I couldn’t see anything indecent, except this whole thing was indecent. The sides of their hips, butt and thighs were all on display and Mr. Bennet was pressed tight to dad. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t actually what I was looking at, was it?
“Astrid,” My dad spluttered, pushing off the car to grab his pants, effectively flashing his dick and taking the cover from Mr. Bennet’s. They both had raging erections. Old man, hairy ball erections.
“Ahhh!” I covered my eyes and Rhys pulled me around until I face planted in his chest. “Rhys, tell me our dads aren’t doing what I think they’re doing.” I demanded. Because if my eyes weren’t lying, they were having sex on the hood of Mr. Bennet’s car.
He rubbed a soothing hand over my back, cradling my head with the other. It was his dad and my dad. Together. Was he as grossed out as I was? His muscles spasmed, but he remained quiet, keeping his cool. Shouldn’t he be shouting the house down right now? This was an insane turn in my life, and I didn’t want to process it right now. Maybe after a few weeks or months, I could contemplate how this could change the world as I know it.
“I can’t tell you that.” He growled. “We’ll be in the house, Dad. Waiting for an explanation.”
Okay, that hadn’t sounded as calm as I had first thought. He shuffled me past them but I kept my eyes closed. Hopefully they had their pants up now, but just in case, I didn’t want to see their dicks again. Rhys reached around me and pushed the door open. It was safe, so I could finally see where I was going without fear.
The door slammed and Rhys punched the wall, making a fist sized hole in the plaster. Pieces of light gray drywall flaked off the wall, as he shook his hand out. When he turned around, I sucked in a sharp breath. His face was murderous, and he narrowed his eyes as I took a step back.
“Hey, hey. Come in here with me.” Away from anything else he could damage. The kitchen was right off the mudroom and very open. Perfect.
“Remember that night you and Beck came to the cottage?” He walked to the island, and pounded his fists down on the speckled granite. He grunted under his breath, dropping his head to his chest.
Not good. If I didn’t calm him down, he was going to do serious damage to his house or his hands.
“How could I forget the night you caught me trespassing?” I sidled up close to him and pulled his hands in mine, linking our fingers. I doubted he would slam my fists against anything. For all the restrained anger boiling under his skin, he wasn’t a violent person. Unless it was on a rink. Rhys would never hurt me on purpose.
“I overheard Dad on the phone. That was the first real proof I had that he was cheating. Mom was upstairs.” He glared at the door.
I remembered he said he caught his dad. At the time, I was an outside observer. Now, we bonded by this bizarre experience. His own dad betrayed him. I should have felt the same way. Why didn’t I? Because I hated my mom? Because my dad wasn’t any kind of dad at all?
It was like I was numb to the whole situation. Where I should have been outraged and hurt, I was simply surprised. I was watching through a weird film, dulling my senses to the whole thing. My empathy for Rhys was much stronger in that moment than my own feelings.
I was more shocked he was with a man, rather than him cheating. Mother Dearest must have suspected something with the way she’d been acting lately. Projecting her fear of what her husband was doing onto me.
“I assumed it would have been a woman. He never gave any indication that he liked… men.” Rhys furrowed his brow in confusion.
From the few times I had seen Mr. Bennet, he seemed completely straight. Then there was the whole marriage thing throwing me off.
“Is that more upsetting to you?” I hesitantly edged closer.
My dad was a pastor. While they didn’t outright say being gay was a sin, my dad’s disapproval was tangible anytime it was brought up in conversation. Where I was numb at first, all these thoughts pelted my mental shield until I started to question everything my father had done and said my whole life.
Was this the first time? Were there other men, or women? Did my mother know? If she did, that was probably a large cause of why she was such a screaming bitch. Not to mention, she didn’t seem like the type of person that would stick around in that type of relationship.
“No?” Rhys’ voice brought me back to the present. “I don’t think that bothers me more. It makes me angry he would cheat at all. He thinks he rules the world, and Mom’s nothing but a trophy and body for him to use.” His lip lifted in disgust.
“I’m sorry.” Then it hit me. We were friends. We’d started building this friendship and this could tear it all down. I gasped and curled my fingers around his hands as tight as I could. “Is this going to change how you feel about me?”
“What?” He reared back. “Why would you say that?”
He looked at me like I was one song short of a full hymnal.
“Because he’s cheating with my dad. My dad.” I bent forward and pressed my forehead into the hard plains of his chest.
I shouldn’t have pointed it out if he hadn’t put it together before. With my eyes closed, I saw the proverbial ties of our friendship severed by my dad and his philandering ways. Definitely cutting the string between Rhys and me. Maybe the others too if they thought I was anything like my dad.
He gently pushed my shoulders back until I looked up at him.
“You’re being ridiculous.”
My mouth popped open.
“If I would have found out before I knew you, really knew you, then I might have said or felt things I’m not proud of. But it didn’t happen that way. I know you. I know you aren’t your dad. Like I’m nothing like my father.” How did he manage to solidify my feelings for him with each word? No one had ever seen me like Rhys, or the other guys. As someone completely separate from my family. It was amazing and scary all at the same time.
