The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga)

by McDonald, Jeanne

  I released a deep sigh, my eyes dropping to the floor. With Nate out of town, I had no reason not to go.

  “Drew will be there,” she added gleefully.

  I dropped my head back against the couch and groaned.

  “I’ve told him so much about you, and I need my best friend’s approval on him. Please come to meet him. Please.”

  Her dark eyes grew to the size of silver dollars as she took my hands in hers, shaking them. It was the same look she always gave me when she wanted her way. And like always, I gave in to her whims.

  “Okay. Fine. What time?”

  She squealed with excitement, bouncing up and down on the sofa. For the first time in months, I laughed.

  * * *

  Later that night, I found myself standing outside the door of Olivia’s high-rise condominium. I rang the doorbell, all the while I cursed myself for having agreed to this. I was in no frame of mind to meet her new boyfriend.

  She opened the door, dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a shell-colored, off the shoulder sweater. Her hair was perfectly piled up on top of her head, and her makeup was flawless as usual. Just looking at her made my self-esteem drop a full point.

  “I’m so glad you came,” she squeaked, pulling me into a tight hug.

  “I didn’t think I had a choice,” I joked.

  She waved me inside and closed the door behind me. “You’re right, you didn’t.”

  She guided me through the foyer into the living room. Olivia had put a lot of money into decorating her condo. The walls were painted a brilliant red with gold accents which sparkled in the spacious lighting. A plush sofa with a matching love seat and oversized chair surrounded a lavish entertainment center. First time visitors would be clueless to her fifty-two inch plasma screen television that was shielded by the large doors of her entertainment cabinet.

  We walked around the corner into her kitchen and I came to a screeching halt.

  There he stood, in the middle of her kitchen, surrounded by white marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. The man from the beach was propped against the counter, leaning back on his elbows with his feet extended out in front of him. My jaw nearly hit the floor at the sight of this perfect specimen of a man.

  Wearing a pair of tailored khaki pants, brown loafers, and a royal blue shirt with the sleeves capped at his elbows, he looked even more delicious than he had when donning his running gear.

  I shook my head slightly to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. His lips twisted into a knowing smirk. A soft shiver ran up the length of my spine as his eyes washed over me. Had I not known better, I would have sworn he had physically touched me.

  His lips were smooth and plump, perfect for kissing or possibly biting. His soft, clean shaven face gave him an almost boyish appeal.

  As he pushed away from the counter, my whole body began to quiver with the magnetic charge flowing through my veins. He was as beautiful as I remembered, maybe even more so. The moment our eyes met, I was a goner. Those amazing aquamarine eyes danced with recognition, and I all but feared he would tell Olivia I had shamelessly ogled his ass only hours earlier. In my defense, I had no idea who he was then.

  “Kenz, this is Andrew Wise. Drew this is McKenzie Evans,” Olivia pointed to each of us as she spoke.

  Drew closed the gap between us in a single step. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mickie,” he said as he extended his hand toward me. The fact that he called me by my childhood nickname solicited a girlish giggle from me. No one, but my parents called me that anymore.

  “The pleasure is all mine, I’m sure,” I replied as I took his hand. He had a nice firm handshake. My father always told me that you could trust a man that would shake a woman’s hand properly. And while that might be true, his handshake wasn’t what I was paying attention to. The attraction that I felt for him on the beach had exploded inside me the instant our hands met. It was as if I were alive for the first time in my life. This was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

  His cocky smirk faltered when our skin pressed together. My heart sank into my stomach when he abruptly pulled his hand back. For an impregnated moment, he twisted and turned his hand, examining it like a piece of evidence. His thick eyebrows bunched together, and the expression on his face denoted confusion as well as intrigue.

  I watched him, wishing I had the ability to read his mind. He glanced up and caught my stare. His lips twitched, before he balled his hand in front of his mouth, clearing his throat. “Olivia has told me so much about you,” he said.

  I reached behind my neck, rubbing it nervously. “Oh, goodness. That must have been a boring conversation.”

  “On the contrary,” he quipped.

