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I flushed at the memory of everything I’d shared with him.
He raised a brow. “Are you okay with that?”
I scanned my body for any sign that we were moving too fast, but there was surprisingly nothing. No knot in my stomach or tension in my neck. “I am.”
He moved closer in the dark hallway, a hand resting on my hip. “So, as your boyfriend, do I get to know what’s going on in your store?”
The part of me that hadn’t trusted anyone in years wondered if he’d mentioned that label in order for me to tell him. I bit my lip, worried I’d walked right into a trap. When we were kids, Ben wouldn’t hesitate to use any weaknesses against me. Was it the same, or were things different now that we were in a relationship? Then I had a horrible thought—one that made me feel light-headed. Was he using me to gain an advantage? Was our entire relationship a sham?
With a concerned expression, Ben said, “Maybe we should work together. Find a way so that both of our businesses can thrive.”
Was that really what he was asking? I couldn’t figure out the truth. My head throbbed with the beginning of a headache that promised to be a doozy.
Rubbing my temples, I said, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“We’re together now. We aren’t competing against each other.”
“We kind of are. You’re taking my customers.” The numbers had been down since his grand opening, and they hadn’t returned.
He let out a disgusted breath. “There has to be a way for both of us to exist in this town.”
I bit my lip because I had a plan; I just wasn’t sure it was smart to share.
He searched my face and then sighed. “I’d like to show you something. Can you take a couple of hours off work?”
Business had been slow. “I can get away.”
A slow smile curved over his face. “Now?”
“Yeah, let me just tell Hailey I’m leaving.” She could keep an eye on the place for a couple of hours.
I popped my head into my office, where she’d been working on some ideas for the reopening. “Ben wants to take me somewhere for a couple of hours. Can you keep an eye on things?”
Hailey smiled. “That’s not a problem.”
I grabbed my purse from my drawer.
“Are you going to tell him about your plans?” Hailey asked softly.
I met her concerned gaze. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
“The longer you wait, the more he might be upset. You didn’t like it when Levi kept things from you.” She kept her voice quiet.
“That was different. He lied about his feelings for me. He tricked me into marrying him.”
Hailey nodded. “I agree it’s different. I just thought you’d be more sensitive about keeping secrets.”
A pit formed in my stomach. “I’ll tell him.”
“Good.”
Soon. I’d tell him. But first, I’d let him show me whatever he needed to show me. I wasn’t ready to disrupt our relationship. I knew what I felt was nothing like what Levi had done. He never had second thoughts about deceiving me. He’d laughed when he saw how upset I was. It was a fun game for him. He got what he wanted, and he didn’t care who got in the way. I was nothing like him. But even with those thoughts, my stomach twisted.
When I met Ben at the front, he carefully scanned my face. “Everything okay?”
Uneasy, I said, “Yeah. What did you want to show me?”
I was desperate to think about anything else. Hailey comparing me to Levi was unsettling and a little too close to the truth. Ben had just told me he was my boyfriend. I wasn’t ready to tarnish that declaration with one of my own. Not yet.
