Tell Me Pretty Lies

by Charleigh Rose

We move for each other at the same time, our lips colliding. I bend down to curl my hands around the backs of her thighs and lift her up, carrying her over to her bed. There are no more words, only hungry lips and frenzied hands and harsh breaths between us. I release my grip on her thighs, and her body slides down mine. I tug on the hem of her sweatshirt and she lifts her arms for me as I pull it over her head, revealing her bare tits. I cup them in my hands, squeezing, and she melts into my touch.

  When she was gone, I didn’t think I missed her. How could I when she rarely strayed from my thoughts? Our memories plagued me, and if I could’ve wiped them from my mind completely, I would’ve. But this past week, I missed her like a fucking missing limb. The lightning might have branded my skin, but Shayne branded whatever’s left of my heart.

  Shayne’s fingers curl under the hem of my shirt, and she rises onto her tiptoes to pull it off. When she still can’t reach, I do it for her, dropping it to the floor.

  “I probably should’ve asked you this before, but are you on birth control?”

  She nods up at me, her hands on my sides.

  Thank fuck. “Next time, I’ll come prepared. But right now, I want you bare.”

  She pushes up onto her toes, her arms clinging to my bare shoulders as she presses her lips against mine. Taking that as permission, I walk her backwards a couple of steps until the backs of her thighs hit her bed. She slides onto her bed, lying flat on her back, and I take a minute to admire the view.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  “Then fuck me already.” She smiles.

  “As you wish.”

  I drop my pants, kicking off my shoes in the process, then I’m sliding her sweats down her legs. I toss them to join the pile of clothes on the floor before I attempt to bury my face between her soft thighs, but my tongue barely flicks against her clit before she’s pulling me up her body.

  “I just want to feel you.”

  Without another word, I hitch her leg up by my hip and push inside. She wasn’t joking. She’s already wet and ready, but tighter than ever. Her lips graze mine with each shift of my hips, our harsh breaths mingling between us. Her full eyebrows tug together as if she’s in pain, but when I slow down, she frantically shakes her head, digging her heels into my ass.

  Taking her subtle cue, I sit back on my heels and grip her waist, yanking her closer. I start to fuck into her, not holding back. Shayne braces her hands flat on the headboard behind her, taking it. My eyes are glued to where we’re connected, watching my cock disappear into her tight heat. I can tell Shayne’s getting close because those sexy little sounds coming from her mouth are getting louder. I lean forward, covering her mouth with my palm, and then I snake two fingers between us to play with her clit.

  “I’m coming,” Shayne moans into my palm as her nails rake down my back. That combined with the way she contracts around me has me close to the edge.

  “Do it again,” I encourage her, bringing my hand to lightly grip the front of her throat. She’s still spasming around me, but she does it again, applying a little more pressure this time.

  I pull out quickly, barely making it before I’m spilling onto the inside of her thigh.

  Shayne

  “The jacket you took from me,” Thayer says out of nowhere.

  “Yeah?”

  “It was Danny’s.”

  Of course it was. God, I’m an idiot. “I’m sorry. I didn’t kn—”

  “Don’t apologize. That’s the only reason I wanted it back.”

  I climb on top of him, straddling his torso as a thought occurs to me. “So you brought me yours instead?” I ask, walking my fingers up the dips and grooves of his muscular stomach.

  “Yeah…” He narrows his eyes at me, his abs tensing beneath my fingers.

  “Does this mean we’re like going steady?” I wiggle my eyebrows. “Do I get your class ring next?”

  Thayer bites down on his lip rings, and I can tell he’s trying not to smile. Then he’s flipping us over and pinning me beneath him, holding my hands to the mattress above my head. “I don’t know. What does ‘going steady’ entail? Because if it means I get to do this—” He slips inside me in one smooth thrust. “Whenever I want, then yeah, we’re going steady, Shayne.”

  I gasp, bringing my knees up to hug his ribs as he grinds into me, staying deep inside, giving me that friction against my clit that I need.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know Thayer is going to be my downfall. I’ll worry about the consequences later, but right now?

