Truth Is by Amicia Bianchi (good summer reads TXT) 📖

area. I felt I could relax a little when I didn’t see him as I looked around. I talked with them for a little while longer until I had to share the guests of honor.

I mingled a little, hugging some of my friends that I saw and talking but primarily stayed close to the door. With the more people that I talked to and the more time that passed I started to forget why I’d been so nervous when he really didn’t seem to be here. I eventually shifted into a corner where I could keep an eye on the door in case he came in late because he normally didn’t miss these kinds of things.

“Well, well, well look what we have here,” said a familiar deep male voice that sent a tingle up my spine.

I didn’t see him approach so he’d caught me off guard when he’d started talking to me. I’d loosen up out of a false hope that he wasn’t here because there was only one man who had that affect on me.

“Hi, Ethan,” I said sheepishly, gave a brief smile hoping to quickly get the moment over with so that I could try to avoid him for the rest of the night.

The whole situation was awkward, with me not being able to look him in the eye any longer than a second or two before memories of last night and everything we’d done started to surface. Everything I wished I wasn’t remembering right now just kept coming back to me like the feeling of his hands all over me, among other things.

“Trying to keep secrets from your friends, are we?” he taunted and I couldn’t help fidgeting under his unnerving gaze as his eyes tracked my movement as if I were his prey.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I tried to play nonchalant and water down the issue.

“Really?” he mocked me. “Because I think it’s pretty obvious what’s been going on… between you and a ‘certain person', by the looks of it it’s been going on for a while now.”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about….” my heart threatened to beat right out of my chest as I lied again.

Then why can’t you look me in the eye?” he stepped closer, backing me into the corner. “Are you really going to try to deny it? You feelings-”

“How did you find out?” I interrupted as I began to crack,“has it always been so obvious?” I’d always taken measure to hide everything from him. So how had I been exposed? And for how long had he known? Since he knew, had he come over here to finally mock and humiliate me to my face?

“Not always but tonight you’re not even trying to hide it… So are you going to say it or not?” he pressed.

“Are you really going to make me say it?” I begged him with my eyes to have mercy, this was embarrassing enough to admit out loud in a normal situation much less with all of our friends in the room.

“Of course, you’ve already come this far, say the name.”

“That’s a little embarrassing don’t you think and considering the circumstances I don’t think there’s a need for it because you already know now and, I mean, you’re standing right here. I haven’t said anything until now because I didn’t want it to be awkward-” I went on babbling but he just kept staring at me, waiting on me to confess with an expression that told me I wasn’t getting out of this, I sighed. “It’s you, I have feelings for you, Ethan,” I finally said. Considering the fact that he had figured me out he appeared truly surprised and I couldn’t tell if he was just humoring me or what.

“I guess I’ll help you out and also try not to make this awkward by asking you if you’re free tomorrow night,” he commented unexpectedly with a particular sparkle in his eyes.

“Actually yes, I am,”I answered with a smile when he grinned at me.

“Hey girl, why does it feel like I haven’t seen you since my wedding? Where have you been?” My friend, Jeni, said as she approached us suddenly.

“I’ve been here. Where have you been because I haven’t seen you since you ran off honeymooning with Doug and I’d heard that you didn’t come back,” I retorted.

She laughed knowing it was partially true because she and Doug had decided to extend their honeymoon because they said it had been so nice that they hadn’t been ready to come back.

“Well I have been seeing a few of the girls but I hadn’t seen you. We need to do something…”

“Yeah, we should definitely get together, just call me,” we stayed there talking for a few minutes until Jeni went to grab something to eat.

“You’ve been in this corner nearly since you got here, you didn’t want anything to eat?” Ethan asked as we watched Jeni and Doug walk away.

“No, they only have finger foods and little snacks but I want a real meal. Anyway, where were you earlier? I didn’t see you,” I responded.
“I was over by the refreshment table,” he replied.

