Colton

"Can you take me anywhere? I couldn't care less if it's in the middle of a desert..." Luna said, and the only place I could think of was Dansville.

I own a secluded beach house, my escape pod from the chaos of city life - the endless car horns, the pollution, the bustling streets. There, time takes a leisurely stroll, giving me space to inhale deeply and find myself. The air is so fresh it tastes like the sea and all I hear is the waves and leaves. It is where I recharge. Every breath gives me life, melting away exhaustion and bringing me peace. Luna would feel the same. She'd think clearly and feel better.

Luna was asleep, so I called my sister Erin and gave her the heads up that we're coming. I told her to stock up the fridge and get some stuff for Luna. She was super excited to connect with Luna, but I let her know she wasn't feeling great, so it's probably best to give her some breathing room.

Luna stirred. She woke up looking way more refreshed. I told her she slept for three hours, and she was really surprised how tired she was. She's clearly super tired and emotionally drained after the strenuous activities we did and her fiancé lying to her.

"So, where are we going?" She asked.

"In my hometown."

"You mean, in Dansville?" She grinned when I gave a nod. "I've never been to Dansville. Can't wait to see the place."

"We're almost there, around thirty minutes more."

She nodded and looked out the window, staring into the darkness. She was quiet, totally caught up in her own mind. I could tell she was really upset, and I knew it had to do with her fiancé.

She looked at me and said, "I don't understand. The closer we get to the wedding, the more red flags I see with Barry."

"Like what?"

"Lying." Her lips curled in the corner. "He took forever to eat lunch last Monday. When I asked him, he said he ran into his old buddy, Aiden Harding."

That's exactly what I picked up from her talk with Aiden earlier. Cox totally got caught lying.

"He likely thought I'd never come across Aiden Harding because they haven't seen each other for too long. It was either a lucky coincidence or just nature's way that I ran into Aiden and busted his lie."

"Why do you think he had to lie?"

"I don't know." She shrugged.

"He probably did something on Monday that he didn't want you to know about."

"Most definitely." She agreed. "He did the same thing the following day, spending almost three hours eating lunch."

"Where's that place? We need to try it. The food must be super delicious." I let out a little chuckle to make things less serious.

"That coffee shop he's totally obsessed with."

"Oh, the one with coffee that tastes like burnt charcoal."

"Yup, that spot." She nodded.

I laughed, shaking my head.

"What was his reason the following day?" I asked, then I stopped the car when the traffic light turned red.

"He met his new secretary." She sighed heavily. "He bumped into her and burned her with his hot coffee. He felt bad 'cause she was on her way to a final job interview for a secretary position. He solved the problem by hiring her himself."

"That's reasonable. Most likely, he interviewed her after he had lunch."

"Why couldn't they do it in his office?" She made a face, madder that I stood up for Cox.

"Because it was more convenient, that's why. Nowadays, interviews, meetings, and office stuff happen at coffee shops." I made her get my point. "He had to get a new secretary so he could work properly. I kept telling him to get one ASAP so he could handle his office work and have more time to meet clients. I see nothing wrong with what he did."

"Wait till you see his new secretary. You'd definitely see it differently." She mumbled under her breath. "She's young, pretty, and has a super-hot body. Oh, and she's a natural blondie."

I shook my head and smiled at her. "Hey, you have nothing to worry about. You're so pretty, smart, and confident. Does it bother you that she's a natural blond?"

She thanked me for the compliment and then admitted, "yeah. I'm kind of worried because she's totally Barry's type."

"Hmm, that's probably something to worry about."

She let out another sigh. "I told him she's really gorgeous, and he was like, 'I didn't notice. I hired her for her skills, not her appearance.'"

I shook my head and chuckled. "Well, if that's what he said. It's up to you if you believe him."

The traffic light changed to green. I kept driving, paying attention to the road while she kept on talking.

"I think he's lying, you know. A hot girl is hard to miss, especially on most guys."

"We're not sure if he's being honest about his new secretary, if he thinks she's attractive or not. But let's circle back to what went on Monday. Why did he say he met Aiden? Was he actually at the coffee shop? Or maybe he was somewhere else and bumped into someone?"

I had to earn her trust and let her figure things out for herself. Last time I handed her the evidence on a silver platter - Cox faking the check voucher to buy her engagement ring - she just let him off the hook.

"He probably met her new secretary on Monday, and they met again the next day."

"So? Why did he have to lie?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Unless...Unless he has some malicious intent on hiring her."

Her analysis could be right. But one thing's for sure, Cox was hiding something, and it involved his new secretary.

Luna

We finally reached Dansville. It was a pleasant surprise when he showed me his secluded beach house. The view was breathtaking. It might not have sandy beaches, but it's got that chill vibe with its peaceful scenery and beautiful view of the ocean.

The beach house was like a dream. It had a touch of countryside charm. It was classic yet stylish, perfectly blending with nature using wood and stone. The enormous windows show off the amazing view outside. I could totally imagine the room being filled with sunlight and outdoor vibes during the day.

"This is absolutely amazing. This is the perfect place for me right now. Thanks for not taking me in the middle of the desert."

"No worries." He smiled, then showed me my room.

The room was big, with a king-size bed. There were these massive windows in front of the bed, so you could see the stunning beach. It had a bookshelf, a TV on the wall, some comfy chairs, and a study table, too. In the corner, there appeared to be a closet and a bathroom.

I checked out the books. There were all sorts of books, mostly educational activities and bedtime stories for kids. In the second layer, I found some of the newly released mystery & crime, paranormal & Vampire/werewolf, and romance books.

"Erin got those for you. I called her to get everything you need to make your stay comfortable." He said, and I went to the closet and opened it. It had clothes inside - shirts, shorts, joggers, pjs, swimwear, undies, and beach dresses. On the other side, there were shoes, sandals, and beach slippers, too.

I was so touched by his kindness, my heart melted. I couldn't even imagine how the guy I used to hate so much is actually a wonderful guy.

I looked at him and said, "Thanks a ton. This means so much. Please don't forget to tell Erin I said thanks."

"Well, we can call her now." He called his twin sister Erin, and I thanked her for her kindness and generosity. After we hung up the phone, he said. "It was a long day for us. I'll leave you alone now so you can relax. If you want something to eat, there's plenty of food in the fridge."

"I'm so sore from everything we did. I'll just skip eating and head to bed."

"Just chill in the tub with Epsom salt for 20 minutes and you'll feel better." He suggested, then left.

Once alone, I did what he told me. I found the Epsom salt with the other personal stuff and started my bath.

I was in the tub, eyes closed, lost in thoughts about Barry. It made me so bummed and pissed off all over again.

"Why is it I'm finding out more about Barry as we get closer to our wedding?" I murmured to myself.

It started with Harvey's accusation, then the fake investment to get my engagement ring, and then lying about meeting Aiden Harding.

I wasn't sure about the first one, so I had to get it investigated. The second one is definitely embezzlement, even if I benefited. Seriously, why did Barry lie about meeting Aiden? He had never lied to me before. Why start now?

And there's his new secretary, Venus.

"Maybe he's just trying to reassure me by saying she's not attractive?" I just shrugged it off, thinking I was just being overly paranoid. "But wait. How about that whiff of Venus' perfume on his shirt? Did I just imagine it?"

Darn it.

If he'd give me a valid explanation, I might let the other stuff slide. But cheating? It's a big no-no. If I catch him, I would never ever forgive him.