𝐈 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮

Althea

I hated lying, I had never been really good at it. Even as a child my poker face was just about see through, and the look on Jonesy's face told me just that. I was a terrible liar.
  On the way to the bathroom, Gemma had pulled me into the gift shop, her eyes wide. "Don't look now, but there's someone following us. Althea! I told you not to look! He's been following us since we walked past the Taco Bell."
  "That was when we first got here," I gasped, still peering around the corner. The man was tall, his curly brown hair was peeking out from under his baseball cap, and he wore a dark blue zip up hoodie. He was in the snack shop across from us, looking idly at the candied goods.d
  "Do you know him?" Gemma asked, her nails digging into my skin. I shook my head, craning my head to get a better look. The man lifted his head to answer the attendant that had walked up to him and in that moment I caught a flash of his face.
  My stomach plummeted. Sucking in a breath, I peeled away from the wall and made my way towards him. I could hear Gemma behind me, her light footsteps trying to catch up with mine.
  "What are you doing here, Matteo?" I demanded once we had reached him. Matteo didn't look up from the bag of chocolate covered peanuts he had in his hand as he answered.
  "I'm catching a flight, isn't that what everyone in the airport is doing? Getting on one, getting off one." His thick French accent grated against my ears like nails on a chalkboard.
  "Did my mother send you?" I asked through my teeth. "I bet you had a camera hidden in your pocket, waiting to catch me doing something naughty and scandalous so you can report back to her." I looked suspiciously at the bag he had slung across his shoulders, it seemed large enough for a camera.
  Matteo Leonardsen worked for my parents, well my mother actually. We had first met when I was in high school, he hadn't been much older than me and we clicked instantly. We became close friends until I found out from Vinny that she had overheard him and our mother discussing my school life.
  Apparently she had hired him to be my friend since she had decided I wasn't making any fast enough and didn't want me to gain the reputation of being a recluse. It also would've been bad for her reputation. Because heaven forbid Marsai and Dwayne Beckett's oldest daughter not have any friends.
  "Would it make you feel better if I lied and said no?" Matteo's gaze finally met my eyes. His light green ones held a sliver of sympathy in them and I swear I heard Gemma gasp behind me. Great, yet another victim to his irresistible French charm. "What does she want this time? Why couldn't she just have called me instead of sending...you!" I knew I shouldn't be mad at him, it wasn't his fault. I was my mother's, he was simply here because he was getting paid. But still, what the fuck?
  "I can't give you the specifics, Thea."
  "You don't get to call me that, only my friends can." Matteo flinched at my harsh tone and set down the bag of peanuts. He had told me once before that he was allergic to peanuts.
  "I can't tell you the specific, Althea, you know that."
  "You have before, what's stopping you now?" I retorted, anger building up in my chest.
  "Because you won't like the answer."
  "I never do." I said with a laugh. "Does this have to do with my sister's phone call?"
  Matteo clasped his hands behind his back and started down another aisle, clearly knowing I would follow until he gave me the answer I was looking for. "How would I know anything about that?" He asked lightly. "I only know what your mother tells me."
  "And what did she tell you?"
  Matteo sighed and finally looked at me again. "A source reached out to her and told her that you were in a...non heterosexual relationship. She sent me here to see if that was true; you know how college age sources are, they aren't always reliable. I think it's because they drink too much alcohol."
  No, Matteo, I had never thought about that.
He said all of this as if he hadn't spent almost two years pretending to be my friend and getting drunk under the bleachers with me every game day.
  "Why does your mom care if you're gay?" Gemma asked and I almost jumped. She had been so quiet, which was unlike her, and I had almost forgotten she was behind me.
  "Shh." I shot her a look that said, or well I hope said "I'll tell you later" and turned back to Matteo. He was staring at me as if he was trying to decipher the relationship between us.
  "So there is a secret relationship, is this her?" He nodded towards Gemma whose eyes grew wide. "The girlfriend you've been hiding from your parents?"
  "No!" Gemma and I burst out in unison. "I'm not Thea's girlfriend, she's dating-"
  "Gemma! Stop. Please."
  She slapped a hand over her mouth, realizing her mistake and whispered a small "I'm sorry."
  "So there is a girlfriend." Matteo smiled to himself. "Your mother will be quite pleased to know that her source was in fact correct." He nodded and started making his way towards the exit.
  No, no, no. "Please, Matty, don't tell her." I raced after him, trying to stop him before he made it to the exit. I made it to the door before he did and spread my arms out to block him from leaving.
  "Don't tell her," I repeated. I didn't like the begging tone in my voice but I needed his word that he would not tell my mother. "I don't want her to find out about this from someone else."
  Matteo sighed sadly and shrugged his shoulders. "She already has, Althea."
  "Then tell her the source was wrong! Tell her they simply made it up and lied so they could get their fifteen minutes of fame. Just come up with something, please, Matty." I took hold of his arm. "I need a little more time, I'm not ready for her to know just yet."
  Matteo's jaw worked for several seconds and he glanced down at his arm. I quickly removed my hand as he nodded. "Fine, but you have to tell her by the end of next month; I can't keep this secret with me for long, I don't want to lose my credibility. And when you do tell her, you have to promise I won't lose my job for lying."
  I released the breath I had been holding and smiled. "I promise," I said with a nod. "You won't lose your job, in fact I won't even mention that we crossed paths."
  His face broke out into a smile and he glanced down at his watch. "Thank you, now I do actually have a flight to catch." He gave me another nod before brushing past me.
  "Wait! Can you at least tell me who the source was?" I called after his retreating back. Matteo turned around and shook his head.
  "You have a hickey on your throat, Thea. Just below your left ear." His words were loud enough for just Gemma and I to hear but that didn't stop me from feeling as if all eyes turned to me. I slapped a hand over my neck and turned to Gemma.
  "Why didn't you tell me?"
  Her face turned bright pink as she shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't see it. I'm sorry."