“No wonder I didn’t see you, usually you’re wherever it’s rowdy making a ruckus with the guys,” I teased.

He smirked at me because he knew it was true. More people came by to talk to us then eventually moving on to other people. One of whom was Josie Milner, one of those friends that always wants to know what’s going on. When I saw her coming I knew she’d just come to fish for information.

“What are you two doing over here?” she came later in the evening to confront us as we stood there laughing and talking.

“Oh I’m just waiting by the door for my ride,” I answered vaguely.

“I’m just keeping her company since she was by herself and trying to see if she needed me to take her instead,” Ethan supplied smoothly.

“You might need to because didn’t you come with Shelby and Tess?” Josie asked me.

As a matter of fact, now that I think about it I should take you up on your offer because Tess drove us here in her car,” I said turning to Ethan.

“Oh yeah,” she said understanding because it was a known fact that Tess was a horrible driver.

“But where’s Joseph, your new boyfriend?”

“His dad is coming to town for a visit so he went to pick him up from the airport. By the way what’s that place you guys went to the other day for Mark’s birthday? He has not stopped talking about it but he couldn’t remember the name,” Josie went on.

“You must be talking about La Hacienda,” Ethan said.

“Oh the place on 11th street across from your company?” I asked.

“You’ve been there too?” she asked, with a surprised expression.

“No, it’s a new restaurant that just opened up and I’ve been meaning to go see but I wasn’t sure how the food was,” I clarified.

“It’s really good you ladies should try it sometime. I’m sure you’ll like it,” Ethan chimed in giving us both an all-encompassing smile but his eyes were on me.

“Yeah, I’ll have to try it sometime because Joseph loved it when he went with you guys and he’s been on about it nonstop,” Josie commented but was interrupted from saying anything further by her phone ring. She excused herself to take the call and we were left alone once again.

“All this talk about food is making me really hungry,” I said when my stomach started growling.

“Should we go then, and I can take you to get a quick bite to eat before I bring you home,” he offered.

“Yeah, I’ll go let them know I’m leaving,” I answered as I stepped away. I went in search of Shelby or Tess while he went to get his car.

“So if this technically counts as a date should we…” I started but lost my nerve after I got in his car. He laughed a little.

“We can still go out tomorrow. Think of this as a pre-date,” he said.

We had a nice time but all too soon he was bringing me back to my condo. It all felt surreal as if I were in a dream so I didn’t really want things to end in case when I woke up tomorrow the magic of tonight would be gone.

Finally when we arrived and he'd parked I knew the night had come to an end but I wasn’t ready to go just yet so when he offered to walk me to my door I was willing to jump at any opportunity to extend our ‘pre-date’. We didn’t really say much on the short walk but I was still happy about it.

“I guess this is it then,” I said as we stopped at my door and turned to face each other.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said after a pause.

Before I could say anything else he leaned down and captured my lips in a kiss. It was a soft quick kiss that didn’t even last nearly as long as I wanted it to.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” he breathe, after it was over.

“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow,” I responded reluctantly pulling out my key.

“Goodnight,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” I replied still a bit dazed, he noticed and I saw a smug smile spread across his face. Although normally I’d get an urge to wipe the smirk off his face but this time I actually didn’t care.

“You should get inside before something else happens,” he tried to tease me but he must have saw something in my expression just then because he huffed a laugh. “Don’t look at me like that, it’s bad enough that tomorrow night can’t come fast enough,” he groaned.

I giggled pulling away from him. ‘Something else’ had already happened the night before but I would keep that tidbit of information to myself and although I didn’t mind it happening again it was only a ‘pre-date’, we hadn’t yet gone on an actual date I didn’t want him getting the wrong impression again. We’d just gotten over one misunderstanding I didn’t want us to have another one so soon. Nevertheless I felt like I was floating on cloud nine as I got inside and in my barely contained excitement I started dancing around my apartment.

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Publication Date: 12-20-2016

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