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J uno knew that telling her friends that she had been lying to them wasn’t going to be easy. But she knew that she had to come clean with them all and the best way to do that was to call them and ask them to meet her at her place. She wanted to give them as little details as possible, but she knew that they’d all have questions.

She their group text on her cell phone and sent Vixen, Sprite, and Phoenix a message to meet her at her apartment in thirty minutes. She figured that would give her some time to pack and if the girls took the news badly, she’d be able to quickly escape. She couldn’t hide forever, and she knew it, but wasn’t sure how to say the words about working in a strip club, let alone ask her friends for forgiveness.

She was thankful when the three of them sent back texts saying that they’d be there. It was how things worked between them. If one of them was in need, they sent out a group text and the others showed up. She loved them, and opted that once she came clean with them, she’d still have them as friends because living without them wasn’t an option.

found Saint waiting for her at the front door and asked if she was ready to go. She nodded and took the keys from him, wondering why he was wearing a goofy grin. Usually, he was a grumpy ass—especially after he broke his arm. She was sure it had everything to do with his pain levels, but the few other times that she had seen Saint, he didn’t seem overly friendly.

They made the drive over to her apartment in complete silence, and that worked for her. If she started gabbing, she’d spill the beans about inviting her three friends over to come clean with them. didn’t want Saint telling her that she was doing the right thing, or that it was a good idea to be straight with her friends. She already knew all of that, but she didn’t feel that telling them the truth was the right thing. It might just cost her the only true friends that she ever had.

She parked in her assigned spot and cut the engine. Saint looked at Vixen, Phoenix, and Sprite standing in front of the apartment building’s entrance. “You want to tell me why they are here?” Saint asked.

shrugged, “I asked them to come over to help me pack,” she admitted, leaving out the part about wanting to tell them the truth. “And what about him?” She asked, nodding to Dare who was pulling his motorcycle helmet off just a few spots over.

“Oh, I asked him to come over to help you pack,” he said.

“So, you lied and told me that you’d be able to help me with everything, but then, you called Dare to ask him to meet us here because you wouldn’t be able to help at all with your broken arm. Did I get that right?” loved watching Saint squirm a bit, and the way that his cheeks seemed to heat with embarrassment was the cutest thing ever.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “I didn’t want to let you down, and my arm hurts like a mother fucker. I thought that Dare could do the heavy lifting.” Well, that was actually nice, and not at all what was expecting.

“Oh, that’s actually sweet,” she breathed.

“And I’m such a monster that you weren’t expecting me to be nice?” Saint questioned.

“That’s not what I meant,” she insisted. “Just never mind. Let’s get me packed up while our friends are still willing to help. Once I tell them all that I’ve been lying to them the past four years, I’m betting they won’t be so willing to help me.”

“You’re going to tell them the truth?” she asked.

“I am,” she admitted. “You said it yourself—I can’t keep lying to everyone and my secret is already out there, so it’s only a matter of time before everyone finds out anyway.”

“Well, if it means anything, I think that you’re doing the right thing by telling them. So, does this mean that we are officially fake breaking up?” Saint asked.

She smiled and nodded, “Yep, I guess that’s what it means. Thanks for trying to protect my secret by being my fake boyfriend, Saint,” she said. leaned down to pick up her purse as Saint leaned in towards her. He brushed his lips against hers and she gasped. “What was that, Saint?” asked. She touched her fingers to her lips, as though trying to figure out if they were still there.

“I’m so sorry,” he breathed. “I thought that you were leaning in to kiss me. I guess I misread the situation.”

“Um, yeah,” she whispered. She looked out the windshield to where her friends were smiling back at her. Yeah, this just made things a bit more complicated, and that was the last thing that she needed.

“It won’t happen again,” he assured. “I’m sorry, .” He started to get out of the truck and grabbed his left arm, trying not to hurt him.

“What if I want it to happen again?” breathed.

“Do you?” Saint asked. “Do you want me to kiss you again?” looked back at her friends as Dare knocked on the driver’s side window. She knew that her time was just about up, and she wanted to give Saint an answer. He deserved at least that much for getting mixed up in her mess.

“I do,” she whispered, turning to push her door open as Dare moved out of the way.

“Took you guys long enough. Play kissy face on your own time. I didn’t know that you were going to invite my wife and the other women to help out. If I had, I would have ridden with Vixen,” Dare said.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Saint said, standing on the other side of the truck. “I didn’t know that was inviting them. I guess we got our wires crossed, but I appreciate you doing this for us.” There was that pesky word that got her heart pumping, and her body worked up—“Us”. Hearing Saint refer to the two of them as an “Us” was quickly becoming something that she liked hearing and worried that it was the one word that could completely break her heart if Saint changed his mind about her.

