liar?”
“Maybe your friend was misinformed.”
“She looked a lot like you.”
“Brown hair and brown eyes are so exotic.”
“You’re not a very good liar.”
She glanced at him. “What?”
“You narrow your eyes when you lie.”
“The sun is bright, and I’ve got a headache.” One that was growing by the second.
“Doesn’t change your tell. When you lie, your eyes get squinty. It’s a trend.”
“And you’re an expert at spotting liars.”
“Want to see my badge?”
“Why would I lie about that?”
“That’s easy. To protect your mother, of course. It’s what we do as humans when someone we love is threatened.”
Charlie braked for a stoplight and closed her eyes. Pain squeezed at her temples, flashing light across her vision every few moments. Nausea began to churn through her stomach. She’d never had a migraine, but she recognized the classic symptoms. Perfect.
Beside her, Noah slapped a palm onto his knee. “You know what I’d like to do? Meet the parents.”
Charlie swerved to the side of the road and stopped.
Noah looked around in surprise. “Hey, you don’t have to kick me out.”
She ignored him as she opened her car door, stumbled a few yards away from the car and threw up at the base of a palm tree. Bracing a hand on the trunk for balance, she swallowed several times while her eyes watered and her pounding head spun. Her knees shook, and she prayed they wouldn’t buckle.
“You okay?”
She sensed him standing behind her, probably too squeamish to get too close to the barfing woman. She closed her eyes tighter. “I’m fine.”
“Right.” He waited a minute while she swallowed some more then quietly asked, “Done?”
She nodded, humiliated and miserable. This had to be in the top five worst days of her life. “I think so.”
He took her arm, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Let’s get you back into the car, shall we?”
She let him lead her to the Escape and didn’t complain when he opened the passenger door for her. She wasn’t in any shape to drive. Considering how much her legs still shook, she wasn’t even sure she’d be able to walk soon.
When he settled behind the steering wheel, he adjusted the seat to accommodate his long legs then put the car in gear. “Which way home?” he asked.
She let her head fall against the headrest, wishing it would explode and get it over with, and managed to point.
He didn’t speak as he drove, as though he knew she no longer had the ability to communicate coherently. After parking in the driveway, he walked around to her side and helped her out, steadying her when she swayed. He found the key on her key ring that opened the front door and led her inside and down the hall to her bedroom. By the time she collapsed onto her bed, the migraine had reached full status, blinding her with agonizing flashes of light. If she’d been alone, or with Alex, she would have been groaning big-time.
“Just lie back,” Noah said, bending to lift her feet onto the bed.
She obeyed, not having the energy to argue or tell him to get lost. Her first priority was simple: die now to escape the pain.
When Noah sat on the edge of the bed beside her, she opened her eyes to mere slits to look at him. Surely he was going to leave now.
Instead, he asked, “Do you take migraine medication?”
She let her lids drop closed. “No.” She didn’t have the energy to tell him that this was her first.
He got up and left the room, and Charlie relaxed, her body feeling strangely leaden. It would take a crane to budge her. A moment later, she heard him return but didn’t bother to look at him. Maybe she couldn’t have if she’d tried. Then she felt the cool, damp cloth settle over her eyes and put her hand up. Her fingers encountered his wrist, and she started at the spark of awareness.
“Sometimes this helps,” he said. “Just relax. Breathe and relax.”
She focused on a few deep breaths, embarrassed when a hot tear squeezed out of
“Maybe your friend was misinformed.”
“She looked a lot like you.”
“Brown hair and brown eyes are so exotic.”
“You’re not a very good liar.”
She glanced at him. “What?”
“You narrow your eyes when you lie.”
“The sun is bright, and I’ve got a headache.” One that was growing by the second.
“Doesn’t change your tell. When you lie, your eyes get squinty. It’s a trend.”
“And you’re an expert at spotting liars.”
“Want to see my badge?”
“Why would I lie about that?”
“That’s easy. To protect your mother, of course. It’s what we do as humans when someone we love is threatened.”
Charlie braked for a stoplight and closed her eyes. Pain squeezed at her temples, flashing light across her vision every few moments. Nausea began to churn through her stomach. She’d never had a migraine, but she recognized the classic symptoms. Perfect.
Beside her, Noah slapped a palm onto his knee. “You know what I’d like to do? Meet the parents.”
Charlie swerved to the side of the road and stopped.
Noah looked around in surprise. “Hey, you don’t have to kick me out.”
She ignored him as she opened her car door, stumbled a few yards away from the car and threw up at the base of a palm tree. Bracing a hand on the trunk for balance, she swallowed several times while her eyes watered and her pounding head spun. Her knees shook, and she prayed they wouldn’t buckle.
“You okay?”
She sensed him standing behind her, probably too squeamish to get too close to the barfing woman. She closed her eyes tighter. “I’m fine.”
“Right.” He waited a minute while she swallowed some more then quietly asked, “Done?”
She nodded, humiliated and miserable. This had to be in the top five worst days of her life. “I think so.”
He took her arm, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Let’s get you back into the car, shall we?”
She let him lead her to the Escape and didn’t complain when he opened the passenger door for her. She wasn’t in any shape to drive. Considering how much her legs still shook, she wasn’t even sure she’d be able to walk soon.
When he settled behind the steering wheel, he adjusted the seat to accommodate his long legs then put the car in gear. “Which way home?” he asked.
She let her head fall against the headrest, wishing it would explode and get it over with, and managed to point.
He didn’t speak as he drove, as though he knew she no longer had the ability to communicate coherently. After parking in the driveway, he walked around to her side and helped her out, steadying her when she swayed. He found the key on her key ring that opened the front door and led her inside and down the hall to her bedroom. By the time she collapsed onto her bed, the migraine had reached full status, blinding her with agonizing flashes of light. If she’d been alone, or with Alex, she would have been groaning big-time.
“Just lie back,” Noah said, bending to lift her feet onto the bed.
She obeyed, not having the energy to argue or tell him to get lost. Her first priority was simple: die now to escape the pain.
When Noah sat on the edge of the bed beside her, she opened her eyes to mere slits to look at him. Surely he was going to leave now.
Instead, he asked, “Do you take migraine medication?”
She let her lids drop closed. “No.” She didn’t have the energy to tell him that this was her first.
He got up and left the room, and Charlie relaxed, her body feeling strangely leaden. It would take a crane to budge her. A moment later, she heard him return but didn’t bother to look at him. Maybe she couldn’t have if she’d tried. Then she felt the cool, damp cloth settle over her eyes and put her hand up. Her fingers encountered his wrist, and she started at the spark of awareness.
“Sometimes this helps,” he said. “Just relax. Breathe and relax.”
She focused on a few deep breaths, embarrassed when a hot tear squeezed out of
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