She rushed though dinner with Logan—gives him the excuse of needing to work on a case for her Dad. She's a good planner—she had a viable reason for why it can't wait, why he can't come and why she can't meet him at his place when she's done.

Half an hour later she's moaning on his lap in the back of the Le Baron and all thoughts of perfect dinner with perfect boyfriends are gone.

Until his lips close over her earlobe and her very expensive earrings. He twirls his tongue around them before pulling back. His hand reaches up, fingers playing with the gaudy, diamond filled loop.

She hated the earrings, hated them form the moment Logan gave them to her. She only wore them when she was with him because it made him so happy. He practically crowed when he saw them on. But she never wore them when she was with Eli. She always took off all remnants of her other life before she comes to him. She wasn't perky, college girl with him. Not the perfect girlfriend with the perfect "epic" romance. She was just her

But now, as his hands play with them she knows real life has broken through. He stares at her—eyes full of lust and anger—and underneath—very far underneath there is hurt. She's hurt him and she hates herself for it.

So she says nothing as he reaches up and removes one earring, then the other. He holds them in his palm before reaching over to put them in her pocket.

She stops him, takes the earrings from him. She looks in his eyes, at the question in them as she opens the window. Taking a deep breath she tosses the earrings out—tosses as far as she can so there's no chance she could change, her mind, come back tomorrow and find them. The earrings are gone and so is the ghost of hurt in Eli's beautiful brown eyes.

She kisses him before he can speak. She's not ready to speak. Not ready to give up the shell of her fake perfect life.

But she's getting there.