  Olivia wrapped her arm around his waist. “You’ll get used to Kenz. She has a tendency for self-deprecation.”

  Drew shifted his weight, placing his arm around Olivia’s shoulder, patting it with a teenager’s awkwardness. She gazed up at him, locked in a dreamlike state, but his eyes were honed in on mine. Goosebumps exploded over my skin from the intense look in his blue eyes. “I guess that’s something we’ll have to break her of then.” His comment was meant as a joke, but the serious undertone made me wonder how much he was in fact teasing.

  The doorbell rang. “Ah, that must be Morgan and Gavin,” Olivia announced.

  “You didn’t tell me anyone else would be here!” I exclaimed. “The least you could’ve done was warn me that I’d be a fifth wheel. I would’ve brought Jared with me.”

  “Nonsense.” Olivia rolled her eyes, blowing me off. “It’s just Drew’s brother, and you know Morgan.”

  Yeah, I knew Morgan all right, but I knew her better as Doctor Carter, my Ob/Gyn. She was really the last person I wanted to see. Not that she wasn’t a wonderful person, but she was the one who had to complete the D&C after my miscarriage. You could say that put her at the top of my ‘people to avoid’ list.

  “Besides, I know Jared hates me,” she added.

  “He does not.” The unintentional rise in my voice gave away my lie.

  “Right. And I didn’t hear him call me ‘the wicked witch of the west’ the other day, either.”

  I couldn’t deny that one. Jared never called Olivia by name. He always had some mean, snarky nickname for her.

  Drew stepped toward me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Mickie, you’re anything but a fifth wheel here. I, for one, am happy that you’ve joined us.”

  His sincere smile melted my fears away. My need to run away dissipated, and I relaxed, hypnotized by his touch.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  I glanced up, catching Olivia in the corner of my eye. Her analyzing stare put me back on edge. Without another word, she disappeared from the kitchen. Drew stepped back, releasing me from his hold. My arms and legs felt jellified. I had to get a grip on myself. This man shouldn’t affect me like that.

  “Like what you see?” Drew asked. Confidence, border-lining arrogance exuded from him.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  Drew sat down on a barstool stationed at the center island. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyebrow quirked, and a coy smirk flitted across his lips.

  “I was just curious if you like what you see? I mean you were staring at the beach, and you can’t keep your eyes off of me now.”

  “Arrogant much?” I shot back.

  Drew threw his head back in laughter. “You know, you’re cute when you blush.” I touched my cheeks, hating the fact that he could see my utter humiliation. “I’m only teasing you,” he proceeded. “So, you’re a runner?”

  “I pretend to be.”

  “It shows. You have great legs.” He nodded toward me, his eyes traveling over my body once more.

  My eyes dropped to the floor, catching a glimpse of my legs. It was socially unacceptable to attend a dinner at Olivia’s house and not be dressed appropriately. In preparation for the event, I wore a pink sweater dress and tan ballet slippers.

  I felt conscious of m
yself, having Drew evaluate my appearance in such a way. Had he told me I was ugly, I would’ve believed him. Nate never paid me a compliment, and if he did, it was because I begged for it. Yet, he always found it easy to find the wrongs in me. Funny how much easier it is to believe the bad over the good.

  “So, um, what’s for dinner?” I asked.

  “Steamed salmon, I think.” A blatant snarl wrinkled his nose.

  “I take it you don’t like seafood?”

  “Not really. Tastes too fishy to me,” he noted.

  “It is fish. It’s supposed to taste fishy.”

  “I guess you’re right.” He shrugged and patted the seat beside him. “I’m beginning to feel guilty sitting here when you’re standing. I promise I won’t bite…yet.” His eyes danced playfully, watching my reaction.

  Thankful he couldn’t see how my stomach clinched at the thought of his teeth on me, I sat down next to him. “Better?” I asked.

  “Much.”

  My poor heart couldn’t take much more. I felt like I had been running for hours thanks to the rapid pace of my heartbeat.

  “Who’s Jared?” Drew asked.

  His intense stare had me squirming in my seat. “Jared,” I began, “is a work colleague and a dear friend.”

