Don’t tell her the truth!
Stall!
Change the subject!
Tell her it was another man!
Not Jace, though! Anybody but Jace!
“No, silly,” I finally replied. “Jace wasn’t the only man I ever loved. There are other fish in the sea.” I waved a handdismissively. “Actually, there was another guy before him. His name was…”
I waited for the voices to help.
Quick! Make up a name!
Marcus!
Too common!
Demetrius!
You don’t know a Demetrius!
She doesn’t know that!
“Demetrius,” I announced confidently. “I was talking about Demetrius.”
Talia stared at me skeptically.
“He cheated on me, so naturally, I fought him and the girl. I didn’t kill either one of them, though.” I paused to think about it. “At least, nobody ever accused me of it. So, technically, that relationship ended pretty peacefully.”
Her stare only deepened.
“Honestly, I don’t think I killed Jace or his little bitch either. But if I ever find out that man is still alive, we’re definitely gon’ have a conversation. I spent ten years in an institution trying to heal from a death while he may have been outside somewhere breathing, eating good, and building a whole new life.”
I sucked my teeth.
“That’s extremely inconsiderate. The least he could’ve done was send a postcard. But enough talk aboutMerge.”
I took a seat on the edge of the rusted table, swinging one leg lightly.
“On a better note,” I added cheerfully, “the interview wentamazing, by the way. I think we got the job.”
Talia’s eyes narrowed instantly. “Whatjob?”
I sighed, almost theatrically. Then I quickly remembered that Talia was clueless as hell as to why she was even down there.
“Oh, right—I never told you! Silly me!” I giggled. “So, after I sedated you, I went through your phone,” I explained matter-of-factly. “But can I just say, you made itwaytoo easy. No password, no Face ID, nothing. Girl, at that point you weren’t protecting your privacy, you were donating it.”
Talia’s entire face hardened with disgust and alarm.
“Anyway, I found the messages between you and Zonnique and all the interview details.”
My eyes widened excitedly as I continued.
“You should have seen me yesterday morning! I lookedgood,girl! I wore your clothes, copied your makeup, and even practiced your little facial expressions in the mirror! I wasn’t sure if you two talked over the phone, so I worked on your voice too. I almost didn’t get that right, though. That part irritated me a little… but eventually, I nailed it.”
A devious grin stretched across my face.
