I keep to the street side of the alley, not anxious to slip into the shadows with a woman who continued to text me after I told her I had a girlfriend. “Hey,” I say softly.

“Hey.” She takes a step toward me and scans my face. “How are you?”

I shrug. Been better.

“I feel like a bitch for being persistent with the texts. I didn’t realize it was serious.” She bites her lip. “And I definitely didn’t realize it was Teagan. I haven’t told her about our night together. And if I had to guess from the look of terror in your eyes right now, neither have you.”

I swallow. I want to tell myself that she’s misreading me, but I do feel guilty—whether that’s rational or not. I feel guilty for sleeping with Sabrina to begin with, guilty for not making Teagan talk to me before I left tonight, and guilty for the lies I’m about to tell a woman I had in my bed less than a month ago. What can I do but continue to play the part of the boyfriend, even if it makes me look like a jackass?

“Did you know I was her cousin when you slept with me?” she asks.

I drag a hand through my hair. “No. You didn’t mention it, and your last name isn’t Chopra. It’s . . .” Fuck. I have no idea. Did she even tell me her last name? No wonder Jake read me the riot act. I don’t even know who that asshole was.

Sabrina lets out a small squeak. “Cruise.”

Right. Sabrina Cruise. I remember her byline under the damn article she published. “I didn’t know you were related.”

“Does she know you were sleeping around?” When I open my mouth, she holds up a hand. “Do you two have an . . . agreement or something? I’m not judging. I just need to know what kind of mess I’ve walked into.”

Her question makes me think of that weird conversation I had with Rich in the dining room this morning. What was it he said? That Teagan made sure she did what she needed to stay satisfied?

What happened in her old life to give these people an impression of her that is so completely different than the woman I know?

“It’s not like that,” I say. I don’t think Teagan would ask me to play the part of her boyfriend and then have me tell her family we have an open relationship.

Sabrina grips her little red purse in both hands, her knuckles white. “So she doesn’t know?”

“I don’t want to hurt her.” As soon as the words are out, I realize they’re true. Teagan would be hurt if she knew I slept with Sabrina. I’m afraid I’ll lose her completely if I tell her the truth about Sabrina before I figure out what scared her off this afternoon.

“And I don’t want her to hurt you.”

I frown. This seems like an odd time for her to worry about my heart, given that she thinks I betrayed Teagan.