Read Online Blurred Lines by M. Lynne Cunning - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: M. Lynne Cunning
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gone until she made the awful decision to remove her wedding ring. She’d only been gone from Texas for five days and she’d already stripped herself of her wedding band. That should have been a warning bell that it was time to call off the game and come clean with everyone around her.
Instead, she swallowed what little respect she had left for herself and looked at Libby with a defiant glare. “No, but that’s not really the point, now is it?” There it was, a lie to someone who wanted to be her friend in this vast city where she knew no one and still had months to go by herself.
She wanted to tell Libby the truth, she really did, but there was no way she could let the facade down and ruin her chances of being able to write again. Being Sarah was the most eye-opening, creative endeavor she had experienced yet, if she didn’t count her collaboration with Dean. She needed to be Sarah right now, even if it was the wrong thing for her to do. The truth could surface later, but right now was not the time to destroy the scenario she’d unknowingly created. It was only temporary, and she reminded herself of that. It wasn’t as if anyone would get hurt.
Libby arched a brow. “Then what is the point?”
Lauren drew herself up and rested her elbows on the table. “If he’s interested in me, who’s to say I’m interested in him?”
Libby snickered, leaning forward to match her pose. “I don’t even know you, Sarah, but I’m calling your bluff.”
“You think I’m interested in Dean?”
Libby nodded matter-of-factly. “Any woman who has ever been interested in a man would know that you are, so yes, I suppose I do.” She grinned back at Lauren, giving her a stare that dared her to deny it.
Lauren pursed her lips together. “Well, Libby, it seems as though you think you’ve got me pretty figured out.”
“Sarah, I might know you better than you think.”
Lauren didn’t blink, giving Libby the opportunity to say more, but instead she pushed her hands against the table and got to her feet.
“Just go out with him, will you?” she said as she pulled her jacket back on. “You’ll never know if there’s really something there until you do.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” After a pause, Lauren added, “I’ll think about it.”
Libby rolled her eyes as she picked up her coffee from the table and turned to leave.
“Just do it. Seriously, what harm could it do?”
Chapter Thirteen
Libby’s words seemed to haunt Lauren as the next few days passed by. Dean didn’t make it any easier on her, choosing to seek her out before each class and sit beside her. The same amused grin was plastered on his face each time he took his seat.
“Trying to dissuade me from sitting with you, Sarah?” he asked her once as he pulled his notebook and pen from the depths of his laptop bag.
It was all Lauren could do to keep from blushing. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t want to be near Dean, quite the opposite actually. Her movements around the room to see if he would follow were a test of sorts, a challenge to see his reaction to the distance she kept between them. So far, Dean was playing right into her hand. She couldn’t deny he was attracted to her. She couldn’t deny her attraction to him either, for that matter, but her focus on him was largely for the purpose of her novel.
Sarah wanted a man like Dean, and if leading him on a little was the only way to use him and gain leeway in the completion of her book, she would do it. In a few months, she would head home and never see him again anyway. It was college, and she knew enough about the typical college lifestyle to know she wasn’t the only one out there using someone on campus to get what she needed. What she needed just happened to be something completely different from what the typical college student was looking for. It wasn’t her usual style, and she didn’t particularly like the fact that she
Instead, she swallowed what little respect she had left for herself and looked at Libby with a defiant glare. “No, but that’s not really the point, now is it?” There it was, a lie to someone who wanted to be her friend in this vast city where she knew no one and still had months to go by herself.
She wanted to tell Libby the truth, she really did, but there was no way she could let the facade down and ruin her chances of being able to write again. Being Sarah was the most eye-opening, creative endeavor she had experienced yet, if she didn’t count her collaboration with Dean. She needed to be Sarah right now, even if it was the wrong thing for her to do. The truth could surface later, but right now was not the time to destroy the scenario she’d unknowingly created. It was only temporary, and she reminded herself of that. It wasn’t as if anyone would get hurt.
Libby arched a brow. “Then what is the point?”
Lauren drew herself up and rested her elbows on the table. “If he’s interested in me, who’s to say I’m interested in him?”
Libby snickered, leaning forward to match her pose. “I don’t even know you, Sarah, but I’m calling your bluff.”
“You think I’m interested in Dean?”
Libby nodded matter-of-factly. “Any woman who has ever been interested in a man would know that you are, so yes, I suppose I do.” She grinned back at Lauren, giving her a stare that dared her to deny it.
Lauren pursed her lips together. “Well, Libby, it seems as though you think you’ve got me pretty figured out.”
“Sarah, I might know you better than you think.”
Lauren didn’t blink, giving Libby the opportunity to say more, but instead she pushed her hands against the table and got to her feet.
“Just go out with him, will you?” she said as she pulled her jacket back on. “You’ll never know if there’s really something there until you do.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” After a pause, Lauren added, “I’ll think about it.”
Libby rolled her eyes as she picked up her coffee from the table and turned to leave.
“Just do it. Seriously, what harm could it do?”
Chapter Thirteen
Libby’s words seemed to haunt Lauren as the next few days passed by. Dean didn’t make it any easier on her, choosing to seek her out before each class and sit beside her. The same amused grin was plastered on his face each time he took his seat.
“Trying to dissuade me from sitting with you, Sarah?” he asked her once as he pulled his notebook and pen from the depths of his laptop bag.
It was all Lauren could do to keep from blushing. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t want to be near Dean, quite the opposite actually. Her movements around the room to see if he would follow were a test of sorts, a challenge to see his reaction to the distance she kept between them. So far, Dean was playing right into her hand. She couldn’t deny he was attracted to her. She couldn’t deny her attraction to him either, for that matter, but her focus on him was largely for the purpose of her novel.
Sarah wanted a man like Dean, and if leading him on a little was the only way to use him and gain leeway in the completion of her book, she would do it. In a few months, she would head home and never see him again anyway. It was college, and she knew enough about the typical college lifestyle to know she wasn’t the only one out there using someone on campus to get what she needed. What she needed just happened to be something completely different from what the typical college student was looking for. It wasn’t her usual style, and she didn’t particularly like the fact that she
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