* * *

had fielded questions from her girlfriends about her and Saint dating, and she was just about out of lies to tell them. They had finished packing her stuff—more than she’d need for just two weeks, and helped her put everything in the back of Saint’s truck. That worked for her because she wasn’t going to be able to keep her apartment for much longer, so the stuff that was left would be pretty easy to move later when she had to move back in with her parents.

They were all standing around the parking lot when announced that she had something that she needed to tell them. Everyone gathered around her and Saint, and she suddenly felt sick. How was she going to be able to get the words out? She wasn’t, and Saint seemed to notice that. He took her hand into his and squeezed it.

“You’ve got this,” he said when she looked up at him. All could do was stand there, holding his hand and smiling like a crazy person at him.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded. “I never worked at a law firm,” she said, her voice a little shaky.

“Where did you work then?” Sprite asked.

“I’ve been working at the strip club downtown for the past four years. I couldn’t make enough money to get this place anywhere else. Secretarial jobs don’t really pay, and there was no way that I could have stayed with my parents any longer than I did. You guys know how they are.” She looked at her friends and they all stared back at her in disbelief. “Say something guys,” she begged.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Vixen asked.

“I didn’t tell anyone,” admitted. “I was ashamed of where I worked, but I couldn’t quit because I needed the money.”

“Why come clean now?” Phoenix asked. “I mean, you know about my past, why lie to me?”

“I didn’t want you to have to keep a secret from everyone else,” admitted.

“And I kind of blew her cover,” Saint said. “I was at the club last night and I figured out that it was up on stage, even with her mask, her eyes gave her away.”

“Then, my slime ball boss took my phone and told me that I needed to kiss him if I wanted it back. He said that if I didn’t give him what he wanted, he’d fire me,” filled in.

“Right, and that’s when I went back into the club to make sure that was okay and found her fighting with the asshole, and got her out of there,” Saint said. “We were in the parking lot, and she fell, pulling me down with her, and that’s how I got this.” Saint held up his arms, showing off his cast.

“So, you two aren’t dating?” Dare asked.

“Um, no. I told you that because I needed to cover for . I didn’t want to be the one to tell you her secret. I promised her that I wouldn’t.”

“So, you lied to me?” Dare asked. hated that she had put Saint in that position. She felt bad that he lied to his brother to keep her secret. She shouldn’t have asked him to promise her not to tell anyone.

“It’s my fault that he lied to you. I didn’t want anyone to know, and I panicked. I shouldn’t have asked Saint to lie to you,” she said.

“You keep talking about your job as though you don’t work there anymore,” Vixen said.

“Yeah, that’s because I don’t work there. I refused to have sex with my former boss, so I was told to clear out my locker. Oh, and he set my car on fire after I drove Saint to the hospital in his truck.”

“So, we think that the asshole former boss is the person who set your hideous car on fire, right?” Dare asked.

“First, my car is not hideous,” protested, “and yes, we think that Bruno is the one who torched my car.”

“May your grandma car rest in peace,” Vixen teased.

“I guess I deserve you making fun of my car—you know, since I’ve lied to you for four years now,” said. “The question is, will you guys forgive me at some point? I know that it’s going to take some time.” She felt as though she was holding her breath waiting for them all to give her some sign that they’d eventually forgive her.

“I’m kind of happy to find out that you’re not dating my brother,” Dare said. “And I really don’t care where you’ve been working over the past four years. We’re good.” She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she had just asked his brother to kiss her again. That was a far cry from the two of them dating, but if had her wish, she’d at least end up in Saint’s bed. Being a virgin at her age was embarrassing. Maybe Saint wouldn’t want her long-term, but she’d like to feel wanted for just a few days before he kicked her to the curb.

“Thank you,” she said as Dare pulled her in for a hug.

“Yeah, I’m good too,” Vixen said, joining her husband and for a group hug. “You’re my friend and if you felt that you needed to keep what you do for a living from us, then you must have had your reasons.”

They released her and then turned to find both Phoenix and Sprite staring her down, arms crossed over their chests. “I’m not sure why you didn’t come to me,” Phoenix said. “I’ve never hid my having to dance in clubs to put food on the table for my little girl.”

“I know that, and I’ve wanted to tell you all about my job, but I was too ashamed,” she almost whispered.

Phoenix crossed the sidewalk and pulled in for a hug. “You never have to feel that way around us, right Sprite?” she asked. They both looked over at Sprite as she sighed and walked over to join their hug.

“She’s right, but don’t lie to us again, ,” she insisted.

“Never,” said. She meant it too. She had learned her lesson the hard way and from here on out, she was going to be completely honest with her friends—and she was pretty sure that now included Saint. She just hoped that he’d be able to handle her truth because having him push her away now would hurt like a son of a bitch.