Every Way (Brush of Love 4)

“I’m not sure how you would know her, but if it’s Laura Green, then yes. I do know a Laura.”

“Funny how you didn’t know her a few seconds ago,” I said. “How do you know her?”

I stared Bryan down as I took another bite of my burger. He looked almost embarrassed. His eyes softened, and his gaze started bouncing around the kitchen. He shuffled on his feet as a sigh fell from his lips. He was shit at keeping secrets. He was shit at covering his tracks.

I could feel my anger, heavy with lead, sinking to my stomach as I swallowed down my greasy food.

“A long time ago, we were together,” Bryan said. “But it was a very brief time. Not even five months. I haven’t seen her since before I left for college, which was why I didn’t think you’d be talking about her.”

“Uh-huh. So, the two of you were together,” I said.

“We were.”

“Kissing and stuff.”

“She was my first kiss, yes,” he said.

“Oh, that’s a fun development. Did she take your virginity?” I asked.

“Hailey, where is this coming from? How do you know her?”

“I don’t think you’re the one in a position to be asking the questions,” I said.

“And why not?” he asked.

“So she did take your virginity. Fun stuff,” I said.

I took the last bite of my burger before I grabbed a napkin and turned back toward the sink. I cleaned my face off before I reached for the fries, swallowing my burger down. I moaned at how good the food tasted. How good grease tasted. How good fat tasted. I picked up a few cheese-covered fries and hovered them over my lips, dropping them into my mouth as Bryan’s eyes ran up and down my body.

“And you haven’t seen her lately?” I asked.

“Like I said, not since I left for college,” he said.

“No flings. No recent one-night stands. No faked late nights at the foundation?” I asked.

I turned my gaze back toward Bryan, and I saw it register on his face. He grimaced before he licked his lips like he was trying to swallow down a bad taste.

“Do you think I’m cheating on you?” Bryan asked.

“Is there any other reason why she would come into the gallery today?” I asked.

“Wait, Laura was in your gallery? Today?”

“She’s beautiful, you know. I could see you hooking up with someone like that on our off moments.”

“We haven’t had any off moments,” he said.

“We did when shit with John came to a head. We were distant when I got sick. Did you confide in her at all?”

“I haven’t seen her, Hailey. And I would

never cheat on you. No matter what off moments you think we might’ve had.”

I looked into Bryan’s eyes as I took another bite of my cheesy fries. I wanted to believe him. My heart was reaching out for him. I wanted to cry in the crook of his neck and tell him all the horrible things that woman had said to me. But the intimate details she knew about Bryan. How she knew he worked at the foundation. She got that knowledge from somewhere.

“She came into the gallery today asking to see John’s paintings,” I said. “Said she wanted to get to the art showcase we did on him, but she was out of town for work.”

“Okay?” Bryan asked.