A Truth and a Lie

by V. Sousa

“Are we going back home or to a hotel?” I asked Emmett while we were walking to the car. It didn’t take that long to get back to Chicago on the helicopter, but I wasn’t in the mood to sit through an almost three-hour flight.

  “I have a penthouse apartment here in New York we can stay at if you want.”

  “Yes, please. How long have you had this apartment?” I asked curiously.

  “Well, it’s actually my mom’s. She must have bought it when I was young. I vaguely remember it.” He shrugged.

  We got into the car, and Emmett muttered an address to the driver.

  It only took ten minutes to get to the apartment, and once we were inside, I was very impressed. I would never have wanted to live here and have a family here and all that, but the inside was quite beautiful.

  It had a huge open floor plan with windows all around and a massive spiral staircase leading up to the second and third floor. It gave you the whole rustic feel without being too much.

  While I looked out the window at the city, Emmett came up behind me. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” he whispered into my ear.

  I didn’t know if it was the wine that was making this feel seductive or if I was just horny, but either way, I was going to pounce on him again if he kept it up.

  “I’m going to go take a shower. Yell if you need anything.” He lowered his lips from my ear down to my neck and kissed me in that spot he knew used to make me weak.

  I knew he was only doing this because he was drunk. Ever since we’d had sex, he’d made it a point to stay at least ten feet away from me.

  I watched him walk away and contemplated my options. I could just go to bed and pretend that had never happened, or I could go in there and show him exactly what he was missing.

  Of course, I chose the latter.

  Emmett

  As I got into the shower, I wondered if she would follow me. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to enjoy her body this time. I’d always told her she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and it was true.

  I was already in the shower when I heard the door creak open. I jerked my head toward the sound and watched as she slowly took off her clothes, one article at a time, the little fucking minx.

  She opened the door to the shower and walked in with a devious smile. “What did you think I was going to do? Go to bed?”

  She dropped down onto her knees, gripping my dick in her delicate hands, and when she put her mouth on me, I had to tell myself not to come after only a few seconds like some inexperienced teenager.

  It didn’t help that the second she put my dick in her mouth, she took me all the way in, and I could feel my dick hitting the back of her throat. I’d taught her everything she knew, but the things she was doing with her tongue had me half thinking she’d lied about not sleeping with anyone else.

  I was so close to coming in her beautiful mouth when she suddenly stopped and stood up.

  “Let’s go.” She shut off the shower, and as I lifted her, she wrapped her legs around me, and I carried her out, kissing down her neck as we left the bathroom.

  I gently laid her down on the bed with her legs still wrapped around me. As I ran my hands down her body, she tightened her legs and started pulling me closer so that I was right at her entrance, but I pulled back.

  I wanted to take it slow this time. I knew I would be mad at myself in the morning for even doing this, but right now, I didn’t give a fuck.

  I ran my thumb over a nipple, only taking it into my mouth for a second before I let go, and she clawed at my back, silently begging me to give her my dick.

  “Say please,” I whispered just before I kissed the sensitive spot below her ear.

  “No,” she moaned, arching her back once I started kissing down her body.

  I pulled my head away once I reached just above her pussy. “No?” I repeated. She let out a frustrated moan, and I chuckled. “I’m going to need to hear you say it, babe.”

  “Fine.” She huffed. “Please.”

  In the same second that she said it, I slammed into her. I was glad we were alone in the penthouse because the moan she let out was so loud, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the neighbors had heard.

  My thrusts started slow, at an almost torturous pace. I gradually picked up my pace while she clawed my back some more. It was probably bleeding at this point, but I welcomed the pain.

  I pulled out and flipped her over, lifting her ass into the air with a hard slap as I slammed back into her. I pounded into her even harder, then reached under to rub her clit while using my free hand to grab some of her hair, giving it a light tug, which sent her over the edge.

  I felt her walls tightening as she came, and I spilled into her with short thrusts.

  When we’d both come down from our high, I pulled out and walked into the bathroom to get a wet cloth so I could clean us off.

  Returning to the room, she’d already flipped onto her back. I opened her legs and started to wipe away my cum. “I thought you had your period?” I laughed, and she shrugged a shoulder.

  “I didn’t want Vincent asking any questions.”

  I finished cleaning her and gave her ass one more slap before I walked back to the bathroom to get rid of the cloth, already feeling the guilt starting to creep in.

  Twenty

  Rose

  I woke up alone and was annoyed at how disappointed I was about it.

  After we’d finished, he was so loving and gentle. He’d held me until we fell asleep and even kissed me goodnight. I had thought that after all that, things would be different.

  Clearly, I was wrong, and this was just another Emmett mood swing.

  Getting out of bed, I quietly dressed and grabbed all my belongings. Leaving the bedroom, I went in search of the living room. I got a little lost on the way, and even though this condo wasn’t as big as our house, it was still a decent size, so it took me a little bit to find my way. I looked around when I finally reached the bottom of the staircase, and that was when I found Emmett on his phone at the table.

  “Ready to go?” I asked from behind him.

  “Yep,” he responded without turning around.

