Fat Cat Liar

“How exactly are you juggling this? How’d you even get approval to move in here?”

I turn my head to see him sweep his hands around the apartment.

“I’m hemorrhaging money. As for getting in, it’s another black mark.”

He sits in the chair across from me, leaning his elbows on his knees and pinning me with his stare. I get the eerie sensation of looking at our mom.

“What are you going to do? “

“I’m going to hand in the final drawings to Uncle Rob, build the model, and insist my name isn’t attached anywhere. Once the bids go live and are no longer anonymous, Rob can have all the credit. Then I’m going to take Greer away somewhere and tell her everything. Hopefully, she won’t be able to run until I grovel enough for every man who has ever fucked up. She will know how much I love her.”

“What if she doesn’t forgive you?”

“She has to forgive me.”

“Brother, this is a huge betrayal. You need to be prepared for her to walk away.” Even with the tenderness in his tone, ice flows through my veins. “I think you need to tell her the truth now. Maybe you can sugarcoat it, make it sound like a coincidence. But the longer you keep up this charade, the harder it’s going to be. You’ve met her friends. She’s invited you into her inner circle.”

“She has to forgive me, Clay,” I repeat.

His expression fills with sympathy at my pathetic plea.

“Shit.” It’s his turn to scrub his hands over his face.

“Yeah, shit.”

“I don’t know whether to punch you or offer my shoulder to cry on.”

“There’s no crying. I’m going to work this out. There’s no other option. Greer is mine. There is no way I’ll ever let her go.”

“You sound like a crazy person.”

“You have no idea. This woman has turned me inside out.”

Silence falls between us, both of us lost in our own thoughts. He shocks me when he cracks a smile and starts to chuckle.

“If this wasn’t so fucked up, I’d think it was fun.”

“Not sure why my misery is so amusing.” I clench my fist, not feeling his hilarity.

“The trail of women you’ve left behind with broken hearts never looked as pitiful as you do right now.”

“I’m finding out Karma really is a bitch.”

“Remember when I thought I was in love with that girl in college? Your advice was to see a doctor because you were convinced I was insane?”

“I stand by my statement. You were insane. She was a fucking whack.”

“Maybe she was, but I swore to myself if the day ever came that you admitted you were in love, I’d make sure to return your sentiments. Show you how it feels.”

“Is that what you’re going to do now? Kick me while I’m down?”

“Hell no, you’re doing enough kicking for the both of us. And, honestly, I can’t even stay mad. She was in this room less than five minutes, and I may have fallen in love with her a little.”

“She’s easy to love.”

“Think of all the times you said falling in love wasn’t your style.”

“I hadn’t met Greer.”