No matter what happened between our dads, we would be okay. The question of the hour, was what did we do about this whole mess? After talking to Rhys, my rising emotions settled back down, and I was pretty sure his did too. Tension in his shoulders eased until he appeared relaxed.
I released a breath and leaned back against the counter as the door opened to the garage.
Both men filed through, put together in a way no one would ever know what they’d been doing. If they tried to convince us we misunderstood what we saw, I’d stab them with one of my charcoal pencils.
How would they try to spin this against us? An idiot could see they had something working behind their eyes. Mr. Bennet wore arrogance like a cheap cologne. And my dad held more of a righteous posture, daring me to go against him. Part of me wondered if they would try and play it off like we misunderstood. Oh, Dad was showing Mr. Bennet how to kneel and pray.
“Son, I don’t think we have to discuss how you never speak of what you walked in on.” Mr. Bennet made a statement. Not a request, a demand. They were going for the authority card. Like we would fall in line because we were their children and still in dependent of them.
I glared at my father and his eyes shuttered like he was at least a little guilty.
“Are you going to leave Mom?” I asked, stepping away from Rhys.
Dad’s mouth went slack before he responded. “Astrid. No.”
“Are you in love with him?” I jerked my head at Mr. Bennet. Okay, so I did care a teensy bit. I was angry. I knew Mom was crazy and hard to live with, but if he wasn’t happy he should have left. Not cheated.
“No!” Both men shouted.
“That’s not what this is, Astrid.” Dad tried to use his pastor voice, the voice of reason. It fell flat.
I exchanged a glance with Rhys. Then what was it?
“We aren’t gay.” Mr. Bennet said.
Rhys nor I said anything.
“We aren’t.” Dad parroted.
“Sure. We believe you.” The way Rhys said that meant we totally didn’t believe them.
“Listen, honey.” Dad stepped
closer but still not in touching distance. I wouldn’t be able to stomach his touch right now anyway. “Your Mom can’t know. This would break her.” He tried playing on heartstrings, I didn’t have for my mother.
I sneered. Then an idea started forming in my head. It would harden my heart if I went through with it. But at the same time, how could I not take advantage of this? I was angry with Dad, but they didn’t deserve my sympathy. They weren’t good parents and really, they deserved each other. This was my shot.
“I can keep a secret… But I want something in return.” Several somethings but I started with one.
He sucked in a breath and narrowed his eyes. Mr. Bennet and Rhys ceased to exist.
“What do you want?” He lost the sweetness to his voice and a hardness I never heard from him before replaced it.
“I want live a normal life for my senior year. I want to have friends, and go out to the movies, and be normal. I want you to keep Mom from verbally and physically abusing me.” I didn’t blink as I conveyed how important this was to me.
Rhys placed his hand in mine and held on. Offering me comfort. I confirmed what he suspected. He knew about the one time he came to save me. But I had never shared if it had happened before. Now he knew it had.
“I can do that.” He agreed.
“And I want to go to any college I want, and study any major I want. Possibly art.” This time he wasn’t as willing to agree.
“Astrid. Your college education is important. What would you do with art? You wouldn’t be able to support yourself. Who would marry an art graduate with a minimum wage job?”
Dad acted like he was rolling in money. He wasn’t that much better off than the jobs he constantly put down.
“I would. There are a million guys out there that would.” Rhys interjected. “Just because you have hang ups doesn’t mean the rest of us do.”
If our dads hadn’t put us in this awkward as hell situation, I would have swooned.
“Thanks,” I twisted and smiled up at him.
He returned it.
“That’s my ask. You want me to lie for you? Well, our whole life is a pretty lie. Ours. The Bennets. If you want to keep living it, you need to help me get what I want. So I can be happy.” I covered my heart with my palm. It beat so fast under my hand, I needed to contain it. Any second it would burst out of my chest and gallop around the room.
This was it. Freedom, and a real shot at happiness were so close, I could taste the sweetness on my tongue already.
Dad’s nostrils flared. His gaze darted between Mr. Bennet and me before he spoke. “Fine.” He said through clenched teeth.
“Yeah?” I couldn’t keep the radiant smile off my face. He probably hated me right now. His career and way of life were on the line, but I was exuberant.
“I agree. Your mother won’t give you any problems and you can choose your major.” Still through clenched teeth.
“Perfect. I’ll keep the pretty lies alive and you can keep banging Mr. Bennet.” Rhys snorted behind me.
“Rhys?” Mr. Bennet locked on his son.
I glanced over my shoulder and winced. Hopefully he wasn’t too offended by my last thoughtless comment. The longer I thought about it; I truly didn’t care if they carried on with their affair. Although, Rhys probably did.
Rhys was glaring at his dad, but his eyes softened when they came back to me. They moved back and forth between my own, before he eventually turned back to his dad. “Stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. Your secret’s safe with me as long as you follow that rule.” His gaze never left mine.
I jumped when the door slammed, and I turned around to see both men were gone. This was why Mom couldn’t go on the weekend trip with him. It all made so much sense now.
“Can you believe that?” I jumped around which was completely out of character for me, but I couldn’t contain the excitement thrumming through my entire body.
