My mind started running at the speed of a literal bullet train trying to figure out any excuse.
I couldn’t just blurt out the truth.
So, what then?
And then again I cannot use any la excuse, this was Dave.
He noticed everything. If I ssed up even a detail, he’d see right through .
I had to pick sothing that was close to the truth but not close enough to burn alive.
Sothing boring. Sothing harmless. Sothing that wouldn’t make him look twice.
And still... nothing.
My brain was like a roulette wheel of bad excuses spinning round and round, none of them landing where I wanted.
One second it was ’I am going shopping’ and the next it was ’doctor’s appointnt’ and then back to ’work stuff.’
All useless.
All dumb.
Dave would see right through .
I an, co on. I couldn’t just stand there and say, ’Hey Dave, I’m off to et the Silver Fox, your family’s number one rival in the whole entertainnt industry. Don’t wait up.’
Yeah, that would definitely win the award for Biggest Idiot Alive.
If he found out, he’d either blow up at or worse... completely shut out. And I couldn’t handle either.
I bit my lip, trying to look casual while my insides were literally playing Guess the Excuse.
Shopping?
Nah.
Too plain.
And with these formal clothes I was wearing? Nobody in their right mind would believe I was headed for a mall sale in a blazer.
Doctor’s appointnt?
Nope.
Linda would panic, shove soup down my throat, and start planning a healing retreat in the Himalayas. Not worth the trouble.
Work?
Maybe.
Technically, it wasn’t a lie.
I was working on my writing. If I twisted it enough, I could say I was eting so random small-ti editor.
Not a rival agency’s mastermind. Just a boring little eting. That sounded safe... right?
But then I looked at Dave. One problem he wasn’t stupid. If my excuse had even the tiniest crack, he’d poke through it until I crumbled.
God. Why was I like this? Why didn’t I plan ahead instead of standing here frozen while he stared at with those quiet, heavy eyes? It was like being caught in a spotlight.
I needed sothing boring. Harmless. Forgettable. Sothing he wouldn’t even think twice about.
And still... nothing.
My brain was spinning so fast it felt like I was about to take off like a rocket. My heart thumped in my chest as I scrambled through excuse after excuse, none of them sticking.
And then my phhone started to ring as the sound echoed in the whole surrounding breaking the awkwad silence.
I jumped, fumbling for my phone.
It was Caroline.
I blinked.
Wait.
What? Caroline?
She barely ever called these days.
Her calls had slowly faded away, like she’d been avoiding . And whenever she did call, she always acted weird, like she was hiding sothing behind her cheerful voice.
Suspicious. Totally suspicious.
But right now? She was calling ? At the perfect ti?
Confused, I picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Ele! Where are you? I need to et you. Right now." Her voice was rushed, shaky, like she was running out of breath.
My brows furrowed. "Uh... right now?"
"Yes! Please. Just co. It’s important." Okay now, I started to get worried. She was not soone who would be in trouble but the one who created it.
I stared at the wall for a second, trying to catch up.
Still... inside, I almost laughed in relief. If this wasn’t the universe throwing a lifeline, I didn’t know what was.
"Okay, I’ll be there," I answered quickly.
Before she could say more, I hung up. Perfect. An excuse, ready-made, no lies required.
Thank you, Caroline. And thank you God. I was havig this feeling that today would be my lucky day.
I turned seeing Linda who was still in the kitchen, humming softly while she stirred sothing on the stove. Then my eyes focused on the man standing too still.
"Caroline needs , I’ll go et her," I said, trying to sound casual.
"Alright, co back safely, dear." Linda answered as if she was answering for him. She glanced at briefly, nodded, and went back to her pan
I breathed out in relief. Easy. Too easy.
I slipped on my shoes, already feeling like I had just dodged a bullet train. But when I looked up, my eyes caught Dave’s.
He hadn’t moved. He was still sitting there, still silent, just watching even after getting his answer.
What does he want now?
His gaze was heavy. Quiet. Not judging, not asking...but searching.
I fumbled with my bag, pretending not to notice, but I could feel his eyes following every move.
"Okay, I’ll be back," I mumbled, opening the door.
The air outside was cooler, brushing against my face, and I thought I was free. Almost.
But then his voice fell into my ear.
"Will be waiting for you." His voice low yet firm sending shivers to my spine.
I froze. The words were simple, quiet. But they hit like a punch.
I didn’t look back. I just swallowed hard, nodded to myself, and closed the door.
But his voice stayed with , clinging to my thoughts like glue as I walked away.
Why did he have to say it like that? Like it actually mattered?
For a second, guilt twisted inside .
Guilt for lying.
Guilt for sneaking off to et soone I knew he’d hate.
But I shoved it down. I couldn’t afford to think about Dave now.
Caroline had sounded frantic, and whatever was going on with her, it had to be big.
And ? Well, I was about to find out.
Still, deep down, I couldn’t shake the image of his eyes watching , waiting.
Sohow, I was scared as hell. Shocked too...because why in the world would he say that?
Sweet things like that weren’t his thing.
Like... ever. What’s next, Dave?
He gonna hand flowers and recite poetry? Yeah, right.
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