I nodded slowly. “Hmm...I could see why that would be on your mind. But you can just stay with me and sort that shit out.”
“No, I can’t,” she blurted. “In case you’ve forgotten, we were in a room full of bloggers. We’re about to be plastered all over the internet walking hand and hand like a fucking couple. Do you know what I’m about to have to deal with? Eli’s going to lose his shit.”
“Good.”
“No, not good. I’m the one that’s supposed to be losing my shit with him right now. Not the other way around.”
I looked at her, frowning. “What are you talking about?” She turned away, but I wasn’t having it. I grabbed her chin and brought her face back to mine. “I said, what are you talking about?”
She dropped her shoulders. “Well, not that it’s any of your business, but someone sent me some cryptic ass message telling me that he can’t be trusted.”
“Who? Eli?”
“Yes. But I don’t know from who, and I don’t know why they sent it?”
“Well, did you confront him about it?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out if it’s even worth going all crazy over.”
“If it’s on your mind, then apparently it is.” I slipped my hand into the front pocket of her hoodie and pulled out her phone. “Call him right now and ask him.”
She yanked the phone away from me. “What? No. I’m not calling him while I’m with you.”
“Shit, why not? He’s probably laid up with the other bitch right now.”
Her eyes widened. “Okay, now I’m ready to go home for real.”
“Call him, Nyx.”
“No.”
I studied her face, reading every shift in her energy. “You’re scared.”
“What?”
“You’re scared to call him because you think you might find out some shit you don’t want to hear.”
“No...no I’m not.”
“Yes, you are, and I get it. But go ahead and make that call, baby. It’s time you wrap that shit up anyway. The sooner you learn that he’s fucking another bitch, the sooner we can?—”
“Don’t say it.” She lifted her hand to stop me. “This isn’t about you and me. Eli may do a lot of crazy things, but he wouldn’t cheat on me.”
“Okay, well, if you believe that, then just ask him. Better yet, screenshot the message and send it to him. I promise you, those little bubbles are going to pop up like he’s typing...then nothing.” I chuckled. “He’s going to need some time to come up with a good lie for that shit. And if I’m right—if it plays out exactly how I said—you have to spend the night with me.”
She didn’t seem too fazed by my request as she folded her arms over her chest. “And if it doesn’t?”
“I’ll gladly take you home.”
She paused, clearly weighing everything out.
Did I expect her to actually consider it? Hell no.
But I knew one thing…closed mouths didn’t get fed, and I was ready to eat.
