Page 89 of Lie With Me
“You’re lying. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Neil turns his vile face toward my mother. “Am I, Mrs. Kennedy?”
“And how doyouknow she’s a…a…a prostitute?” Emily’s voice sounds stronger and angrier than I’ve ever heard her speak before.
It doesn’t even seem to phase Neil. “Sweetheart, you’re a prude. But you’re beautiful, and our children will have excellent pedigrees. Most marriages in our circle run this way, darling. The wife looks the other way and spends millions on whatever she wants while the husband has his fun discreetly.” He looks between her father and mine. “Don’t pretend that’s not how things run, gentlemen.”
“It most certainly does not!” Pops exclaims, outraged.
“You’re disgusting. I think it’s best you move along now. The wedding is off,” Emily’s father says sternly.
“She’s carrying my child, Mr. Porter. I’m afraid it isn’t that simple,” Neil drops casually, like none of this is affecting him.
Both her parents begin to threaten him at the same time while mine move to my side and start to question me. Everyone’s voice blends into a mass of commotion. Emily rubs her temple for a moment before she shouts, “EVERYONE OUT!”
All eyes move to her as they all stop talking. When she has their attention, she repeats herself, “Everyone out. I want to speak to Tripp alone.”
Now,she wants to talk alone.
Neil shrugs. “Fine by me.” Then, to Emily’s parents, he says, “Let’s go find my parents. I think we have a lot to discuss.”
“We need to talk,” Mother demands sternly, grasping my arm.
“We will. Just give me a few moments,” I tell her before Pops pulls her out of the room. He grabs the door, fixing me with one long pitying stare before closing it.
“What the hell, Tripp?” Emily sighs.
“Now you know why I wanted to speak to you alone.” I pour myself a drink from the minibar and sit in the chair across from her. “He corneredValentina earlier. That’s when I found out. I would have said something sooner if I’d known.”
“They know each other?” Emily looks green, and I can’t tell if it’s from nausea or jealousy.
Nodding slightly, I knock back my bourbon. “They do.”
“A prostitute, Tripp? Seriously? I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“Honestly, it’s not on you to say anything, Emily. Regardless of her job, Valentina is a good person. She’s had a shit life, and she’s making the most of it.”
“You can’t marry a prostitute!”
I almost tell her it’s all a lie—but it isn’t anymore. And I don’t owe her any kind of explanation. “Look, I came to tell you about Neil. And I did. I don’t need you to tell me what I can and can’t do with my life.”
She doesn’t respond, and the silence stretches between us, filling the room. Minutes pass, and I know I don’t owe it to her to be there, that I should be racing back to Lenni, but I don’t move.
“I wish I’d never left you,” Emily says quietly.
“Em–”
“Can’t we just fix this? We can be together again, and I know this baby isn’t yours, but you’d make such a great father, Tripp.” She scoots to the edge of the sofa and grasps my hands. “I know I hurt you. Let me make it up to you.”
“No.”
Shock flits across her face. Pulling my hands from hers, I stand and begin to pace, snorting out a laugh.
“Are you serious, Emily? You broke my fuckingheart and then lied to my face about cheating on me.Youlied to your parents about why we split up—which, by the way, is so absolutely fucked. You told them I wasn’t ready to start a family? You could have just said we had too many differences. Why do you keeplyingto everyone?”
“And what about you? You hired a prostitute to what, Tripp? Fulfill your sexual fantasies? You aren’t perfect, either!”
“I never claimed to be perfect, Emily! All I wanted was to explore sex with you! It’s not a crime! You didn’t have to make me feel like shit about it!” I throw my hands in the air as I stare down at her. Where I once saw someone beautiful, now I just see a sad woman. “Valentina has never once made me feel like shit for voicing my desires. Don’t fucking look down on her because of her profession. She’s been better to me in the last two and a half months than you were the entire time we were together. Maybe it’s time to take a long, hard look at yourself, Em. Stop being so goddamn judgy. I hope one day you can find someone who wants exactly what you do out of life. But that person will never be me.”