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“No,” I mutter.
I swear to God, only Ava Maxwell could catch me being a hypocrite and get away with calling me out on it—especially in a tense situation like this.
And the only reason she could get away with it is because something flipped in me that night we shared.
It was instant, and it was intense.
But just because I’ve left words out of the story in the past, too, doesn’t make this sit any better with me. “That’s different.” I realize how weakly constructed my argument sounds the moment the words fall from my lips.
“How?” she demands.
“Because it didn’t matter. I didn’t tell him because he was over her, and telling him I kissed her when I was drunk at his graduation party would only hurt him.”
“So you did it to protect him,” she says.
I nod. “Exactly.”
Her voice is eerily quiet when she finally replies. “I didn’t tell you who I was because I needed to protect myself. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.”
She spins on her heel and heads back inside, leaving me standing alone in a bakery parking lot with my truck blocking the parking lot entrance.
Chapter 20: Ava Maxwell
It’s Not Lying, It’s Bending the Truth
“Are you okay?” Cora asks quietly, and yet again I’m wondering how much to tell her.
I love Cora, and it’s one thing to ask because you’re trying to be there for a friend.
It’s another entirely when you’re also the bakery gossip.
I don’t really need word getting around that I lost my virginity to Grayson a week ago, so I just nod and keep my head down as if I’m too focused on the task at hand to chat.
I know she’ll ask again. I know I can’t dodge her forever.
But in all honesty, I can’t believe Colin had the audacity to bring up the V-card.
I know it just made Grayson angrier with me. I know he’s seething about all the lies. I know I’ve wrecked any chance at a happy ending for the two of us.
But as I’m rolling out dough for sugar cookies, an idea occurs to me.
It’s an explanation. A way to throw Beckett off the scent, a way to help solve Grayson’s media issues where his love life is concerned, and at the same time, it would give the two of us a shot at getting closer. Maybe even close enough that we could give this obvious attraction between us a real shot.
It’s dumb, though. Grayson will never go for it, particularly not when he’s clearly such a staunch advocate for complete honesty, and this would be…bending the truth.
I’m an advocate for honesty, too—not that my track record proves that. But what’s one more little thing that would benefit both of us?
If he’s worried about his loyalty to my brother paired with already feeling like he betrayed him, this is one idea that might help. And the other benefit is that maybe it’ll be enough to convince Colin to back all the way off.
I can’t see any downsides at all other than the fact that it’s not the whole truth. But before I can tell him my idea, I have to finish my day at work, and I have to potentially face Colin at home.
And…then what?
I have Grayson’s number, but I haven’t used it except for that one time when he texted me first.
I know he’s still mad. But if Colin sells those photos of the two of us kissing to the media and my brother sees them…this really does feel like the perfect solution.
I cut circles out of the dough and set them on the cookie sheets. I stare at the rows and rows of unbaked cookies. Our sheets have circles on them to make it easier to place the dough, and since the dough was chilled, they won’t spread very much once I stick them in the oven.
