Sweet Liar (Candy #2)(30)

He glanced at me as if expecting me to say more about it. Recalling the comment he made this morning about Drew wanting more than dinner from me, I added some commentary.

“He didn’t ask me to sleep over after dinner, and he didn’t say that clothes were optional.”

Jonah shook his head and exhaled a puff of air. “You think that’s funny? You’re not taking this seriously.”

I snorted. “Believe me. No one is taking this more seriously than me.”

“I mean you’re not taking Drew seriously. How far would you go to help your father, Candy? Because Drew isn’t above asking you to go further than you have in mind.”

I crossed my arms and looked out the window. “I know you think I’m naive, but I can handle myself just fine, no matter what Drew has in mind.”

“I promised you I’d be honest, and the truth is you’re emotional and vulnerable right now. Drew might take advantage of that by lying to you and pretending he can help your father more than he actually can.”

I turned to look at him.

“He might ask you for something in exchange for that help.”

My eyes narrowed. “Like sex?”

Jonah nodded as the muscle in his cheek turned into a tight ball.

I stared back at him. Floored. “Have you met me? Do you really think I’d do that?”

The Jeep jerked to the right and ended up on the side of the road. Jonah slammed it into Park and turned to face me.

“I think he’s not above doing it, and that you feel all alone right now, even though you’re not. You’ve made up your mind that you’re the only person in the world who can save your father, and you’d do just about anything to bring him home.”

His eyes were intent on mine. He really thought I’d have sex with Drew in exchange for helping my father. Not only was I insulted, but I was completely devastated because Jonah didn’t know me at all.

He bit his bottom lip, and I could sense him wondering if being so honest had been a mistake. But he’d said it and he’d meant it, and he couldn’t unring that bell.

“What about you?” I asked. “As long as we’re on the subject, what can you do for me if I have sex with you?”

“Don’t,” he said in a warning tone. “Don’t say things like that to me.”

“Right. Because it’s not like you just called me a whore or anything.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” He glared at me, vibrating with frustration.

“I want to go home now, Jonah.”

“Candy . . .”

“Please just take me home.”

Looking like he wanted to say more, he released an exaggerated sigh as he stiffly took the wheel and pulled back out onto the road.

I gripped my knees in my hands while my blood heated. My eyes filled with tears, and I kept them trained out the window so he wouldn’t see. I wasn’t sure why the fact that Jonah thought I would sleep with Drew for information tore me up inside, but it did. It hurt that he thought so little of me, and the fact that I cared this much about what he thought hurt even more.

After all Jonah had done to me and my father, I was starting to forgive him because I was also starting to understand him, but he still didn’t understand me. Maybe he didn’t care enough to. Resentment toward Jonah won the war inside me today. It overpowered all my good feelings for him until they were nothing but a whisper.

“I just remembered I need to go to the pet store before you take me home,” I said, staring up at the same telephone lines the sparrows were resting on this morning.

Without a word of question, he turned onto the road that led to the center of town instead of the one that led to the street we both lived on.

Jonah drove to the shopping plaza where the pet store was, and rather than waiting in the Jeep like I thought he would, he silently followed me inside.

I went directly to the cat food aisle and grabbed a bag of food for Pumpkin. Then I went to the bird section and placed a large bag of birdseed in my shopping cart.

Jonah eyed me curiously. “Do you have a bird?”

“We have a feeder outside.” That was true six years ago, but I was pretty sure it was gone now.

After the pet store stop, the ride home was tense and quiet. Despite that, Jonah helped me bring everything inside, and then he hesitated in the doorway before leaving.

Now that the tension was ratcheted up again, I waited for an apology or another explanation. If he made it good, I might forgive him and not use the birdseed. I wanted him to apologize and use all the right words to win me over, because I hated the bitterness his words about me and Drew left behind. I hated how dirty they made me feel.

“Do you have everything you need?” he asked.

I nodded.

“And that doctor’s appointment?”

The mention of it made my stomach jump. “It’s tomorrow at three thirty.” I watched Jonah, wondering if he’d changed his mind about coming with me.

“We can go after school. You’ll ride with me again tomorrow.” He’d told me rather than asked, but there was no point in arguing because there was a good chance he’d change his mind about going with me to see the doctor by tomorrow.

“I’d rather drive myself to school, but you could pick me up here after.”