“You don’t believeme?”Ryan asked.“You think I’m lying to you?”
Aria crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged.“Yes.”
He walked over to her but she put a hand out and backed up.“Don’t touch me.”
Now she was pissing him off.“Aria, I’ve never lied to you.Which is more than I can say for you.”
“I didn’t lie.I simply didn’t tell you I was pregnant and that I’d had your child.”
“Potato, potahto.It’s a lie of omission.”She didn’t respond.She was still looking at him as if he were scum on the bottom of her shoe.“Have you forgotten I love you?And Sophie?”
“I haven’t forgotten that youtoldme you loved us.”
He shoved his hair back from his face.He wanted to pull it out, he was so frustrated.“Why are you being like this?You said you loved me,” he reminded her.“Was that just bullshit?”
“Don’t try to turn this back on me.Just admit what you’ve done.”
“I haven’t done anything.”He paced away, then turned back to face her.“You’re scared.You’re scared to commit so you’ve bought into this ridiculous story about me moving.Sure, I might have considered it.Once.Before you came here.And sure as hell not since we fell in love.Or at least, since Ithoughtwe fell in love.”
“You’re saying you aren’t moving and you never intended to move.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”Damn it, she still didn’t believe him.She wastryingnot to believe him.
“Then why does Melvin think you want to move?”
“Because he’s Melvin.He sees a chance to make a buck by telling his friend in Idaho about me.If I buy something and this guy in Idaho is the Realtor, then Melvin will get a finder’s fee.”He could almost guarantee that was the truth.
“You need to leave.Go back to your apartment.”
Stunned, he stared at her.“You’re kicking me out?You hear something that’s a total rumor and suddenly you don’t believe anything I say?”
“I just think it would be better if you leave before we say things we’ll regret.”
There was really no way to answer that.He turned around and walked into the kitchen and out the back door.He didn’t slam it, though he wanted to.But he didn’t want to wake Sophie.
So he left.
*
Ryan ran intoConnor at work the following day.
“Hey, do you and Aria and Sophie want to come to dinner tonight?Gotta warn you, Sierra’s cooking so you might be taking your life in your hands.”
“I’m telling her you said that.”
He grins.“She knows it as well as I do.She wouldn’t hold it against me.What do you say?”
“Thanks, but we can’t.”Mostly because he wasn’t sure she’d still be talking to him.Of course, that thought pissed him off.
“Want to talk about it?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Which is why you look ready to murder someone.”
“Women,” he said, gritting his teeth.
“Uh-oh.”He dragged Ryan into the break room.Luckily they were alone for the moment.“Trouble in paradise?”
