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“Hi,” she said. “Is your uncle here?”
“Yeah. Hang on. Uncle Lucas!” she bellowed, making Colleen jump. “Your girlfriend is here!” She turned back to Colleen. “Sorry, but you guys are totally obvious.”
“Oh.”
Mercedes gave her a strange look—Weren’t you good at conversation once?—and then left, and there he was, filling the doorway with scalding vats of testosterone.
“Got a minute?” she whispered.
“No.”
“Please, Lucas.”
It actually felt like his eyes were burning her. He turned, said something to Stephanie, and stepped into the hall.
“Can we go somewhere more private?” she asked.
“No.”
Not a great start. Then again, he had reason to be furious.
He stood with his arms folded, looking at her, his face blank.
Colleen took a deep breath. “Okay, well, this is very awkward.” She started to gnaw on her thumbnail, then put her hand down. “Um...so yes, I did sleep with Bryce once. It didn’t mean anything.”
“It means something to me.”
“Right.” She took a shaky breath. “It was a long time ago, Lucas.”
“Does that excuse it?”
“No. I’m sorry,” she said. “I’msosorry, Lucas. I wish to God I hadn’t done it, we both do, Bryce and I, and it really meant—”
“There are plenty of men to sleep with in this town, Colleen. From what you’ve told me, you know that very well.”
Her head jerked back. “Ouch.”
“I’m not judging you.”
“Really? Feels that way. I feel quite judged.”
“But mycousin.” His voice was like acid.
“Well, it wasn’t just your cousin, I mean, it wasn’tbecausehe was your cousin, but also, yeah, he wasn’t the only one that I, uh...” Great. Here came the Tourette’s of Terror again. “What I mean is, he wasn’t—”
“I don’t want to hear about all the men you’ve slept with, Colleen!” he barked. Someone in the apartment across the hall muted the TV. Couldn’t blame them.
She twisted her hands together. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I really am, Lucas. But don’t forget you weremarriedat the time. Married! It’s not like I cheated on you.”
“This entire summer, you haven’t said a word. Youknewthis would matter to me. You had to know, but instead, you let me make an idiot of myself.”
She stopped and swallowed against the sharp knot in her throat. “How does being with me make you an idiot?”
“I think that’s been answered tonight. At the wake. In the funeral home. In front of the minister. And my former in-laws.”
She went to bite her nail again, then clenched her hands. “I’m truly sorry, Lucas. I’m not perfect.”
“No, that’s not on my list of adjectives for you right now.”
