"We still have a couple hours. I probably won't go in until about 7, so you've got time."

Her cell phone chimed again and she opened it up to see what he had to say this time.

"You're wrong about him, Julie. I know you think he's the good guy but there are things you don't know."

Frowning, Julie thought twice about even texting him back, but after a moment's hesitation—Aaron had walked into the bathroom—she texted back, "Like what?"

After sending it, she assured herself that she was only asking because it was part of her new initiative to be cautious and watch her own back—she didn't think Aaron was a bad person, she just wanted to see if Matt came up with anything that might be believable.

She sat there and waited for his response, then opened it as soon as her phone lit up, before it even had time to chime.

"Meet me for dinner and we'll talk," he answered.

Sighing in frustration, she texted back, "I can't, I have plans tonight."

As she pushed the send button, she began to wonder what kind of things Matt was talking about—and if that was what Aaron was talking about when he told her Matt wouldn't give up, that he was going to try to plant doubt in her mind.

That seemed to be what he was doing, but it really didn't make sense to Julie.

Even if Aaron totally disappointed her and he was using her to get back at Matt—which she couldn't see, since he was the one that refused to cuddle at night when she was more than willing—she couldn't understand why he would use the meaningless mistress. It wouldn't pack the same punch as stealing someone you probably thought you were going to be with forever.

None of the doubts even made sense, she decided.

She got another text that read, "What about Wednesday night? Around 8 o'clock?"

She thought about it for approximately a millisecond, then she texted back, "Just give up, Matt. I'm not having dinner with you."

After that text there was a long delay, so she assumed he was pissed and wasn't going to text her back. She began watching reruns again, waiting for the time to pass.

As Aaron came into the living room her phone chimed, which was less-than-convenient timing, and she reluctantly opened up the text message.

All it said was, "I'm not giving up."

Frowning at the message, she closed her phone, opting not to respond to that message.

"Everything okay?" Aaron asked, frowning slightly as he watched her put the phone down next to her on the couch.

Forcing a smile, she said, "Yep." Then she saw his keys in his hands, and she said, "You leaving again?"

"Yeah, I have some stuff to do. I can just pick you up afterward if you want," he said. "I'll be here a little after 6:30."

"Okay," she agreed, offering a faint smile.

He nodded and started for the door, but he stopped midway and glanced back at her. "Are you sure you're okay? You look a little…preoccupied."

She made herself produce a more convincing smile that time and she rolled her eyes a little, saying, "It's nothing, my little poppy seed is just acting up, that's all. I should've skipped the snack."

"Ah," he said, nodding in understanding. "Say no more."

"Oh, are you sure you don't want details?" she joked.

"No, I'm good," he said, offering a smile. "I'll see you later."

"Okay," she said, smiling and waving a little as he walked out the door.

As soon as he was gone her smile vanished and she wondered to herself why she had lied to him, why she didn't just tell him that Matt was trying to tell her some stupid shit and take her out to dinner.

But she just wouldn't. She had many different reasons for that, one of them being that she knew if Aaron was aware that he had been right—that Matt was trying to get her to doubt him— he would distance himself even more.

Tags: Sam Mariano Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net