When Stars Collide (Second Chance Romance #2) - Sara Furlong-Burr Page 0,106
speech for one of his conventions. Despite his way with words, he frequently second-guessed himself, taking the time to think about what he wanted to say repeatedly, instead of just letting it flow.
“What is it?”
His expression changed from contemplative, reflecting more of a hint of the worry that must have been on his mind. “I’ve a bit of a confession to make.”
“Okay. About what?”
“The text you sent to me by accident. What I told you at the opera wasn’t the real story. Much like that version of Orfeo and Euridice, it was the sugarcoated one.”
“I know,” I answered him, much to his surprise.
“You knew? How did you know?”
“I’m more observant than you may think. You have certain mannerisms. For instance, you stammer a bit when you’re flustered or impassioned about whatever it is you’re talking about. You also avoid eye contact when you aren’t being sincere, which isn’t very often. You’re a very sincere person by nature.”
“Impressive … and very true. I told you I hadn’t seen your text with the photos until the morning after you sent it. In reality, I saw it the night before. Seconds after receiving the notification, I checked my phone and realized it was a text from you.”
“But you hate dealing with text messages, and you get so many of them.”
“True on both counts, but when I saw it was from you, I wasn’t filled with the sense of dread I normally am whenever I receive a text or an email from anyone else. I was actually, I guess, excited.”
“And then you opened it and became even more excited?” His cheeks reddened. “We’re lying here naked, our bodies pressed together, and you’re blushing over a text you received from me months ago?”
“I’m just thinking about everything that went through my mind when I saw that text. So, yes, I am blushing.”
“But you knew I sent it to you by mistake?”
“I strongly suspected that was the case, but I wasn’t entirely certain. I wouldn’t admit it to myself at the time, but I know now that I wanted it to be meant for me. Even then, I wanted all of this.” He motioned between me and himself with his free hand. “Although highly inappropriate, I think I wanted you to come into my office and confess it hadn’t been an accident at all.”
“Which is why you lied to me about not having seen the text?”
“Yes.” He brushed a strand of hair away from my face. “Either way, I didn’t want to lose you, and I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me, so I lied. I’m not proud of myself for doing it, but …”
“You did it for me?”
“Of course I did. I know I’ve been throwing out mixed signals, but everything I’ve done was with you in mind. How difficult your life would be if you were with me. What others’ perception of you would be if you were with me. It’s a lot to put on someone’s shoulders.”
I rolled over, positioning myself on top of him, catching him off guard.
“What’s all this?” he asked amused.
“As I showed you last night, my shoulders can handle quite a bit.”
*****
Exhausted, makeup smeared, hair a mess, and clothes wrinkled, I walked through the lobby of Phineas’s apartment building. He’d insisted on driving me home, but after he’d proven himself unable to keep his eyes open for longer than ten seconds at a time, we both decided it would be a wiser decision for his driver to take me home, instead. Well, actually, he decided it would be wiser for his driver to take me home. I was fine with slumming it in a cab.
Despite looking like hot garbage thrown into a sea of wealthy and beautiful people milling about the lobby, nothing could erase the smile from my face. I’d never made a walk of shame with such contentment before, and I was so oblivious to what was going on around me in favor of the flashbacks in my head from the night before that I completely missed Clarence, until I just about ran him down. Surprised, he looked at me, taking in my disheveled appearance, a smile erupting across his face.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“It’s not that big,” Phineas assured me.
“You forget I’ve seen it, and it is. It’s very much that big.”
“I’ve seen bigger.”
“I bet you have.”
I heard his sigh from the other end of the line, certain it was accompanied by an eye roll. “Please tell me we’re still talking about the magazine.”