Page 60 of Nothing to Tell

“Liberties?If I need a car, I take one from my BFF’s boyfriend—husband.That’s taking liberties.Or it would be if we cared about that shit in our group.”

“Bastian’s just too… kind.But I’m giving it back.Today.Now.”

At his place the past Sunday, Bastian escorted her to the car in the driveway and gave her a rundown of the controls.The seat hugged her whole body, the sleek dash almost glittered.In his kitchen, she’d worried about monopolizing his time.For some reason, monopolizing his car didn’t worry her.Not to the same extent.She’d been too excited about taking something so powerful for a spin.

In a testament to not losing her senses altogether, she’d looked him in the eye and asked if he was sure.Bastian was a bachelor and probably prized the sports car as much as another man would value his child.He must’ve spent a lot of time saving for it, or he had a massive line of credit that would take three lifetimes to pay off.

“Consider it a trade for your phone number.” Those were his words after her third request for confirmation.“Those digits mean more to me than this hunk of metal.”

Sunday and Monday were gone.Tuesday had rushed up on her.This was the night of his mother’s dinner party.

“And how will you get home?”Roxie asked.“Are you spending the night with Bastian again?”

Roxie didn’t do judgment, she’d never seen it, never heard it.And right then, Roxie was the only one beyond her and Bastian, who knew the full truth.Zairn didn’t count with secrets, that’s what Roxie said.He was a vault of silence… or maybe didn’t care enough to listen, she’d forgive him for that.Being in it, her head rattled.Sometimes she couldn’t keep up.

“We didn’t talk about it.”They’d have work tomorrow.“Depends how late it goes, I guess.”

“Bastian will have a plan.Men like him always have a plan.”Would be nice if he looped her in.“If you want to go home with him, go home with him.”

“My parents are back tonight.”

At some point.

“Which means…?”

More people to hear her lies.“Are you close to your parents?”she asked.

“I love them, but we don’t talk every day.Z might, I don’t know.It’s hard to keep track of him.”

Yet Roxie wasn’t at all fazed or concerned.

“You’re really lucky to have found each other.”

“If you want us to come tonight, we’ll come.”

“No, you have more important things to do.”

And it wasn’t her place to invite extra guests to a dinner party.There were only so many chairs and so much food.

“But if you’d feel better with—”

“Bastian will be there.I’ll be fine.”

Pathetic as it was, she’d been excited to see him again since the moment they last parted.Somehow, God only knew how, but she’d resisted getting in touch with him.Her impulse control wasn’t always the best and already she brimmed with things to tell him.Crazy, right?She’d forget them all the minute they saw each other.Her brain would evaporate all rational thought and she’d just gawk.More than likely, it wasn’t her brain but Bastian’s proximity that did the evaporating.

Ready in her shimmering golden dress, she dug heels out the bottom of her closet.Noise rose from beyond her room, people moving around, voices.

“Keep my number handy,” Roxie said.“If you need to get out of there or someone to talk to…”

“Thank you, Roxie.”Feet in shoes, she took one last look in her full-length mirror.“I better get going.”

“Call if you need anything.”

They hung up and she tucked her phone into her clutch, then the purse under her arm to make her departure.

Running down the stairs, her mother and father were just inside the front door with the rest of the household crowded around them.Their arrival couldn’t delay her, she might hold up dinner being served.Wouldn’t that be mortifying?

“You’re back,” Harper said, coming to a halt on the bottom stair.“How was your trip?”