  “Did I do something wrong?” Ever since I’d reached my breaking point at the wedding, I’d decided not to hold back when it came to my feelings. Once I crossed the bridge of destruction, there was no throwing that bitch in reverse.

  “No, Rose. The helicopter’s ready, and we have to get going,” he replied flatly, not even bothering to look at me.

  I tried to swallow my urge to cry. I’d finally let down some of my walls, ready to open up to him again, only for him to do this. It was as if I was eighteen all over again, and Emmett told me he didn’t love me anymore. I put my head down in defeat and stared at the floor the whole elevator ride until we got to the roof and into the helicopter.

  It was times like these that I wondered if I wasn’t meant to have happiness. Maybe it just wasn’t in the cards for me.

  Once we arrived home, Emmett pulled up to the garage elevator and motioned for me to get out. I wanted to ask why he wasn’t coming inside, but I decided against it and just kept going.

  Walking into the house, Lorenzo was at the kitchen island, giving me a bright smile, but when I looked up at him, he instantly frowned when he saw my face. I didn’t know if it was the comfort of seeing Lorenzo or the fact I was away from Emmett, but I instantly burst into tears.

  Lorenzo quickly got up and wrapped me up in a hug. He reminded me so much of Sammy, which, in turn, made me cry even harder.

  “Shh, it’s okay, Rosie. I’m sorry,” he said while stroking my hair. “Maybe we should visit your parents? Or maybe Claire? You haven’t seen anyone in a while. Maybe it will brighten your mood and bring you a little distraction.”

  I pulled back and wiped my face on the back of my sleeves, giving Lorenzo a nod.

  “Okay. I’m going to grab my keys while you go freshen up, and we’ll get going,” Lorenzo said before walking away.

  We went
to my parents first, which in turn just made my mood even worse. Mom didn’t come out of her room, and Dad just smelled like alcohol.

  Some things just never changed.

  Pulling up to Claire’s house, I knocked on the door, and thankfully, Tommy answered.

  When he saw it was me, he gave me a big smile. “What’s up? I haven’t seen you in a while. How’s married life treating you?”

  I gave him a frown and looked down, shrugging my shoulders at him. His eyes went wide, and the next thing I knew, he was yelling Claire’s name across the house.

  “What the fuck are you yelling about, you fucking—” She stopped short when she saw me in the doorway and gave me a sad smile. She walked the rest of the distance to me and wrapped her arms around me, sighing. “Oh, Rosie.”

  I buried my face in her shoulder and allowed a few more tears to fall. “I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.”

  Claire walked us into one of the spare rooms nearby and sat me down on the couch before taking a seat beside me. She handed me a throw pillow and grabbed one of my hands.

  “What happened?”

  I told her the whole story, from the first time we fucked to this morning. When I finished, she grabbed both sides of my face and smiled at me.

  “You are the strongest person I know, and before you roll your eyes, hear me out.” She let out a breath and let go of my face. “You have gone through things that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone, and yet you still managed to put a smile on your face and be the kindest person I’ve ever met. Even after Emmett broke your heart at such an awful point in your life, you were still willing to open up to him again. Don’t you ever think that you’re doing something wrong. Don’t let his faults lead you to believe it has anything to do with you. He has battles he needs to fight on his own.”

  Her words did make me feel a little better, but it didn’t change the fact that even though his faults were in our way, I didn’t know how much more I could take before I reached my limit.

  Twenty-One

  Rose

  For Lorenzo’s birthday, I’d decided to throw a big-ass party to show my appreciation.

  He’s always done a lot for me, and even though I knew it was his job to watch over me, I also knew that I was like family to him.

  He was turning twenty-seven, which wasn’t a significant milestone, but if I was being honest, I welcomed the distraction that planning a huge party would bring me.

  I contemplated calling Claire and asking her to come with me to the decoration store because although she hadn’t talked to me about it, I knew something was going on between her and Lorenzo and I didn’t know if she would agree to come, so I settled for a text, asking what she was doing.

  In true Claire fashion, she called right away. I swear she was allergic to text messages.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “I can be there in five,” she rushed out and hung up the phone.

  Sometime later, I heard the doorbell ring. I was about to open the door when Lorenzo rushed in front of me, gun in hand, and flung open the door.

  Claire scoffed and shoulder-checked him as she walked in.

  “Sorry, Lorenzo, I forgot to tell you Claire was coming over.”

  He gave me a tight nod and walked away.

  “Where’s the husband?” Claire turned to me and rolled her eyes.

  “Who knows. I haven’t seen him in weeks.” I shrugged.

  Two weeks and five days, to be exact. Ever since we got back from New York, and he dropped me off at home, he would be gone before I woke up and come home after I fell asleep. Anytime I went to the office to work, he was either in a meeting or “busy.” On the nights I summoned enough courage to talk to him, I tried to wait up for him, but I swear he checked the security cameras just to make sure I was asleep before he’d come home.

  She frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but I didn’t really want to talk about it, so I forced a smile and shook my head.

  “Let’s just go to the store.”

  Today was Lorenzo’s birthday, and I’d managed to convince Claire to help me out with setting up, reluctantly, but helping none the less.

