All the Lies We Tell (Quarry Road #1)(66)

“Sure you don’t want to sit? We have a space. We’re all done talking about the book.” Tammy grinned.

“I’m actually on my way to the ladies’ room,” Alicia said.

“Maybe next month you’d like to join us?” Tammy glanced around at the rest of the table, everyone else nodding with varying degrees of enthusiasm. “We’re going to read a classic. Anne of Green Gables.”

It was one of Alicia’s favorite childhood books. “Give me a call, okay? I’ll see.”

In the bathroom, she used the toilet, and at the sink while she was washing her hands, she wet a paper towel with cool water to press the back of her neck and her temples. February might be cold outside, but in here she was starting to sweat, and all because of that look he’d shot her.

It hadn’t been a sexy look, lusting and lingering. No, Nikolai’s look had been of . . . relief. As though he’d been worried she’d gotten up and left him, and when he found her there across the room, the sight of her had eased every fear he’d ever had.

“Not sure you can handle this,” Alicia mouthed to herself in the mirror. Small tendrils of her hair had escaped the high ponytail she wore, clinging to her damp skin. Her eyes were bright. Cheeks pink. She freshened her lipstick and was searching for the compact in her bag, so she could powder away some of the heat, when the restroom door opened.

Amy joined her at the sink, turning to lean on it as though they’d been besties for years. “Niko Stern, huh?”

“What about him?” Alicia snapped the compact closed and tucked it away in her bag. She looked in the mirror, carefully not looking at Amy, and touched the corners of her mouth to check her lipstick.

“He’s hot.”

Alicia slanted the other woman a look. “Okay?”

“Is he single?”

Alicia paused. “I . . .”

“Could you introduce us?” Amy turned to look in the mirror, using the tips of her fingers to feather her short cut along her cheeks and spike it over her forehead. She sucked in her cheeks to hollow them, then gave herself a slow, sassy smile.

Clearly, Amy thought a lot about herself.

“No, he’s not,” Alicia said.

Amy frowned. “Damn, really? Is he married?”

“No.”

Amy shrugged and found Alicia’s gaze in the reflection. “So . . . not that serious, then?”

“You’d have to ask him, I guess.” Alicia shouldered her bag and smoothed her skirt. The entire conversation was making her stomach hurt. She shot Amy a smile, though. “Maybe I’ll see you next month at book club.”

“Allie.” Amy’s voice caught her with a hand on the door handle. “Hey, I just wanted to say that . . . your sister was the one girl I looked up to at QHS.”

The words struck Allie like a slap, although she kept herself from reacting like she’d been struck. All these years later, and it was no easier to handle the condolences. Time should’ve made it softer, eased the edges of the hurt, but it hadn’t. If anything, it somehow seemed worse than when the pain had been fresh, because for people like Amy, they were only jogged into remembering Jennilynn when they saw Alicia, while she had to remember her sister in a dozen different ways every other day. Alicia felt her shoulders trying to slump, but she straightened them. She nodded, glancing over her shoulder.

“Thanks. That’s a nice thing to say.”

“It’s hard to believe she’s gone, I guess.”

“It’s been a long time,” Alicia said, with a yank on the door to emphasize the conversation was over, not caring if she came off as rude. Back at their table, she didn’t take a seat. “Can we go?”

Mike looked up with disappointed confusion, but Nikolai stood at once. “You okay?”

“Headache. Can we head out?”

“Sure, of course. Mike, buddy, it was good to see you.” Nikolai shook his hand but kept the exit moving toward the door, even as Mike tried to call after him. “Yeah, call me! We’ll get together!”

In the parking lot, around the corner from the front doors and big glass windows, he pushed Alicia gently against the wall and took her by the upper arms. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. It’s stupid. That girl, Amy . . .”

“What about her?” Nikolai pulled her close for a moment, his lips pressing the top of her head. At the sound of someone coming out the doors around the corner, he put distance between them.

She noticed. Of course she did. He was as cautious about revealing the truth about them in public as she was, and he hadn’t even lived in this tiny town where everyone knew your business for a long time. What did he care if gossip started? Soon enough, he’d be long gone.

Alicia put another few inches between them, then started walking toward the car without answering him. She pulled her coat tighter around her, wishing she’d brought a scarf. The temperature had dropped—it was an uncharacteristically frigid late February—and all reports were pointing toward at least one blizzard, maybe one as late as March. Figured: no snow all winter until it started to be time for spring. In fact, when she tipped her face up toward the pitch-black sky sprinkled with a few bright, sparkling stars, a lone snowflake drifted down and landed on her cheek.

“Alicia. Hey. What’s wrong?” He caught up to her.