  Right now, I’m happy.

  Shayne

  Waking up with Thayer in my bed is…surreal. But it also feels right, like it was always meant to be this way. I’m on my side, my cheek pressed against his chest and his chin rests on the top of my head, our legs tangled together. The window’s still open and the brisk morning air chills my lower back, but I’m too content to move.

  Thayer stirs, rolling onto his back, the movement taking the blanket with him. He stretches his arms over his head, and I can’t help but admire the pronounced V-shape before my gaze drifts lower, seeing his already hard cock. Without thinking, I slink down the bed until my face is level with his hips and pull the blanket over my head. I lick the underside of his length and he instantly jerks under my tongue, giving me the confidence to take him inside my mouth. Hands braced on his hips, I do just that, wrapping my lips around the smooth tip. I’ve never done this. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. But when I feel him shudder, I know I’m doing something right.

  “Oh, fuck.” Thayer jerks the blanket off my head and lifts his hips to get deeper, his eyes half-mast as he watches me.

  I suck lightly and his hands come down on my head to guide my movements as he slowly fucks my mouth. Getting braver, I wrap my hand around the base of him and start to work his length while I suck on his head, and he bites down on his lip, his head falling back to the pillow.

  “Shayne,” my mom’s voice calls out, making me release him with a pop.

  “Shit!” I jump out of bed. I quickly throw my hoodie on, motioning for Thayer to leave through the window. He moves at a snail’s pace, swinging his legs over the bed, his massive hard-on standing straight up, still glistening from my mouth. I widen my eyes at him, my heart pounding, but he’s in no hurry as he swipes his boxers from the floor before pulling them up. When I hear my mom’s footsteps getting louder, I shove him into my closet. I don’t even get a chance to close the door before my mom appears.

  “Oh,” she says, probably taken aback at the fact that I’m standing here in only a sweatshirt—albeit one that’s long enough to cover my ass. “I didn’t think you’d be up so early.”

  “I need a shower, so I set my alarm a little bit earlier.”

  She nods, buying the lie. “I’ll be gone by the time you get home from school, so I wanted to make sure I got to hug you.” She pulls me in, squeezing me tight. “There are leftovers in the fridge and I’ll leave some cash on the counter to get you through the week.”

  “Thanks,” I say into her hairspray-scented hair. When she pulls back, I notice that her makeup is heavier than normal, her hair in perfect, soft curls. It must be a high roller if she put this much effort into her appearance.

  “Why is your window open? It’s freezing in here,” she says, taking a step toward my window, but I intercept her.

  “I like it cold.”

  “Are you okay?” she asks. “You seem…weird.”

  “I’m fine,” I say quickly—almost too quickly—trying to look anywhere but the closet to my right.

  “I know this past year has been difficult…” she trails off. Jesus, Mom. Now is not the time for a heart-to-heart when Thayer’s hiding in my closet. And I’d venture to guess that he wouldn’t be very sympathetic to our plight, considering he still thinks Grey is responsible for Danny’s death. That reminds me, I still need to fill him in on my visit with Grey.

  “Mom, I swear I’m okay.”

  She twists her lips before sh
e decides to let it go. “Okay, well, be safe. Don’t forget to lock up when you leave.”

  I nod, and with a kiss on my cheek, she’s gone. As soon as the door closes, Thayer’s yanking me into my closet. “You’re an asshole,” I say as he pulls me against him, my chest pressed against his torso.

  “This is news to you?” He smirks, sliding a hand between us and dipping under my hoodie before he slips a finger between my legs, parting me.

  “What if she’d seen you?” I close my eyes, grasping onto his upper arms in an effort to stay upright.

  “Then she’d know I’ve been fucking her perfect little angel of a daughter when everyone else is asleep,” he says, rubbing me in slow, delicious circles. I sag against him, my cheek pressed against his shirt as he continues to make me dizzy with his words and his fingers. And just when I’m about to explode, he removes his hand.

  “Wha—”

  “You’re going to be late,” he cuts my protest off.

