Falling for the Enemy (Falling in Love 1)

He stroked her cheek. The action was so tender she almost burst out crying.

“He was talking crap about you. Talking about how out of place you looked and he wouldn’t shut up. I snapped and blurted everything out. I told him you were fucking me when he knocked on the door this evening. Crap, this is going to end badly.”

Trey wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back.

She leaned forward, feeling her stomach ready to expel what little she’d eaten.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll get through this together.”

Dale pulled into a burger bar. They left the car and headed inside, taking a seat as far back as possible. She felt Dale’s gaze on them as they looked over a menu together.

“What?” Trey asked.

“Nothing. It’s just you look like a couple who has been together for years. It’s kind of cool to see.” He went back to reading the menu.

Glancing up at Trey she saw him glaring at his friend.

She shook her head, telling him without words to let it drop. When the waitress came over the guys ordered cheeseburgers with everything while she had a turkey burger with everything. She was starving and needed the calories to help her focus.

Her cell phone buzzed. Pulling the phone from her pocket she saw it was her mother.

“What’s the matter?” Trey asked.

“I can’t deal with her right now.” Turning the phone off, she handed it to Trey. “Please don’t let me have it until tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?”

“Hell yeah. Mom is going to be shouting, cursing, screaming and not to mention my dad. No, I can’t handle them right now.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Why can’t they see the truth? I can.”

“They want you to be happy.”

“I’ll be happy when they leave me alone.”

Dale was watching them again.

“What?” she asked, snapping out the word.

“Nothing. I’ve got nothing at all to say.”

“Just tell me,” she said, expelling a breath.

“Are you two going to remain a secret, or are you ever going to come forward with the truth that you’re seeing each other?” Dale asked.

“Not now,” Trey said.

“Let him talk.” June looked at Dale waiting for him to continue.

“Both of you need to make a choice. It’s not going to be easy for you. June, you come from one of the wealthiest men around. Trey, you come from one of the bad families in town. This is not going to go well. You’re either in this together or not.”

She didn’t want to think about the points Dale raised. He didn’t know anything about either of them. It wasn’t up to him what they did with their lives.

The waitress brought them over their food, and they ate in silence. She spilled mayonnaise over her dress, and she didn’t care. When she got home she’d be burning the dress in the bakery oven.

Trey sat in the back as Dale drove them home.

“I’ll see you soon,” Trey said, shaking hands with Dale.

She watch

ed as his friend walked toward Trey’s house. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“He wants to stay at my place tonight. Do you think you’ve got a place for me to crash and for us both to talk?”

She nodded. Part of her expected to see her mother camped outside her house. Climbing the steps, she unlocked the door and entered. The answering machine was blaring in the distance.

Leaving Trey to close the door she pressed the play button and started listening to the messages.

“Honey, I hope you’re having a brilliant time. You’ll love Martin once you get to know him. I’m sure of it.”

Closing her eyes, she rubbed at her temples. A headache was forming, and she didn’t know if she wanted to listen to the rest of the messages.

“You don’t have to do this,” Trey said.

“I do.”

“June Armstrong, I’m disgusted and surprised at you. Storming out with another man is not acceptable, not to mention what you said to Martin. The poor man is beside himself with grief. He really liked you and thought you could make a future together. You’ve got some serious explaining to do.”

There were another two messages.

“I’m stood outside, and you’re nowhere to be seen. Don’t forget I know where you work, June. I’ll be handling this in the morning.”

“June, honey, it’s your dad. Please, pick up. Your mother is worried, and I really need to make sure you’re okay.”

Her father sounded upset but not angry.

Picking up the phone, she reached out to dial their number.

“What are you doing?” Trey asked.

“I need to let them know I’m okay.”

She pressed their number in and sat waiting. Her heart sped up as her father answered the phone.

“Hey, Daddy, it’s me.”

June heard him speak to her mother.