Read Online Show Me How by Molly McAdams - Free Book Online Page A

she gave me that I hadn’t succeeded in seeming clueless. “Charlie.”
    â€œWhat?” I asked defensively when she didn’t continue. “There isn’t anything going on between us, I don’t know why you’re even asking.”
    â€œNo? So I was imagining the hostility emanating from you when he was here fixing your car?”
    â€œWhat host—­”
    â€œAnd then I guess I just thought I saw you give him a look that could slay the world’s strongest man earlier tonight?”
    â€œGuess so.”
    â€œSo then that also means that Graham is just making up stories about Deacon being a complete asshole to you last weekend?”
    My head had been dipping in a nod, but froze halfway. I swallowed my curse and any other response I may have had, and stared blankly at a spot on the floor as Grey waited for an answer I wouldn’t give her.
    â€œRight; that’s what I thought. What is going on between you and Deacon?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œCharlie—­”
    â€œNothing, Grey. There is nothing going on between us, just drop it.” My voice was now a plea and a whisper. An indication that I was uncomfortable, and, for Grey, a massive red flag waving through the air above me that I was lying.
    â€œGraham told me what Deacon said to you last weekend.”
    I bit down on a small rectangle of chocolate.
    â€œHow long has he been treating you like that?”
    I shrugged, and the movement made me cringe internally. My red flag was practically glowing now, waving more wildly than ever.
    â€œYou know—­”
    â€œI don’t need you to try to be my mom, Grey,” I said quickly, my voice still gentle enough that the words didn’t come across harshly. “Jagger parents me enough, I just want you to be my friend and sister-­in-­law.”
    â€œI don’t want to be your mom, but I want you to talk to me. I don’t like that there has been a . . .” She trailed off, and seemed to search the space between us for her next words for a moment. “I don’t like that there’s been a disconnect between us ever since what happened between you and Ben. There are times you still talk to me, but it’s not like it was before. You know that I forgave you a long time ago, and what happened happened a long time ago, so I feel like we should already be back to where we were. But a lot of times, I feel like I still have to pull information from you. Like now.”
    The ache in her voice and on her face hurt my soul. I didn’t know she still felt like there was something hindering our friendship. I had thought that once everything came out about Ben and me, things had slowly but surely gotten better.
    My brow pinched. “There isn’t a disconnect between us, Grey,” I assured her. “This—­what’s going on with Deacon—­it’s just different. You’re so close with him, and I . . . well, I didn’t want to talk to anyone about it. I didn’t even know why—­” I closed my mouth quickly before the words, I didn’t even know why he’d been treating me that way , could slip from my tongue.
    But Grey was too quick.
    â€œYou didn’t . . . which means now you do .”
    A heavy sigh slowly left me, but I didn’t respond. For a long minute, we just stared at each other as Grey waited for something from me, and I twisted my hands in an attempt not to shove the rest of the chocolate bar in my mouth.
    â€œGrey, for now can it be okay that I don’t want to talk about it? Not just with you, but at all?”
    She looked like she was going to argue, so I held up a hand.
    â€œDeacon said things to me that have been building for a long time for him, and I think he needed to get them out. It doesn’t excuse it, but I also—­well, I can’t fault him for his thoughts. And what he said was meant for me, not everyone