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I tried to be attracted to him, at first, but it’s no use I think that it was after that when I knew not to bother anymore I’m the type of woman ill only ever fall in love once Unfortunately, that one time happened to be with a man who could only ever see me as a sister"

"That’s impossible," I told her "You could have any man you wanted"

She just shook her head, finally pulling a brush out of her an to carefully pull the brush through my mussed-up hair "Lovely hair," she murmured to me almost absently

"You and I could pass for sisters, really," she added I thought it was a hugely flattering compliment

"How many women have naturally blond hair nowadays? You’re the only other one I know But, no, I certainly cannot have any man I want And I only ever wanted one Akira Kalua I shaot was a pity fuck, pardon e, but that’s the best term for it"

"Akira Kalua," I repeated back, surprised at the nah I couldn’t place why I thought the name sounded very Hawaiian I had several Hawaiian friends, and there was a large population of the for h just hearing the nairl at heart, if you can believe it, though I was banished froo God, I hate New York"

I was more than a little surprised at that admission I had just assumed, with her faht into the big apple "You’re froback into her bag "Born and raised My dad fell in love with Hahen nant with me Maui, to be specific

By the time they were ready to live in a different house, I wasn’t ready to go with them They had to leave withoutme more than my actual parents did"

"Tellher head She brought aoff the errant mascara that had bled under iven me a few juicy tidbits From the beauty of her face and the sadness in her eyes, I just kneas a tragic love story that would be captivating

"Another time, perhaps You need to join Ja out soas I spend a lot of ti the family property It’s only five et your number from James

Have lunch with o, but I felt like ere already friends It was more than a little unusual for ely curious about this lovely woave ain She handed er I swear it’s never touched my lips It’ll make your lips look less bruised And yes, I’ll tell you about Akira e meet for lunch, if you really want to know I never talk about hiet it off of my chest But you have to tell reed as I dabbed on a bit of lipgloss withthe tube back to her

She set out of here asap He’s in a rare state He was expected to say a feords, but I’m familiar with the charity, so let him know I’ll step in for him I’ll call you sometime this week"

When I stood she enveloped ed her back, esture

"God, I love that you’re as tall asout," she said with a smile as she pulled back

Ja irabbed rip as soon as I ithin reach

"Go on I’ll make your excuses Oh, and Ja out to lunch, hopefully sorateful, if tense, san to lead ht ‘round We can et out of here"

Beco almost twitchy with i town car in a dizzying blur of activity We exited into a tiny back alley where I saw no sign of photographers

I sensed Jaazed out theI felt hiazing out of his o, stone-faced

I had endless questions that I needed answers to I wanted to knohat Jolene had lied about and what had been the truth I hoped to god not all of it had been true I wanted and needed, to know, but I was almost scared to hear his side of it, scared that our relationship wouldn’t survive the answers And it didn’t help that I had no idea where to even begin

We were nearly back to his building before I broke the silence The feet that stretched between us on the seat felt like miles

"You said you’d never been in a serious relationship before, but Jolene claims that you ith her for a year and two months, and that you continued to see her often, up until six weeks ago Was she lying?"

He was silent for an unnervingly long ti as he stared out the"We’re al We’ll talk about this inside"

I didn’t like that answer I knew that the only answer I would have liked would have been a quick and unhesitant, ‘yes, she was lying’

The driver took us to the underground garage elevator and we disembarked from the car silently James took my arm in a proprietary manner as alked to the elevator, but didn’t even touch me once ere alone It made a little ball of terrible black dread tie a knot in my belly

He was deeply upset, and it had to do hat had happened in the bathroom Was he upset about the questions I would ask? Was he troubled about hoould respond to his answers? Or was it so even ether Had the whole relationship idea finally sank in for hi that it wasn’t what he wanted? Had seeing the lovely Jolenehi like that all the while