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“Bug, could you please tell me what’s going on? You’re starting to worry me.”
I could see the way she pushed her shoulders back, like she was steeling herself, and I mentally prepared myself for the worst. Preston had been right. Something was happening that I didn’t know about, and I felt sick that I hadn’t noticed before now.
“Okay,” she said, and then sucked in another deep breath before letting it out slowly. “When I tell you this, I need you to promise not to freak out, okay? Because I’m fine. Preston’s fine. It’s a good thing. It’s just not what you or anyone would expect. And I’m telling you now because I hate keeping secrets from you, and I know you’ll understand. At least, I hope you will.”
I wanted to reassure her that whatever she said next, Iwouldunderstand, but my throat had closed up in anticipation of the worst.
“Preston and I… We’re together. But we’re not reallytogether. Not like we’ve let everyone think.”
It felt like the cold wind had smacked me across the face, because all I could do was blink at her.
“We made a pact years ago to help each other out, and it’s worked better than we planned?—”
“Hold on,” I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “What do you mean, help each other out? With what?”
She arched a brow. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten I’d started to make your life a living hell. You threatened to ship me off to an etiquette school if I didn’t get my shit together.”
“And clearly that worked,” I said drolly.
“Hey, at least I’m not out wreaking havoc on the city the way I was in my teens, and a lot of that has to do with Preston. Like you said, he’s a good guy, and he really helped me turn things around, especially my reputation. Because what could be better than dating a future senator?”
So he was helping her by being a good influence—but what was he getting out of the mix? Did I even want to know?
“So you’re not…” I didn’t know how to ask what was on the tip of my tongue, but luckily Serena knew where I was going with my train of thought.
Well, kind of.
“Gonna pop out a kid anytime soon? Not with Preston. Unless it’s immaculate conception. We’re best friends, which is why the arrangement works, nothing more.”
“And Preston is…okay with that?” I couldn’t imagine any guy his age being fine with a platonic relationship, especially with the crowd he ran with.
“He is,” she said carefully. “I’m not his…type.”
Just like that, everything I thought I knew was turned on its ass.
“Not his type?” I repeated. She couldn’t be implying what I thought, because that would mean I hadn’t imagined the electricity between us after all.
“No. Hard to believe, right? I’m pretty fabulous and all, just not enough to turn him straight.”
Holy…fuck. Even standing out here in the cold, I was burning up. How had I not seen any of this coming? I thought I knew my daughter—hell, I thought I knew Preston—but clearly not. They’d managed to have a huge secret, a fake relationship, right under my nose, and I’d been none the wiser. I supposed I could console myself with the fact that no one else had a clue either, but shit. Some father I was.
“Dad?” Her hand was on my arm, and her big brown eyes filled with concern. “Are you okay?”
Oh, how the tables had turned. I felt like I might pass out. My daughter was telling me she was a beard for Preston, their relationship a front, all because she wanted a clean slate and he was…gay?
“Yeah, I’m just trying to wrap my head around everything.” I pulled a little at the corner of my scarf as she hooked an arm through mine. “His parents think you’re?—”
“I know. But that’s half the problem. His parents are…well, his parents. Can you imagine how Mr. Abernathy would react if he found out the truth?”
He’d have a coronary, that was what would happen. “The truth being that Preston?—”
“Has his…needs met outside of our relationship, and so do I.”
Now I felt likeIwas about to have a coronary.
Here I’d thought we’d spend a nice afternoon together, picking out a Christmas tree, and instead I was learningwaymore about my daughter than I ever expected to know.
“That’s something I do not need to know about, thank you very much. But Serena, this is a lot. If the senator finds out?—”