***

  We landed in Aspen approximately six hours later and already the jet lag was getting to me. I felt like I needed a good two or three hour nap before I would even remotely be able to hold any form of conversation.
  Knowing what I had planned at the cabin, I couldn't exactly take a nap but I sure as hell couldn't ask Jonesy to be my girlfriend while feeling as if I had just ran a twenty-five mile marathon. I settled on a large coffee, hoping the extra shots of espresso would do the trick and wake me up.
  The entire flight I had been on edge, waiting for the call from my mother. Matteo had promised he wouldn't tell her but he had also pretended to be my friend for almost two years, so his word didn't carry much worth. I knew his loyalty would always lie with my mother.
  But the call never came. That didn't mean it wouldn't, but for now that was good enough.
  After finding a car rental service, we decided that two SUVs would be better than one fifteen passenger van; that way it would be easier if the group wanted to split up, no one would be stranded somewhere.
  Once we reached the cabin, I instructed everyone on where everything was and where the bathrooms were. Justice and Lucas claimed the large living room and quickly began setting up camp. The rest of the gang went to different areas of the cabin and soon the cabin was filled with laughter and shouts as they discovered their gifts.
  I could feel my heartbeat drum against my ear as I led Jonesy up the stairs towards the master bedroom. She had dropped the issue at the airport like I had asked, but I could tell she still felt as if we needed to talk about it.
  I wanted to, but there really was no way of telling her about running into Matteo without telling her that I hadn't actually told my parents about her. Like I said I would. Like I had promised.
  Taking a deep breath, I spun around and grabbed her arm before she had the chance to open the door. "Hey, we're still good right? Like, we're okay?"
  Jonesy's eyes were tired and she looked as if she could also use a nap. She rubbed her eyes and nodded, readjusting the bag on her shoulder.
  "We're fine, I promise." Her voice was sincere and that put me at ease a little. "I'm sorry if I overreacted, I just don't like secrets."
  I swallowed. Hard. She wasn't the one who was supposed to be apologizing, but I just needed more time. The look on my face must've changed because the one on hers did too. She dropped the bag to the floor and pulled me into a hug.
  "We're fine, everything is fine." She pressed a kiss to my forehead. "There's no place I'd rather be in this moment than right here with you. Except maybe in bed." She laughed into my hair and I tightened my arms around her before taking a step back to open the door.
  "Well, in that case, will you be my girlfriend?"