“I can.” He laughed. “Wait until the others hear about it.”
I laughed with him as we walked out a different back door to the cottage. I had been my own hero today, and it provided me with the deepest sense of self-worth I’d ever had. Technically, I didn’t need the guys anymore. I took care of the twitch bitches all on my own. With my dad agreeing to pay for my college, I really didn’t need the scholarship either. It was nice to know we would all still be friends.
“Thank you guys for doing this for me.” I linked arms with Thatcher and Jonah.
The five of us were walking into the auditorium to view the portfolios that had been submitted for the scholarship. Even though the pressure wasn’t what used to be, I still wanted to do well. This was the first time I had ever entered anything like this, and I spilled so much of myself for the world to see. Or a very small group of viewers. But it was a start.
Now that I wasn’t the one with anything on the line. Jonah was the one I was worried about. He was tugging at his shirt collar like it was doing it’s best to put him out of his misery.
“Don’t mention it,” his voice was strained.
I stopped and faced him. “Jonah. I don’t have to play the audio.”
He shook his head. “They told you the judges were the only ones going to be in the room when you play it. That’s fine.”
“Are you sure?” I really wanted to play it, but I cared about our friendship more.
“Sure.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and started walking again.
“Can I just say, this whole last few days has been insane?” Beck was referring to the fight, our dads, and their concessions.
It felt like a dream that any minute I would wake up, and it would all be taken away from me. Sometimes, I even felt like the guys were too good to be true.
“One hundred percent, man. One hundred percent.” Rhys smiled and threw an arm around Beck.
Tonight, the participants were invited to view their competitor’s work, then when the judges were ready, they walked room to room to review each portfolio. They designated a classroom to each student so there was a level of privacy.
Which was perfect for what I had in mind.
The next hour passed at a slug’s pace, and I waited patiently for the judges. The guys had already gone back out to the lawn to wait for me, each leaving me with a hand caress or shoulder squeeze. Once I showed my work, I was free to leave.
Moving around the room, I made sure each piece was perfectly level and dust free. The first picture was Thatcher in profile, painting in the sun. His features were hard to see, but from the way he held his body, he was serene and happy. Jonah was next. It was the back of him when he was at the podium, kicking butt at the school debate. He came across as confident and strong. Again, the light was blaring down and distorting some of the picture. Then Rhys, with his fist raised and mask on. The buzzer had signaled the end of the game and he won. I used Photoshop to increase the contrast, which removed some of his recognizable features. He wasn’t serene but pumped and excited. Last, there was Beck. The night of the concert, under the stage lights. Not the one where he was crouched in front of me. That one was private and wouldn’t be shared with the public. No, this one was where he was crooning into the microphone and living his dream.
There was a knock on the door, and then four people walked into the room. Three men and one woman. I didn’t know any of them, thankfully.
“Are you ready… Astrid?” The short, stout woman asked as she glanced at her clipboard.
“Yes.” I smiled. “I hope you don’t mind, my piece tonight is both visual and audible.” I went to the wall and turned off the lights. The guys—mainly Jonah—had helped me rig lights over each framed photograph so they were highlighted. “Let me know when you’re ready for the next part.”
They took several minutes inspecting each photograph and making notes. My hands shook as they leaned close to really look at each shot. I was suddenly glad I had taken Thatcher’s advice and not used Photoshop in any significant way. They would have noticed.
They stepped back and formed a line, silently absorb the show.
I grabbed the remote Jonah had given me and pressed the button to start the presentation.
All the lights clicked off except for the one above Thatcher.
His strong and steady voice projected through the room. “I come from a broken home with an abusive father, doing my best to shield my little sister from his filth.”
The light switched off, and the next one brightened Jonah’s picture. “I live on the wrong side of the tracks, constantly looking over my shoulder, trying to rise above the gang life.”
Then Rhys. “I come from an affluent family, with an arrogant father that expects me to be just like him, doling out insults and condescension to hurt the ones that love us most.”
Lastly, Beck. “I take care of my druggie mother and because of my weakness for a woman that never loved me, I can’t afford to go to college.”
All the lights pop on. Altogether they said, “But that’s not what the world sees. They see…”
Thatcher says, “an artist.”
“The debate captain.”
“Star hockey player.”
“Rock star.”
Then all at once to finish. “And these are our pretty lies.”
The room was engulfed in darkness as all the lights went out. I waited a few moments for dramatic effect, and then hit the switch to turn the regular lights on.
The four judges clapped. As they exited the room, they each smiled and said, “well done.”
I couldn’t help but smile to myself and think of my friends. This would have been impossible without them. We really did work well together.
I’d left the guys after dropping off Astrid. There was so much studying to do. I shouldn’t have taken so much time off tonight, but I refused to let Astrid down. In the end, I was glad we were all able to be there for her. She was glowing, ready to show the world what she could do. Astrid was going to be something special. She already was.
And what did I have? I had a trailer I shared with my aunt, who worked all the time. When she wasn’t, she could be found on the couch with one of her fuck buddies.
Pretty Lies: A contemporary YA Romance (Astrid Scott Series Book 1) Page 24