  “Fuck school,” I pout, pulling his hand back to where I need it. “I can miss a day.”

  Thayer groans, “Yeah?”

  “Mhm.” Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know my mom is still here somewhere because I didn’t hear her car pull out of the driveway yet, but I can’t bring myself to stop. A recurring theme when it comes to Thayer. Thayer, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have the same problem, because he pulls his hand away once more.

  “Then pack a bag. I’ll be back to pick you up in an hour.”

  That snaps me out of it. “What?”

  “You heard me. Your mom’s going out of town, anyway. Come with me for a night.”

  “Where?”

  “Does it matter?”

  I roll my eyes, knowing damn well I’d go anywhere with him.

  “That’s what I thought. One hour.”

  After Thayer left, I jumped into the shower, did my quick ten-minute makeup routine, then blow-dried my hair, leaving it down and straight. I decided to wear a long-sleeved white shirt with a high neck, then threw a dark navy dress with a sweetheart neckline and tiny white polka dots over the top, pairing it with white sneakers.

  By the time I pack a bag with a jacket, an extra change of clothes, and my toothbrush, I hear the deep rumble of Thayer’s Hellcat pulling up the drive. The sound sends a thrill up my spine, my heart doing a flip-flop in my chest. There are certain things that I will always associate with Thayer. Thunderstorms, lightning, the smell of rain and tobacco, and the sound of his Challenger.

  I practically skip out of my house, backpack bouncing behind me. Thayer’s waiting for me, leaned up against the hood of his car on the passenger side, arms crossed over his chest. I hurry down the steps, and when he realizes I’m not going to slow down, his arms shoot out to catch me just before I jump into them.

  “Hi,” I say, unable to keep the smile from my face.

  “What’s that look for?” he asks, his eyebrows tugging together as his hands squeeze my ass.

  “Just happy.”

  He lifts an eyebrow, a weird look crossing his features, but then he’s turning around with me in his arms, walking the short distance to the passenger side door. He opens it, holding me with one hand, before dropping me inside and pulling my backpack off in one smooth motion. He tosses my bag onto the cramped back seat, closes the door, then rounds the front of the car, hopping in next to me.

  “So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  He ignores me, pushing the button that starts the engine, and it roars to life, vibrating my seat. “Freeway or scenic route?”

  “Scenic route,” I say without hesitation, clicking my seatbelt into place. The interstate would be faster, wherever we’re going, but I love the way Thayer drives this thing on back roads. And let’s be honest, I’m in no hurry.

  “That’s my girl,” he says, pulling his lip rings between his teeth. The comment is offhanded, but my stupid, girly insides turn to mush anyway.

  He lays on the gas, driving out of the driveway and then speeding down the long, winding road that connects Heartbreak Hill to town. A few minutes in, Thayer’s hand slides between my legs, gripping the inside of my thigh. That little gesture makes me feel unexpectedly emotional. Memories of Thayer driving us around aimlessly for hours with one hand on the wheel and the other on my thigh pop into my mind, making me miss how it used to be. We thought things were complicated back then when our only worry was being found out. What I’d give to go back to the way we were, to have just one more day of all of us together.

  I don’t know how much time passes—at least an hour—maybe more, when I finally realize where we’re going.

  “Amherst?” I look over at him, raising a brow. I know he goes to school here—sometimes, anyway—I just don’t know why he brought me here.

  “You hungry?” He pulls into a parking space in front of a café with a black awning that reads The Black Sheep Deli & Bakery.

  “Starved.” Confused, but starved. He cuts the engine and we both get out, walking up to the café. Thayer opens the door and I head in first, taking in the cases of pastries and baked goods. Above those are blackboard menus with the day’s specials written in neon colors.

  “Have you ever been here?” I ask, scanning the menu.

  “Where the hell have you been hiding?” some guy with an apron asks behind us, slapping Thayer on the shoulder. I guess that answers my question.

  “Back home,” he says, not offering more of an explanation than that. The man glances at me, folding his tattooed arms over his chest before sending Thayer a knowing look.

