Page 67 of Lie With Me
Lenni doesn’t share her enthusiasm, though. She looks terrified. “Why would Margo do this?”
“Len? What’s wrong? I know you guys are faking it, but of course Margo would wantsomethingin the papers.” Ginny puts a hand on her back and says something else in a tone that is too quiet for me to hear.
“Your girl looks like she’s about to lose her shit. Get her before she tries to kill the messenger,” Jackson warns me.
“You know, your overprotectiveness is getting annoying. I don’t know how Ginny puts up with you.” I try to keep my tone light, but in all honesty, I’m just as worried about Lenni, who looks like she’s about to have a panic attack.
“I’m not feeling that great. I’m gonna go. Sorry, Gin, I hope you don’t mind. Please tell Claudia that dinner was delicious as always,” Lenni says softly before her eyes find mine. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“I’ll drive you home.”
She doesn’t fight me, hugging Ginny tightly as they continue speaking with hushed words. Even Jackson watches them with a worried expression as he helps me gather our things. “What’s her deal?”
“I have no idea, but I’m sure it has something to do with Mom overstepping again.”
I thought they were in a better place, but by the looks of it, any progress they’ve made will undoubtedly be knocked back to square one after this.
As soon as the elevator doors close, she turns angry eyes toward me. “Did you know about this?”
“About the article? No, and my mother didn’t say anything to me about it, either. I don’t think she set it up.” Lenni’s ire is palpable. “Talk to me. I don’t understand what the big deal is, Viv.”
“How many times do I have to say no paparazzi? It’s one thing for you to take a picture of me and keep it between us and our friends, but I thought I made it very clear that I didn’t want my face splashed all over the high-society pages?” She’s clenching and unclenching her fists, popping her knuckles repeatedly as her breathing heightens.
“Why, Valentina? Becausethis isn’t real?When are you going to wake up? This thing between us is as real as it gets.” I turn my body toward her fully to stare down at her, silently begging her to just look at me. Her panic is starting to leach into me. The heightened anxiety fills the elevator like toxic fumes that make me choke on the air.
We make it through the lobby of the building without saying anything, but once we hit the sidewalk, and she picks up her pace to walk away from me, I grab the sleeve of her peacoat and pull her back. “Valentina, talk to me!”
“Why me?” she cries out, turning so abruptly thatI have to step back to avoid colliding with her. Angry tears shine in her eyes, and she does her best to blink them away as she continues. “It could have been anyone, Tripp! Why me? It isn’t fair!”
“You’re not making sense. Can youpleasejust explain what has you so worked up?”
“You don’t get it! Thiscan’tbe real. No matter how badly you want it to be.”
“Tell mewhy. You’re the most infuriatingly intoxicating woman I have ever met. And I want you. Not just for now. But until you realize you’re too good for me. Tell me, what isn’trealabout that?”
She looks startled that I would even suggest such a thing. “I put thetoxicin intoxicating. Trust me, you don’t want to be with me.”
We’re both starting to sound like two different sides of a broken fucking record.
“We’re good together, Viv. What happens when the lie goes away? You’re just gonna forget all of this?” I motion between us. “We haveamazingchemistry. Why can’t you just give in to that?”
“I have a job that someone like you can’t be involved with, Tripp. You can’t be caught dating me.” Her words break off in a sob as the tears finally fall. But she isn’t making any sense. I told her I accepted her and her job. What more does she want?
“I’m dating younow.”
She sneers. “You’refuckingme now. We’re lying to everyone about the dating part.”
Her mocking tone pisses me off, and quite frankly, her words feel like a sucker punch to the gut.Iknowshe has feelings for me. I don’t understand why she’s fighting it so hard.
“So was that all our first night together was then? You threw me a pity fuck because I dropped a couple grand on you? Is italla show with you? Be whoever they want you to be as long as you get paid?” The second the words leave my mouth, I wish I could take them back.
She recoils as though I’ve slapped her, but her head remains held high as she fires back, “Ilikemy job. I don’t want to be a trophy wife who ends up doing nothing with her life except running bullshit charities and pretending like she gives a damn about the latest gossip the other wives are bitching about! I’m not your mother, and I’mnotEmily!”
Her voice cracks at Emily’s name, and she turns away, walking to the curb to hail a cab. This time, I let her go.
“That’s a bullshit excuse, Valentina. You know it is. Something is keeping you there. Keeping you from giving this thing between us a real shot,” I call after her.
She doesn’t respond or look back, and it breaks my fucking heart.