“They’re pretty overwhelmed out there,” I hedged. “If we don’t see her soon, I’ll go back out and rattle some cages.”
“No, it’s okay. There are other folks who need them more.” He sighed. “Keep talking to me, please. It . . . helps.”
“Sure.” I tried to think of things that had helped me in my moments of need. “Oh, I have an idea. Let’s play two lies and a truth.”
Noah frowned at me. “Isn’t it two truths and a lie?”
“Is it?” I rolled my shoulder. “Well, it doesn’t matter. For me, lies are easier than truths.” I heard my own words and shook my head. “That sounds like I’m a habitual liar. I’m not. I only mean that some of my truths are a lot more painful that the more convenient lies.”
He regarded me steadily. “This is going to sound really shitty, but I had no idea you were so nuanced, Alison. I guess I never bothered to find out that you are.”
“Why should you? I was only a friend of a friend. An acquaintance.”
“Still.” His throat worked again. “Okay, let’s play the game your way, Alison. Tell me your lies and your truths. I’ll try to figure them out.”
“All right.” I thought for a moment. “Here you go. One, I can recite the Gettysburg Address backwards. Two, my mother was a Playboy bunny. And three, I almost jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.”
“Oh, Jesus.” Noah’s smile this time was a little more genuine. “Okay. Let me think. Your truth is . . . huh.” He fastened his eyes on my face as though trying to read my mind. “Your truth is the one about the Gettysburg Address. You’re super smart, right? That makes sense.”
“Nope.” I shook my head. “I’m crap at memorizing that kind of stuff. The periodic table, equations, medicine doses, those I can handle, but speeches? Not so much. Guess again.”
“Hmm. Okay. Then it’s got to be the one about your mom.”
I feigned an expression of regret before I shook my head again. “Sorry, thanks for playing.”
His eyes widened. “No fucking way. The Golden Gate Bridge? For real? Why? Were you, like, bungee jumping?”
“Not hardly.” I dropped my gaze to the floor. “The night I graduated from med school, I went out with a bunch of old friends, got super wasted, and ended up screaming myself hoarse on the side of the bridge. The police got me down, but apparently, it was touch and go there for a little bit.” I heaved out a long breath. “I don’t remember it, not really. Just . . . flashes.”
“Holy hell.” If the tone of disbelief in Noah’s voice made me uncomfortable, at least I could console myself that I really was distracting him from the pain.
“Yeah. That little stunt won me a week on a psych ward and a lifetime of therapy.” I kept my voice light. “I don’t tell many people that story, as you can imagine. Emma doesn’t even know. But I’m not ashamed of it. That night was the beginning of a better life for me. A more genuine life, I think. I don’t want to end up on a bridge again, so I work hard to be real with myself. Not to push feelings and shit down.”
We were quiet for a moment. I sensed Noah was digesting what I’d said.
“I gotta say, I’m disappointed that the one about your mother being a Bunny wasn’t the truth,” he said finally. “My dad used to getPlayboymagazine when I was a kid. My brothers and I liked to sneak peeks at it. I had an unhealthy obsession with women in bunny ears and tails after that.”
I bit the side of my lip. “To be honest, I’m not positive thatisa lie. I never knew either of my biological parents. My mom abandoned me in the hospital where I was born. She signed over her rights. And she didn’t name my father, so I don’t know who he is, either. So I guess for all I know, she might’ve been a Bunny. I was born in California, after all. Think it’s possible that Hugh Hefner was my daddy?”
Noah actually grinned at that idea. “Ah, I don’t know. I think you’re probably too pretty to be his kid.”
I was oddly charmed by his compliment. “That’s sweet, Noah. Thank you.”
He managed a wink. “It might just be the meds or the pain talking. I can’t be held accountable for anything I say right now.”
“Duly noted.” I squeezed his fingers, which I still held tight in mine. “Your turn. Give me two lies and one truth, please.”
“Oh, brother. Okay. Let me think.” He was quiet for a few minutes before he began. “One, I was the top of my class at Wisconsin. Two, I’ve only had sex with one woman in my entire life. Three, I played baseball in high school.”
“Ummm . . .” I twisted my mouth, considering all of my options. “I’m going to say your truth is . . . you were top of your class.”
“BAM.” Noah made a horn sound. “Wrong. But I appreciate the vote of confidence. I did okay in school, but I wasn’t near the top of my class.”
“You played baseball?” That seemed reasonable, I guessed, though I would have thought football would’ve kept him too busy for another sport.
“Nope. One of my brothers did, though. He was scouted by Cleveland out of high school. Decided to turn them down and take the football scholarship to Wisconsin instead.”
“Then . . .” I felt dawning shock. “The sex thing is your truth? Are you for real? One woman?”