  “Ah. I see, and what about your boyfriend?”

  “Nate?” I tilted my head, glancing in Drew’s direction. Suddenly, I felt like I was on the witness stand. Should I have pledged to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

  He nodded once, lifting his eyebrows as he continued to study my demeanor.

  “C’mon,” I whined. “You can’t tell me that Liv hasn’t told you every detail about my life.”

  Drew’s lips quirked into a lopsided grin. “Okay, you’ve got me there, but I tend to want the facts, not hearsay.”

  “I, ah, well, ah…”

  “Pay up, little brother,” a loud booming voice interrupted me.

  Drew and I looked up toward the source of the voice. Standing in front of us was a shorter, scrawnier version of Drew. His sandy brown hair was cut similar to Drew’s, but instead of being soft and free, he slathered it in styling product that flattened it against his scalp and forehead. Gavin’s eyes were a darker shade of blue than Drew’s, outlined with a hint of green.

  Following close behind him was Dr. Morgan Carter. Her long, red hair flowed down her back in soft curls. She looked beautiful in her green silk blouse and black slacks. I couldn’t recall a time when I had seen her in anything but medical scrubs.

  “Oh, hell no,” Drew bellowed, pushing Gavin’s open hand away.

  “A bet is a bet. Now pay up.”

  Olivia followed Morgan into the kitchen. Rolling her eyes as she passed the men, Olivia groaned in annoyance. “So juvenile,” she muttered.

  “What’s going on?” I hissed to Olivia, nodding toward the two men who were nose to nose, arguing like only siblings can.

  “Some stupid bet, as usual,” Morgan answered.

  “Hi, Dr. Carter.” I hoped I didn’t sound as forlorn as I felt by her presence.

  “Call me Morgan,” she replied, a sincere smile lighting her lips. “And that buffoon over there is my fiancé, Gavin.”

  “Okay, Morgan.” Oddly enough, calling her by her first name took some of the resentment away. She seemed like a real person, instead of the doctor who stole away my dreams.

  “What was the bet, anyway?” Olivia asked.

  “One of the secretaries in the office got married a few months back. Apparently, these two knuckle-heads made a bet on how long the marriage would last,” Morgan grumbled. “It makes me feel so confident knowing that my fiancé is such a cynic.”

  “She said they had a fight, Gav. That doesn’t mean they’re filing for divorce,” Drew argued.

  “How long did you two give them?” I asked in the middle of all the ruckus.

  All four people stopped and looked at me. Olivia and Morgan stared at me like I had just sprouted six heads, Drew’s face lit up with amusement, and Gavin tilted his head, an intrigued smirk crossing his taut cheeks. “Drew, here, gave them six months. I gave them three,” Gavin answered. Morgan groaned louder, her eyelashes fluttered as she rolled her eyes.

  “And what were the stakes of this little wager?” My eyebrows raised in curiosity.

  Gavin scooted in between Drew and me, draping his arm around my neck. “It’s always the same stakes,” Gavin informed me.

  “Which are?” I again probed.

  Drew hopped off his barstool and stood in front of me, blocking my view of Olivia and Morgan. “It’s simple, my dear. If he wins, I have to go to New York to see whatever Broadway show our sister is in for that month. If I win, he has to go.”

  “You have a sister?”

  Gavin nodded toward Drew. “We do. She’s Drew’s twin sister.”

  “Interesting. So, she’s an actress?”

  “No. A dancer with the New York City Ballet Company.”

  “Do you dance too?” I asked Drew.

  Drew raised his hands, shaking his head vigorously. “Hell, no. That’s all Andie.”

  “So, Andy and Andie.” I poked out my lips, bobbing my head in a smug nod. “Nice.”

  Drew’s face scrunched up like he had just eaten something sour. “Not Andy and Andie. Drew and Andie.”

  “Got it, Andy,” I teased.

  “Drew,” he corrected.

  “You called me Mickie. It’s only fair that I get to call you Andy.”

  “I like this one. She’s feisty.” Gavin squeezed my shoulder. “Now, what’s for dinner? I’m starved.”

