Page 81 of House of Payne

Mason snorts. “The kind of person who is friends with a creep.”

“It’s not like that.”

I can’t explain why Noah is friends with Steven, and I hate that Mason is right.

Mason’s eyes sweep over me. “It’s for the best. You were never going to be able to keep this from him.”

Without waiting for a response, he turns to walk away.

“Did you engineer this?”

Mason spares me a look over his shoulder. “I’ve got better things to do with my time.”

Frustration and exhaustion build within me. “You wanted me to come to you. The easiest way to get me to do that is to remove Noah from the equation.”

I don’t think Mason is above this kind of stunt.

He wheels around and gives me a withering stare that sends heat straight to my core. “I don’t need to resort to games to get you to come to me, London. Noah isn’t the reason you’re resisting, and you know that.”

I open my mouth and snap it shut again.

Mason offers me a slow and pointed look, then disappears, leaving me standing there, staring at the spot he occupied, and feeling like the world’s biggest idiot.

Why can’t he just be an insufferable prick?

Why does he have to be observant, too?

I head back to my room in a daze, step into the bathroom, strip out of my clothes, and wait for the shower water to heat up. Standing under the flow, I replay the scene with Steven in my head, ignoring the unease that has settled in.

Eventually, I step back into my room and take out my phone, and my heart drops into my stomach.

I stand there for a long time, debating whether to check the messages. Finally, I leave the phone on the dresser and let my towel fall to the floor. My hands are shaking as I change into my pajamas and rehearse what I’m going to say.

You can do this. Just don’t admit to anything. Discredit Steven. Do what you need to do.

Several messages from Noah wait for me as I brush my hair and pile it into a bun. They range from angry to disbelieving. After taking several deep breaths, I stand by the window and dial the number I know by heart.

Noah picks up on the second ring, and I can hear the fury in his voice. “What the fuck, London?”

I swallow. “I don’t know what Steven told you, but you shouldn’t listen to him.”

“So, he’s lying? He said he saw you working at a club, London. A fucking club, and he made it sound like you were dancing on a pole orsomething.”

I feel ill. “I’m not.”

“Which part?”

I press my lips together and count backward from five. “Look, Noah. I know this is going to be hard for you to understand, but I can’t tell you what I’m doing. I’m not pole dancing, but I am paying back my father’s debt.”

Noah makes a low, strangled sound. “So, youareworking in a club? You lied to me? Tell me I’m not hearing this.”

The hurt in his voice is almost enough to break me, but I can’t let it.

I’m sorry, Noah. I’m so sorry. This isn’t how I wanted you to find out.

In an ideal world, Noah wouldn’teverknow.

“I didn’t want to lie to you.” I struggle to hear past the pounding in my ears. “It all happened so fast, but I am doing this to save my dad and the diner. Please believe me.”