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He looks down at the ink on the paper, at Ivy’s phone number. “The area code. It’s Louisiana, isn’t it? My ex-partner retired there to be near his kid who went to college at Tulane and stayed. His area code is 337.”
I snatch the paper back. “Yes, it’s Louisiana.”
“That’s where you were born, right?”
I blink a few times. There is no way in hell I told him that. I don’t tell anyone where I’m from. “How do you know that?”
Sam looks away, clears his throat. “You must’ve told me.”
“I absolutely did not tell you.”
His shoulders slump, and he hangs his head. He knows he’s been caught in a lie. “I, uh, ran you when we first started dating.”
“Ran me? What does that mean?”
“Through the system. At work. I do it to everyone I date. You can never be too careful, especially in New York.”
“Youinvestigatedme?” My heart thumps around in my chest, but not just at the indignity of being spied on.What if he found something about what happened before?
“Not investigated. Just punched you into the system. You know, to see if you had any priors or anything. System also gives all last known addresses. It showed you grew up in Louisiana. I was surprised. You don’t have a Southern accent.”
It feels like I’ve just had my clothes unwillingly ripped from my body, and I’m standing naked. I should have known better than to date adetective. Of course he’d look me up. My head spins while I take in the fact that Sam has known where I grew up for the three months we’ve been spending time together, and yet never once mentioned that he knew I’d lied to him about being from New York. Paranoiacreeps in. I start to remember other things—like that time we were at his apartment and I went to the bathroom. When I came out, he had my phone in his hand. He claimed he’d picked it up instead of his by accident. Was he lying? And another time when he stayed over, and I found him looking through the end table drawer in my living room. He claimed he was looking for the remote, but the remote was sitting right on the coffee table.
The waitress comes over to collect the check, but I haven’t yet put my half inside. The cash is still in my hand. I open the padfolio, then look up at Sam’s face. “On second thought . . .” I shove the bills back into my purse. “You can pay the whole damn bill.”
“Elizabeth—”
Sam says more, but I don’t stick around to hear it. I’m already out of my seat and taking long strides toward the restaurant door. He catches up to me outside, just as I lower my arm and a cab pulls to the curb.
“Elizabeth, wait!”
“No, Sam. I’m leaving.”
“Just come home with me. Let’s talk about this. It’s really not a big deal.”
I ignore him and climb into the back of the cab, slamming the door shut.
“Twenty-Second and Second, please,” I say to the cabbie.
He looks in the rearview mirror. “The guy outside is still talking to you.”
“Just drive. I’m done talking to him.”
CHAPTER
5
Idon’t even like roses.
I pluck a petal from one of the flowers and briefly consider texting Sam to provide him with my thoughts on the originality of this delivery, which arrived three days ago. But that would mean answering one of his four apology texts, something I’m far from ready to do at the moment. I still can’t get over that heinvestigatedme.
“Hey. You want to grab a bite to eat?” Aiden’s belt jingles as he walks from the bedroom to the living room, buckling it. Or maybe his name is Cayden? I’m not actually sure.
“That’s not necessary. You can go.”
He chuckles. “Damn.That’s cold. I guess you really meant it when you said you were looking for a quick hookup only.”
I smile politely. “Yes, I did.”