Page 165 of Love Redesigned

“How long do you plan on lying to yourself? Days? Weeks?Months?”

“Lily.”

Her deep sigh produces a cloud of air. “I’m kidding. I worryabout you.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’tdocasual.”

“No, but it’s not like I’ve had much of an opportunity to try.”

And see where that got you.

A strange look passes over her. “It’s not as fun and easygoing as it sounds. Take it from me.”

My stomach churns. “Is everything okay? With you, I mean?”

Lily recovers with a smile. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes. I’m more worried about you and whether you’ll end up with hurt feelings.”

I scoff hard enough to create a puff of air in front of me. “That won’t be an issue.”

Her eyes roll. “That’s what everyone says.”

“Yeah, well, this is different. Neither of us is interested in anything serious.”

“Are you sure about that?”

I wiggle my empty ring finger. “Positive.”

“Make sure to tell him that, then.”

My stomach drops. “What do you mean?”

“Julian doesn’t do casual relationships. Sure, he agrees to go on dates to appease his mother, but he’s not interested in something temporary. That much I know.”

My gaze drops. “We would never work long-term.”

“I’ve yet to hear why.”

“For starters, we both have businesses to run in separate states.” Designs by Dahlia is all I have left after losing my show and my relationship, and I’m not about to walk away from it because of a man.

She shakes her head. “Long distance is an obstacle to overcome, not a reason to stay apart.”

A condensation cloud forms around me as I let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t trust him not to hurt me again.”

“I think your biggest issue is that you don’t trustyourself.”

I let out a low whistle. “Damn.”

She locks elbows with me and steers us back toward the house. “You know I’m giving you a hard time because I care about you both and don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”

I lean my head against her shoulder. “That’s why I love you.”

“Even if I steal your clothes?”

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