Lake’s frown hasn’t changed. I told her all of it—starting from being in the same class with Hercules in high school to making love to him in Boston until the moment he had me escorted out of the VTI building.
“Wow,” she finally whispers. “That’s…” She shakes her head in dismay.
I stare into the cup of echinacea tea she made for me. It contains lemon and honey. Lake swears the potion will keep me from getting sick. I’ve lied to her for weeks. Yet, she’s treating me as though she still wants to be friends.
“I know. It’s insane.” I sigh.
“Well, at least now I know why you and Hercules have such amazing chemistry. You must’ve really hurt him. He likes you a lot.”
I hang my head. “I know…”
“Paisley?” she says in a tender tone.
I lift my head.
She sits up straight. “I forgive you.”
“You do?”
“Yes, I do.”
“But why?
“Because I know how it feels to make the wrong decisions just to make the people you love accept you. I guess the question is, what are you going to do next?”
I turn to gaze out the window to absorb our last exchange of words. Snow and fog mix in the atmosphere. I can't believe I was walking in that for hours. I could’ve died. And the thought of nearly killing myself makes me realize I don’t want to die. I want to live; and I want to do it for myself.
Lake is still waiting for my answer.
“I don’t know,” I reply with a soft shrug. “A large part of me is very relieved that you know the truth and you seem to still like me.”
“I do still like you,” she replies quickly.
For the first time since arriving, I manage to smile. It's tiny, but it comes from a joyful place deep inside me.
“But you’re going to have to tell Mason the truth,” she says.
My eyes grow wide as I dread having to face him.
“Tell me the truth?” Mason says as he walks out of the dimly lit hallway, wearing pajama bottoms and a T-shirt.
I’m being crushed by doom as I focus on the kind and open way he’s watching me. I want to remember that look on his face—he still likes me. In a few minutes, he’s going to lose all respect for me.
There…
I just told Mason everything. He sits on the edge of the sofa, scowling at me with his eyes narrowed to slits.
“So you’re the Paisley Grove?” This is the second time he’s asked me that.
I nod.
“And that’s why Herc tossed you out in the cold?”
Tears fill my eyes as I replay being walked out of the VTI building like a common criminal. “Yes.”
“I know this situation isn’t ideal…” Lake says.
Mason scoffs. “No kidding.”
“But, Mason, this is where we are, so we—”
Mason throws up a hand. “Wait. Were you stealing from us the whole time?”
I shake my head adamantly. “No. Never.”
“Then why the hell did you mislead us? No… You did more than mislead us. What you did was illegal. I can call the cops and have you arrested.” He grunts as if he just remembered something. “That’s right. Max Grove is your brother. He probably has the cops on his payroll.”
“What?” I bite back. “My brother may be a shrewd businessman, but he’s not a dang mobster.”
He narrows an eye. “Are you sure about that?”
I set my jaw. “Yes.”
“I’m not.”
“I don’t care.” I do care.
“Mason, could you please calm down,” Lake says, her voice absorbing some of the tension between us. “Your overreaction isn’t helping the situation.”
“My overreaction?” he shouts, pointing at me. “She’s been lying to me, to you, to Herc, to everybody, and I’m overreacting?”
“I know, but the world isn't about following rules and regulations for being a human being. She did what she did because her situation is complicated. Can’t you grasp complicated, Mason? My God.”
His large fingers are pressed against his forehead, massaging his temples. By the looks of it, forgiveness for me resides many moons away.
“What was the purpose of it all?” he asks with restrained aggression.
I swallow hard and think before I speak. Instinctually, I want to lie to cover for Max. But I’m tired of lying. “I was planning to recover what was stolen from my family.”
His eyes narrow a pinch more. “And what do you think was stolen from your family?”
I hesitate, trying to decide how honest I should be. “A code.”
“What kind of code?”
I explain how someone broke into my grandfather’s home and stole a code out of the library. Then that code came online a few months ago. Its location was in VTI’s brain.
“Then you hacked the brain to find it?”
“Tonight, I did,” I reply in a flat tone.
Mason lifts his chin. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
I shake my head.
“And what is this code you were looking for?”
I know I shouldn’t say too much. I have no doubt Mason is interrogating me. He’ll use anything I say against me. I glance at Lake, and she also appears to be waiting for my answer. But my bout with full disclosure can only go so far.