  “Right this way,” Olivia instructed, leading us to the dining room.

  The large cherry wood table was spread with the most delectable of treats. Crystal goblets filled to the brim with white wine, accompanied each china place setting. Unlit candles stood in perfect precision guarding the steaming food, which was covered by silver domes across the surface.

  Olivia sat me at the head of the table, flanked by her and Morgan.

  “Dinner looks wonderful,” Morgan complimented Olivia.

  “I would hope so,” Olivia stated. “I paid enough for it.”

  I tossed my head back and laughed, receiving a vicious glare from Olivia. She couldn’t cook to save her life. She tried once when we were in college and nearly burned our apartment down. After that, I refused to let her near a stove again.

  “Maybe I should’ve gotten you cooking lessons for Christmas,” I teased, passing a tray of asparagus to Morgan.

  “You know, I can’t cook either. I’d die without my housekeeper,” Drew said, taking a sip from his water glass.

  “He’s not kidding about that.” Gavin pointed his knife toward Drew. “Without Ruby, he’d starve or live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

  “Hey, now, there’s this wonderful thing that’s been invented called fast food,” Drew deflected.

  “Yes,” I said, swallowing a mouthful of fish. “But man cannot live by junk food alone.”

  “True, but he sure as hell can try,” Drew replied with a wink.

  The conversation shifted, and split. Morgan and Olivia were lost in conversation about the impending wedding that was scheduled for June, and Drew and Gavin had embarked on shop talk. As they talked, I was comforted by the chatter around me. Everyone had been right; I needed companionship, and Nate leaving me alone all the time was suffocating me.

  The highlight of the meal was watching the banter between Gavin and Drew. Several times, I was brought into the middle of it, taking on the role of mediator. It felt good to have fun. It had been so long since I laughed that I nearly believed I had forgotten how.

  After dinner, Olivia led us to the living room. Drew plopped down on the couch, and Olivia curled up into a ball beside him. Morgan and Gavin snuggled up together on the loveseat, and I sat down in the oversized chair across from the two couples, envying them. Even if Nate had been with us, I knew we wouldn’t have been cuddled up
like these couples were.

  “Oh, Morgan, I almost forgot,” Olivia announced. “I brought home a few swatches for you and Gavin to go over for the wedding. If you like what you see, I can get the order placed tomorrow.”

  Olivia was a party planner for a firm in Venice. She obtained employment with the company right out of college, and managed to earn the trust of the owner. Now she was working diligently to gain partnership in the firm. The Cater/Wise wedding was to be the pinnacle of her career. With the commission from their wedding, she would have enough money to buy into the company as associate partner.

  Morgan’s face lit up, sparkling with the luster of a bride-to-be. “Oh, that’s wonderful. Can we see them?”

  “Yeah. They’re back in my office. Follow me.”

  Olivia bounced out of her spot, followed by Morgan. Morgan looked down expectantly at Gavin. “Well, come on.”

  Gavin grumbled refusing to budge from his seat. “But I just sat down, woman. Can’t I let my food settle first?”

  Morgan’s exuberant smile faded. “Please, baby,” she whined a little. Morgan leaned into Gavin, her eyelashes fluttering. “I promise to do that thing you like so much tonight if you do,” she attempted to whisper but failed.

  In the blink of an eye, Gavin jumped up, and was tailing the women. Drew snorted in laughter, calling out behind his brother, “Someone’s been pussy-whipped.”

  With my feet curled up underneath me, I rested my head on the side of the chair to patiently wait for their return.

  “Olivia tells me you’re a speech pathologist,” Drew said.

  “Mhmm.”

  “What is it that you do, precisely?”

  “I diagnose and treat children with communications disorders, such as autism.”

  “How fascinating.”

  “And rewarding,” I included.

  Silence fell between us. I closed my eyes, allowing the bout of stillness to envelope me. A single tear trickled down my cheek, exposing my heart.

  “Are you okay, Mickie?” Drew inquired.

  “Hmm?” I glanced across the room to the lanky man leaning forward. His elbows rested on his knees and his hands were clasped in front of him.