  “Hey, Home. Nice to meet you. I’m Brax.” He holds out his hand and I shake it while Thayer rolls his eyes.

  “I’m Shayne.”

  “You guys hungry? What are you having?” he asks Thayer. “Turkey club and a coffee?” That’s oddly specific. He must come here a lot if they know his order by heart.

  Thayer looks to me. “What do you want?”

  “That sounds good to me.”

  “Make that two. With a side of ranch and a pink lemonade for her.”

  “Got it,” Brax says, walking behind the counter.

  I bite my cheek to hide an amused smile as we slide into a booth, Thayer on one side, me on the other.

  “Don’t look at me like that. So I remembered what you like to drink. Big deal.”

  And the fact that I like to dip my sandwiches in ranch. But I let it slide. “So, you brought me almost two hours away for sandwiches?”

  Thayer shoves a hand through his hair, seeming uncomfortable, and that’s when it hits me. Oh my God. Is Thayer trying to take me on a date? “Thought you might like to go somewhere we could let our guard down.”

  “It’s perfect,” I assure him. And it is. It’s so fucking perfect, because this right here is all I’ve ever wanted. To go somewhere and just be without everyone’s eyes on us, picking apart our every move.

  Our food comes quickly, and I don’t waste any time digging in. We eat in silence, and even though it feels good to be with Thayer, my guilty conscience gnaws at me. I still haven’t brought up Christian. Or meeting with my brother. Not that I’m doing anything wrong by talking to my own brother, but Grey is a point of contention between Thayer and me.

  “I saw Grey,” I say, fidgeting with the tip of my straw. Thayer tenses, pushing his empty plate to the center of the table.

  “Yeah?”

  I nod. “He wouldn’t take my calls, so I showed up at his dorm.” I lean forward, my elbows resting on top of the table. “He admitted to having an argument with Danny, but he swears he had nothing to do with it.”

  “Well, what a relief,” he says, sarcasm dripping from every word. “Now I can sleep at night. Do you know many people who would confess to murder, Shayne?”

  I flinch at the word murder.

  “I think…” I hesitate, feeling conflicted as Thayer waits in silence for me to spit it out. “I think he’s hiding something from me.”

  I wait for him to spit out ano
ther sarcastic remark at the very least. What I don’t expect is for him to reach into his back pocket to pull out his wallet and throw a fifty down onto the table.

  “Let’s go.”

  Thayer rises from the booth and heads for the door, not bothering to wait for me or to say goodbye to his friend. I follow him out, kicking myself for bringing it up now and ruining whatever this is. Things were good for two whole seconds, and I had to self-sabotage like an idiot. Thanks, Dad, whoever you are.

  Thayer’s already in the car when I get outside. I slide into the passenger seat, and he takes off without a word. I stay quiet, letting him process or cool off or whatever it is that he needs to do, leaning my forehead against the cool window. Five minutes later, we’re pulling into an apartment complex. I look over at him in question when he pulls into a spot and throws the car into park. He opens the door and gets out of the car, then ducks back down when I haven’t made a move to get out.

  “You coming?”

  I step out of the car, closing the door behind me as I take in the tall foreboding building. Thayer heads for the entrance and I follow his lead inside the building, through the lobby, and into an elevator. “Where are we?”

  The elevator halts, and we step out into the hall. Thayer comes to a stop in front of one of the doors and sticks a key into the lock. “My place.” Pushing the door open, he gestures for me to go in first.

  I step inside, gaping at the modern apartment that’s completely opposite from Whittemore. It’s an open floor plan with large glass windows spanning the entire wall. The living area consists of a single sofa and a TV mounted on the opposite wall. There’s a hall to the left and the kitchen to the right. “You live here?”

  He kicks the door shut behind him. “Sometimes.”

  “What else don’t I know about you?”

  “When did you see him? The day you missed school?” he asks, ignoring my question. I suck in a lung full of air. I guess we’re doing this now.

  I nod. “How did you kn—?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You went MIA, remember?” I snap before softening my tone. “And…I was afraid.”