  I texted Emmett about the party, asking if he could keep Lorenzo out of the house for a few hours, but all I got back was a text saying, “Okay.”

  He didn’t even ask if I needed any help. I mean, I would’ve said no, but still.

  Claire and I had finished setting everything up, called in the extra security, and we were ready for the arrival of the guests.

  In hopes that Emmett would make an appearance, I’d pulled out all the stops with my hair and outfit, curls down my back, and a hot as fuck black strappy dress that I knew would make him crazy. I touched up my lipstick and strapped on my heels just as Claire came out of the guest room, wearing a lace bralette and a high-waisted skirt.

  I laughed and shook my head at her. “You are one evil woman, Claire Rosario. You’re going to torture the man—and on his birthday, no less. Are you even capable of mercy?”

  She winked, and we’d made our way downstairs when the doorbell rang.

  After about twenty minutes, everyone had arrived. I texted Tommy and told him to take Lorenzo’s guns before they came in, just in case we scared him, and he decided to spray bullets at everyone.

  He texted back, telling me they’d just parked and were heading to the elevator.

  “Okay, everyone,” I yelled and told the DJ to stop the music. “He’s coming up. Everyone, quiet.” I rushed to turn off the lights and crouched down next to Claire.

  The elevator opened, and just as they walked into the living room and turned on the lights, everyone jumped up and yelled, “Surprise.”

  I was glad I’d told Tommy to take Lorenzo’s guns because the first thing the man did was reach for it.

  He was looking through the crowd and gave me a huge smile when he saw me. “You planned this?”

  “Of course! I had to show appreciation to my brother from another mother.” I smiled up at him.

  He laughed and went to rustle my hair, but I quickly ducked and dodged his big-ass hands.

  “Don’t you dare,” I said, reaching up and flicking him in the throat.

  He laughed and pulled me in for a hug. “Thank you, Rosie. This means a lot to me. I honestly thought everyone forgot.”

  “Yeah, yeah, love you too, brat,” I said, pulling away. “We doubled security, so you’re off the clock. Now go get a drink and celebrate.”

  “Oh, no. You’re coming with me, and so is Tommy and Claire. We’re doing a birthday shot, so let’s go.” He pulled me toward the bar, and I then grabbed Claire. As I pulled Claire, she grabbed Tommy, and I was extremely proud that this human chain didn’t knock anyone down. Ten points.

  Lorenzo poured four shot glasses full of whiskey and handed them out. Claire refused, saying something about someone having to stay sober and making sure the party didn’t get too wild.

  Lorenzo shrugged, keeping her shot for himself, and lifted his shot in the air, yelling at the DJ to cut the music.

  “I appreciate the fuck out of all you. Cheers, motherfuckers.” Lorenzo yelled to the crowd.

  “Cheers,” everyone yelled, and we all threw our shots back.

  Claire poured another round for us, and I threw it back quickly, sliding my shot glass back for her to pour me another.

  After the third shot, I started feeling it, so I decided not to drink anymore. I got sad whenever I drank too much, and I didn’t want to ruin Lorenzo’s night, so I was going to stop while I was ahead.

  I went to the dancefloor with Claire, and just when we started dancing, some guy came up behind Claire, whispering in her ear, probably asking her to dance. I was surprised when I saw her nod and start to grind on him.

  I looked around for Lorenzo because although I was a little bitter about my current relationship, I didn’t want to see him hurt.

  I found him against a wall with one girl shaking her ass against his dick while he was making out w
ith another, so I guess he was good. I swear I wanted to grab both of them by the throat and shake them.

  Now that Claire had gone off and deserted me, I had to find a new dance partner.

  I was surprised when I saw Tommy standing against the wall by himself. I’d never seen him without a girl wrapped around him.

  “Come here, big guy, and dance with me,” I yelled to him.

  Tommy looked around, probably thinking I was talking to someone else.

  I laughed and pointed at him. “I’m talking to you, Thomas.”

  He grinned and pushed off the wall, taking my hand. “Your husband’s not going to try to kill me because of this, right?”

  I let out an annoyed huff. “I doubt it. He’s only in this because he has no choice.”

  Tommy and I danced for what felt like hours, and I had to admit it felt good to let loose and have fun.

  Tommy and I used to be closer when we were younger. He was that guy friend every girl had who was always flirting unintentionally, but you didn’t mind because it made you feel a little better about yourself. The fact that he was hot as fuck just added to the compliments he gave. It had always been platonic between us, but I wouldn’t sit here and say that I hadn’t had a fantasy or two—because I sure as hell had.

  All in all, he was just really fun to be around, and I hated that I didn’t see him much anymore. He only came to visit during important parties, holidays, and summer. He went to college three hours away, but I didn’t blame him because his parents were real pieces of work.

  The song changed to a slow one, and I was about to go tell the DJ no slow songs when Tommy pulled me back and put his arms around me. “I know you chose me to dance with to make him jealous,” he said in my ear. I pulled back to deny it when he shook his head at me. “Don’t worry about it. I’m using you too.”

  I frowned up at him, trying to understand what he meant by that, but he just pulled me closer and buried his nose in my hair. I let out a sigh and rested my head on his shoulders, swaying with him to the song.