“I can’t tell you,” I whisper and swallow to moisten my dry throat.
He snorts bitterly. “I don’t know what to do about you, Lark. I mean, whatever your name is.”
“Her name is Paisley, Mason,” Lake chimes in. “And she’s still the same person you were concerned about before you knew her real identity.”
He stares at Lake, bewildered. I think what I feared is happening—my lie is getting between them.
“Mason, I'm not asking you to forget that I lied to you for two weeks,” I say to take the pressure off Lake. “And, Lake, I don't want you to expect Mason to forgive me. I was wrong. I am wrong. I don't know what to do next, but I know that I don't want to get between the two of you.”
Lake sighs as she massages her temples. “I think we should sleep on this and talk in the morning.” Her eyes seem to plead for me and Mason to accept her recommendation.
“She’s spending the night here?” Mason asks, peering at me as if we have never been friends or colleagues.
I would remind him of all the good I’ve done for VTI even while being a Grove, but by the look on his face, I don’t think it’ll matter.
“Yes, Mason. She is. I’m not going to throw her out in the cold.”
“She’s a goddamn billionaire,” Mason explodes, pointing at me as if I’m not even a person.
I’m dizzy as I rise to my feet. “I can find my way home if…”
“No,” Lake says, and my butt drops back down on the sofa. My legs are weak, and I’m really tired. Who am I kidding? I couldn’t leave right now, even if I wanted to.
Mason shoots to his feet. “Do whatever you want. I’m going back to bed.”
Lake and I watch him storm off. When he’s out of sight and her bedroom door slams, she and I look at each other with wide eyes. I think we’re both relieved he didn’t storm out of the apartment. But still, I don’t think he and I will ever recover from my deception.
Lake set me up in her guest room. I find the view of the building next door comforting. The brick blocks most of the light from the outside, making the bedroom extra dark. Even though I’m beyond exhausted, I haven’t been able to sleep. At one point, I heard Lake and Mason muttering as if they were arguing with each other. Then their silence turned to moans and grunts.
Sex…
Guilt is keeping me awake. Sure, they ended up making love, but if not for me, they wouldn’t have fought in the first place. Lake isn’t going to back down. She’s forgiven me. She’s still my friend. I feel secure about that. But Mason isn’t going to back down either. He reviles me, and there’s nothing I can do to change that.
I flip over onto my right side then yawn. I’m still uncomfortable, so I thrust myself up to sit.
What am I doing here? No, really—what am I doing here?
My life has blown up into a million pieces. I'm trapped in the middle of the chaos. Hercules caught me committing a crime. I broke his heart. I broke my own heart.
I shake my head. I can't be still. I have to do something with myself. I have to move now.
I’m quickly out of bed. Lake put my wet clothes on a heat bar. Shoes in hand, I tiptoe down the hallway to her pint-sized laundry room. I try not to make a peep, but the floorboards squeak.
I stand still and listen for any movement. Seconds tick by quietly. I put on my clothes then tiptoe to the living room. I’m a few steps from the door, and…
“Where do you think you’re going?” Lake asks.
Hand pressed over my heart, I jump then turn to see her standing behind me.
That’s a good question. My lips part as I’m trapped in a moment of confusion. “I don’t know yet. But first I have to go back to the apartment.”
She checks over her shoulder then carefully approaches me. “Why? Stay here. It’s late. And I promise we’ll get this all worked out in the morning. I think Mason just might come around.”
My eyes soften as I gaze at my friend’s lovely face. She really does look like an angel. “Thank you for your kindness, but…”
“Don’t give me that BS kiss off, Paisley. I thought we were friends.”
“We are but…” I press my lips and close my eyes to keep from crying. No more tears. I can’t think rationally if I’m crying. “We can’t ignore what I did. I can be in serious trouble. And also, I don’t want to come between you and Mason. I mean, look how long you waited for him. And now he’s yours. Don’t lose him because of me.”
She flops a hand toward her bedroom. “Don’t worry about him. However, what I hear you saying is that you need some distance because you’re in a period of emotional crisis at the moment.”
Tears stuck in my eyes, I snort a chuckle. “You pretty much nailed it.”
Lake walks over and hugs me. I hug her back, unable to stop the waterworks.