“Doing what?”
“Pretending like you care about me.” Her gaze fell to the floor and she sounded angry, but not at all hurt.
Were we playing this game again? The Push Abram Away Game? I didn’t like games. I had a low tolerance and I’d never put up with them. Maybe it wasn’t true for everyone, but I couldn’t keep the wonder while also fucking around and playing games.
I made too much of things, I gave words too much weight, I searched for meaning where none existed. For me, there was no such thing as casual friends; you were my good friend, or you were an acquaintance. Likewise, there was no such thing as a meaningless hookup. An action, a touch was sacred, or it wasn’t. Maybe that’s why Leo thought I wasn’t jaded? Because I didn’t play games?
But with Lisa, I seemed to have an infinite reserve of patience that extended to game playing. Even when she was sour, she was still so intoxicatingly sweet, it was like being caught in a web of cotton candy.
So instead of giving into the building apprehension—even though she did sound off—I said, “Pretending.”
She needed to push me away again? Okay. I could give her space. As long as later today, when she came to her senses, she also came to the pool, wearing that white bikini.
“Yes, pretending,” Lisa said, her tone hard. “Gabby is my best friend, remember? She has my back.”
“What are you talking about?” I needed to keep my head, but it wasn’t just her words that unsettled me, or how she wasn’t meeting my eyes. She was speaking to me like we were strangers.
Lisa gave her eyes a half roll. “You’re a player, Abram. So whatever act this is, drop it.”
The accusation angered me, and therefore distracted me from the discordant tone in her voice. Needing space was one thing. But believing and then spouting lies was another.
“This isn’t an act.” I tried to conceal the spike of temper by lowering my voice.
“Yeah. Right.”
“And I don’t know what Gabby told you, but she is misinformed.” But obviously Lisa trusted her, and that had a shot of adrenaline clouding my vision.
“Okay. Sure. She just imagined the depth and breadth of your harem at gigs?”
Is that what this is about? I relaxed a little, breathing out. “Come on Lisa, this is nuts. I have female fans, yes. But I’m not dating any of them. Do you honestly think—”
“You don’t date anyone. You just flirt with everyone and lead them on.”
“I absolutely do not.” Fucking Gabby. I could strangle her for filling Lisa’s head with this shit.
She crossed her arms and shrugged. “I don’t, for one minute, think that I’m special to you. Sure, whatever, we’ll be friends, fine. But can you be cool and cut the act?”