.

“What type of secret could Dad have?” I need to get my mind off Sten. “I mean, if it’s work related, he can’t share it with Sten unless he has clearance.” And there I go… right back to thinking about Sten.

“I’m fairly certain Fahrven Technologies doesn’t employ any aliens. I think your father was making an excuse to get Stenikov out of the house. He’s been moping around here since he returned Friday night. Because of you, Golda. What did you do to him?”

“What makes you think I did something?”

“Because he spent all day yesterday and this morning staring at your picture on the living room wall. And that apron you made as a kid went missing. I found it neatly folded on his bed. He’s latched onto any and everything that reminds him of you. So, I’ll ask again, what did you do?”

“Why do you always assume I’m the one in the wrong?”

“He loves you, Golda.”

My heart pounds at hearing those words, especially from my mom who wouldn’t lie about something so serious. “He told you that?”

“No, but that’s the only thing that can hurt a person so deeply.”

My heart falls again. I’m on an emotional rollercoaster, but I’m far from ready to get off. I need to know more, especially whatever it is my mom knows.

“What if I told you he lied to me?”

“I’d tell you to get over it and fix this.”

“You don’t even know what the lie was.”

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