Read Online Her Little White Lie (BWWM Romance) by Cj Howard - Free Book Online
Authors: Cj Howard
Tags: United States, Romance, Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Urban, African American, Two Hours or More (65-100 Pages)
Ads: Link
changed. I don't even know why it happened. It sneaked up on me and now I can't stop the way I feel.”
“What are you saying, Grace?”
“I'm saying I'm in love with you.”
He rocked back in his chair, his hands came to his face and he slid them down so that he pulled the skin on his cheeks downwards.
“What are you doing to me, Grace?” He shook his head and looked down at the table.
“Mikey all I wanted was a chance for us to get together, romantically.”
“Gracie, I don't know what to say.” He stood up.
My heart had sunk to my stomach.
“You don't have to say anything,” I said. “I understand. I've just blown our whole friendship. I should go.” I walked to the door, he was blocking it but stepped aside.
“Gracie, wait.” He put his hands out before I could open it. “You can't leave after dropping a bomb like that.”
“I can't help how I feel, Mikey. I tried to be just friends but this damned Christmas has made me crazy. I don't know what's gotten into me.”
I heard some movement in the living room and a female voice. The voice called out.
“Oh, Mikey!” And then a tall blond walked into the kitchen.
“Delores, hi!” he blurted out.
Dolores marched past me and threw her arms around Mikey.
“We ready?” she asked and then turned back to look me up and down.
“I'm just leaving,” I put up a hand and left the room.
Before I could get to the front door, Mikey stopped me.
“I'm sorry, I arranged this the other day,” he said. “I didn't know you were coming.”
“You never told me you were seeing someone,” I said. I opened the door and walked into the hallway. Mikey grabbed my hand.
“You never asked. Anyway it's been on and off and now Delores wants us to spend Christmas day together and I kinda said yes.”
“Well, you're a free agent, Mikey. Just tell me one thing. The other day when we were making out on your living room floor, were you two on or off.”
“Off. Definitely off. I hadn't seen her in a while. She's so temperamental. I don't know where I am with her sometimes.”
“I know the feeling. Merry Christmas, Mikey.”
I ran down the stairs and he called me back but didn't follow. In the streets I dodged through the crowds and walked as fast as I could all the way home.
10
It was Christmas Eve. I had to work for four hours at the hotel from late morning so I was able to sleep in. And I needed a few hours to lose the dark circles and bags under my eyes from crying myself to sleep. I got up and made a strong coffee and sat on the sofa looking up at my tree. Some of the glitter had fallen onto the carpet and I realized I didn't have a present under it. That would have made it a proper tree. But there was nothing proper about this Christmas. I wished I'd never told a lie about being engaged and needing time off for the holidays with my fiancé's family.
I cringed.
The buzzer for my apartment sounded. I wondered who it could be. My first thought was Mikey.
“Yes?” I answered into the intercom.
“Package for Miss Danvers. Grace Danvers. Needs to be signed for.”
“Come on up.”
I pressed the buzzer. What could it be? I stood with my fingers crossed waiting for the courier to take the elevator up to the fifth floor. I was secretly hoping that Mikey had had a change of heart and that his on off relationship with the blond was off for good.
There was a knock on the door and I still half expected to see Mikey standing behind the courier because he wanted to see my face when I got his present.
“There you go, sign here.” The courier was on his own and he was expecting a tip. I grabbed five dollars from the coffee table, it's all I had. Any spare cash had gone on decorating my tree.
The package was a small, slim cardboard box. I ripped it open to find a silver envelope inside. The envelope was sealed and on the front my name was written and the message:
“What are you saying, Grace?”
“I'm saying I'm in love with you.”
He rocked back in his chair, his hands came to his face and he slid them down so that he pulled the skin on his cheeks downwards.
“What are you doing to me, Grace?” He shook his head and looked down at the table.
“Mikey all I wanted was a chance for us to get together, romantically.”
“Gracie, I don't know what to say.” He stood up.
My heart had sunk to my stomach.
“You don't have to say anything,” I said. “I understand. I've just blown our whole friendship. I should go.” I walked to the door, he was blocking it but stepped aside.
“Gracie, wait.” He put his hands out before I could open it. “You can't leave after dropping a bomb like that.”
“I can't help how I feel, Mikey. I tried to be just friends but this damned Christmas has made me crazy. I don't know what's gotten into me.”
I heard some movement in the living room and a female voice. The voice called out.
“Oh, Mikey!” And then a tall blond walked into the kitchen.
“Delores, hi!” he blurted out.
Dolores marched past me and threw her arms around Mikey.
“We ready?” she asked and then turned back to look me up and down.
“I'm just leaving,” I put up a hand and left the room.
Before I could get to the front door, Mikey stopped me.
“I'm sorry, I arranged this the other day,” he said. “I didn't know you were coming.”
“You never told me you were seeing someone,” I said. I opened the door and walked into the hallway. Mikey grabbed my hand.
“You never asked. Anyway it's been on and off and now Delores wants us to spend Christmas day together and I kinda said yes.”
“Well, you're a free agent, Mikey. Just tell me one thing. The other day when we were making out on your living room floor, were you two on or off.”
“Off. Definitely off. I hadn't seen her in a while. She's so temperamental. I don't know where I am with her sometimes.”
“I know the feeling. Merry Christmas, Mikey.”
I ran down the stairs and he called me back but didn't follow. In the streets I dodged through the crowds and walked as fast as I could all the way home.
10
It was Christmas Eve. I had to work for four hours at the hotel from late morning so I was able to sleep in. And I needed a few hours to lose the dark circles and bags under my eyes from crying myself to sleep. I got up and made a strong coffee and sat on the sofa looking up at my tree. Some of the glitter had fallen onto the carpet and I realized I didn't have a present under it. That would have made it a proper tree. But there was nothing proper about this Christmas. I wished I'd never told a lie about being engaged and needing time off for the holidays with my fiancé's family.
I cringed.
The buzzer for my apartment sounded. I wondered who it could be. My first thought was Mikey.
“Yes?” I answered into the intercom.
“Package for Miss Danvers. Grace Danvers. Needs to be signed for.”
“Come on up.”
I pressed the buzzer. What could it be? I stood with my fingers crossed waiting for the courier to take the elevator up to the fifth floor. I was secretly hoping that Mikey had had a change of heart and that his on off relationship with the blond was off for good.
There was a knock on the door and I still half expected to see Mikey standing behind the courier because he wanted to see my face when I got his present.
“There you go, sign here.” The courier was on his own and he was expecting a tip. I grabbed five dollars from the coffee table, it's all I had. Any spare cash had gone on decorating my tree.
The package was a small, slim cardboard box. I ripped it open to find a silver envelope inside. The envelope was sealed and on the front my name was written and the message:
Similar Books
