Page 63 of Lie With Me
As we enter the party, I’m about to reply, but a familiar voice cuts me off, “Ah, there you two are. Iwas wondering when I’d be able to offer my congratulations.”
My blood runs cold as we come face to face with the last person who should be here. “Emily, what are you doing here?”
Lenni
Are you fucking serious?
The only way Emily would be here is if she was invited.
And who sent out the invitations?Margo.
What the actual fuck?
Emily drags her gaze down Tripp’s body, taking in his rumpled, half-tucked-in shirt and unbuttoned suit jacket before her eyes linger over my mussed hair and swollen lips. I watch as she slowly cants her head to the side, piecing together what we were just doing on the balcony.
As her ivory cheeks redden, I hug Tripp closer and plaster on a beaming, syrupy smile. Making sure to wiggle my ring finger just so, I place my hand on his chest. “Yes, Emily, what a surprise. I don’t think we were expecting you.”
“My, um…parents…were invited. I decided to tag along. I hope that’s okay,” she clarifies as her eyes snap to Tripp’s.
“Of course, it’s okay—the more the merrier. We were just outside getting some fresh air.” I pull my gaze from hers to throw Tripp a saucy smile. His fingers tighten on my waist as he returns it, knowing exactly what I’m doing.
Her cheeks redden further. She nods to my ring, her manner bratty. “I thought you said you didn’t want something so ostentatious?”
“What can I say? He got his way,” I sigh dreamily. “He always gets his way.Whateverhe wants, I always make sure to keep him happy.” Laying my head against Tripp’s chest, I scrunch my nose at her and shrug.
“And you do keep me very,veryhappy,” he murmurs as he kisses the top of my head. “Anyway, good of you to come, Emily. If you’ll excuse us, I’d like to take this beautiful woman for a spin around the dance floor.”
My eyes lock with hers as he leads me away, a brow raised in triumph as she watches us go with blatant indignation. She looks like a cartoon character when their face goes all red, and steam starts coming out of their ears as a train whistle blows in the background.
I’m sure Emily understands that she lost a good man. And I’m going to continue making sure Trippknowshe’s a good man and that he deserves to be cherished, not tossed aside for wanting to expand his sexual appetite.
“Your mother and I are going to have words,” I say with a tight smile as people part for us to dance.The DJ puts on a slow song that happens to be on my Sad Girl Shit playlist on Spotify. “Six Feet Under” by Sara Phillips resonates throughout the room, and I wonder if the jockey knows this isn’t exactly engagement party music.
“Trust me, I’m sure she didn’t know she was coming,” Tripp assures me, pulling me into his arms to sway us to the somber melody.
Looking over his shoulder, I scour the room for his mother. Margo really did a wonderful job with the decorations. The flowers are all silk, so the floral scent doesn’t overwhelm Tripp’s delicate senses. Soft, white roses with a touch of blush in the middle, accompanied by sprigs of real eucalyptus, litter the tables and catering area. I love eucalyptus, so the fact she included it means a lot. Or maybe she just did it because it seems to beinthis year.
Though I didn’t talk much to Tripp the past week, I’ve spoken with Margo daily—often multiple times. We’re forming a camaraderie, as much as I hate to admit it. I’m drawn to her. In the same way I was always drawn back to Momma.
All you’ve ever wanted was for someone to take care of you.
It seems like Margo has pushed her ill feelings about the way Tripp and I came together so quickly from her mind. I’d almost say she looks forward to our daily chats, but what do I know? It could just all be an act.
Keep your enemies close and all that.
“What’s on your mind, Viv?” Tripp questions, hisfingers rubbing the spot where they rest on my lower back.
“Honestly? How much I hate all of this,” I tell him truthfully. Everyone’s eyes are on us. People I don’t know, and don’t want to know, who are only here to further business relations with the Kennedys or other people of power in the room. No one is truly here forus, besides Ginny and Jackson.
Beyond the cover of the picture-perfect fairytale, it’s a sad, lonely life, in my eyes. And it makes me want to save Tripp from it. I don’t want to give him up when this is all over, and I won’t be able to stand by and watch him move on with a life I don’t think will make him happy.
His body tenses against mine, and he pulls back as his voice drops to barely a whisper. “Is it really all that bad?”
“No. That’s not the problem. The problem is that the lines are starting to get blurry for me, Tripp.”
His mossy orbs meet mine as a sliver of a smile stretches his lips. He tucks my hair behind my ear, palming my cheek as he strokes it with his thumb. The gesture is wildly intimate even though we’re in a crowded room, and it makes my lower body tighten with want despite our audience. Everything about his touch sets fireworks off in my chest, their shimmering flashes beating against my ribs before dipping into my stomach to melt into feverish butterflies.
“Why is that a bad thing, Viv?” His voice is nearlya whisper. “Why are you so against giving this a shot for real?”