Page 44 of Lie With Me
“You got all of this for me?” Lenni asks with tears in her eyes as she holds a heating pad.
“I didn’t know what you’d prefer, so I figured I’d just get you what I could think of. We can pack it up in the car, and I’ll help you bring it inside when I take you home after dinner. If you need something else, we can stop somewhere?—”
She cuts me off with her lips on mine, throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me down so she’s not stretched up on her tiptoes. “Thank you,Tripp. I think this is the nicest thing a man has ever done for me.”
If getting a heating pad and some chocolate ice cream is the nicest thing a man has done for her, she’s in for a wild ride if she lets me date her the way I want to. “It’s not that big of a deal, Viv.”
Winding my arms around her, my heart warms as she lays her head on my chest and squeezes me tight. “It is to me.”
“Remember you said that later. I know you said you’re emotional right now, but I want the record to show that I did something nice for you.”
“You’re always doing nice things for me,” she murmurs, sounding like she’s on the brink of tears.
Stifling my laugh, I pull her back and cock a head toward the door. “Come on. We better get on the road. I’m driving, but I’ll let you pick the music. You look beautiful, by the way, if I haven’t told you already.”
The smile she gives me takes my breath away. It’s genuine, her full, mauve-painted lips curving up to show her perfect pearly whites. “You haven’t, but thank you.”
Her long dress flows around her ankles as we walk, her heeled boots high enough that the hem doesn’t drag on the ground. It’s black with a red and orange flower pattern and short sleeves that flutter around her biceps. It brings out the tan on her skin and the honey in her eyes, and it makes me wish we weren’t going anywhere but my bedroom.
My hand doesn’t leave the small of her back theentire way down to the parking garage, my fingers itching to squeeze her skin while I bury my nose in her hair to inhale her scent. It’s only been two and a half days, and I feel like my cock is beginning to wither up and die without her engulfing my senses.
Lenni connects her phone to the car system before we take off. Briefly, I realize we left all of her period stuff upstairs, but I selfishly keep quiet in hopes I can get her to stay a while after dinner. “What are we listening to?”
“My shark week mix. I warn you now: it’s going to be an hour of Alanis Morissette, Taylor Swift, and Shania Twain.”
“Shania Twain is my jam.” Picking her hand up, I interlace our fingers and kiss her knuckles. “Let’s go, girls.”
The drive to my parents’ feels like it passes too quickly. Lenni and I spend the time singing songs—poorly, I might add, neither of us can carry a tune to save our lives—and trading random facts about pop celebrities.
“I feel like we’re driving through the English countryside right now. What are these houses? It’s like something straight out ofDownton Abbey,” Lenni exclaims, hands pressed against the window as we drive through the ivy-draped colonial-style homes in my parents' neighborhood.
“Yeah, Mom and Pops never wanted to live in the city. Mom likes the glitz and glamor, but she’s also awfully particular about her style and thinks she needs a mini mansion even though it is just us three. Although I live in the city, so obviously, it’s just them now. Pops likes how quiet it is, and that there’s a golf course right down the road.”
“I can’t believe you grew up here.” Lenni’s voice is quiet and reflective.
“You know, you haven’t told me where you’re from.”
She snorts and mutters, “A little town called nowhere.”
“Is that actually a city, or are you just being a smartass?”
Her answering grin tells me it’s the latter.
I can feel her tense as I pull into the driveway, her arm pressed against mine on the center console going rigid. “I already messaged my mom and told her she better be on her best behavior.”
“Just remember, my goal is to make her think I won’t last,” she reminds me sternly.
“Trust me, Valentina, I haven’t forgotten.” My response is dry, and I see her look at me from my peripheral.
Pops meets us at the door with open arms. “Glad you guys made it. We were getting a little worried. I know the roads are icy. Valentina, it’s good to see you again.”
Lenni’s smile is warm and genuine as they share a hug. “Hi, Dad. Can I call you Dad? I didn’t have adad growing up. This is nice. Thank you for having us for dinner.”
My heart skips a beat at her admission, the smile on Pops’ face faltering before he catches himself and nods. “Sure, I don’t see why not.”
His eyebrows raise questioningly toward me as he ushers her inside. It’s news to me that she didn’t have a dad growing up. We haven’t spoken much about our pasts besides what happened with Emily. Every time we’ve had a serious conversation, it’s been about getting the facts of our fabricated story straight so we don’t look like complete liars when people ask us aboutour story.
“Mmmm, something smells delicious. Baby, I wasn’t even thinking. We should have brought a bottle of wine,” Lenni coos as she looks around wide-eyed.