Love & Lies

by Jessica Wood

  “Of course. No problem. I’m happy to help.”

  “So see you in ten?”

  “Yup. See you.”

  ***

  “Hi!” She beamed at me the minute she spotted me. “You fucker! You lied to me!” she screeched as she playfully hit my chest.

  I laughed as I handed her a bouquet of wild flowers. “So I lied.” I leaned down and kissed her gently. “But can you really be upset over getting surprise flowers?”

  She grinned. “Well, when they’re coming from a stalker like yourself, I think the answer is yes,” she teased.

  “Ouch! Way to break a guy’s heart.” I pretended to be hurt by her comment.

  She slapped my chest again and beamed at me. “I’m just trying to bring your ego level down to that of a normal guy.”

  “Good luck with that. It’ll take a lot more than words to do that.” I pulled her into my chest and kissed her again, this time deeper and longer as my mouth explored her sweet, supple lips and tongue. I felt her body melt into my arms as she kissed me back.

  When we finally pulled away from each other, I smiled down at her. “So, now that I have you all buttered up, why don’t we have some of that coffee?” I winked at her.

  She laughed and smacked my chest again. “You’re just too much sometimes, do you know that?”

  I shrugged, my lips curled into a wry smile. “Better than too little.”

  She snorted with laughter and shook her head. “You’re so cocky.”

  “I’ve never gotten any complaints there.” I winked at her before taking her hand and walking us over to Blue Bottle Coffee’s counter. “Okay, have it your way. Let’s grab some of this real coffee now so we can get right to the other one, shall we?”

  A few minutes later, we were sitting on a bench in the nearby dog park, sipping our coffees.

  “So…” Blair began tentatively. She drew in a deep breath and looked over at me. “Can I tell you something?”

  I sensed the seriousness in her voice and felt a wave of concern wash over me. “Sure. Of course. What is it?”

  There was a pause.

  “I know you went to see Trent this morning.”

  My body stiffened as panic prickled through me. She held my gaze and I couldn’t exactly read the expression on her face. But to my relief, there were no sign of anger or hurt.

  “When I got out of the elevator at work this morning, I saw you leaving the front desk to go see Trent.”

  “Blair, that’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I…I just wanted to find the right time to—”

  “Ben, you don’t have to explain.” Her tone was soft and understanding, causing me to relax a little.

  “No, but I do,” I tried to reason. “I want to explain. I—”

  She placed her fingers to my mouth to stop me from saying anything further. “I heard everything, Ben.”

  “What do you mean?” I looked at her in confusion and alarm.

  “I was in the conference room next door.” Her cheeks turned a pale shade of pink.

  “You were? Why?” I studied her, wondering what was going on. “Were you there to listen in on our meeting?”

  She looked away and nodded. “You didn’t mention the meeting to me before, and I thought it was weird that you were there. So…my curiosity got the best of me.”

  My head was swarming with questions as I stared at her. “So what exactly did you hear?” I asked tentatively.

  “Everything,” she admitted softly.

  “Everything?” Panic rushed through me again as I tried to think back to this morning and replay my conversation with Trent in my mind.

  She nodded. “I gathered from your conversation that Trent wanted to recruit you to get close to me and somehow help him remove me from the company. I heard everything you told him…” She looked up at me, her eyes full of emotion. “Did you mean everything you had said?”

  “I…” I paused, realizing that I wasn’t sure how to respond. Her question caught me by surprise. I knew that I had been straightforward with Trent, and everything I had told him was very much the truth. But I hadn’t expected Blair to also hear my candid comments about my feelings towards her, feelings that were so new and foreign to me that they almost scared me. I wasn’t prepared for her to know how I felt. I wasn’t prepared to be this vulnerable, especially when I didn’t know what she was feeling. “I think so…”

  My answer caused her face to light up. She kissed me on the cheek and whispered in my ear. “You’re surprisingly sweet, Ben. Thank you for standing by my side. That earns you a nice cup of coffee later.”

  I laughed and smiled at her. “They say that the way to a man’s heart is food. I’m glad you know that for me it’s coffee.”

  She rolled her eyes and playfully smacked my chest a fourth time.

  Then I frowned, feeling more confused than ever. Why is there so much distrust and animosity between Blair and her brother? “Do you mind me asking what’s going on between you and your brother?”

  “No, that’s what I wanted to tell you in person.”

  “Okay…” I watched her and I could see a mixture of excitement and anxiety in her expression.

  “I know we haven’t known each other for long, but for some reason, I feel comfortable with you. And quite honestly, I don’t know who else to confide in right now. I’m not ready to tell my family and friends about all this, especially when Trent is involved.”

  “That’s understandable.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “Just tell me whatever you feel comfortable telling me.”

  She nodded. “So it might be hard to believe, but Trent and I used to be really close. He was always there for me. But when his mother passed away last year, he changed and turned into a completely different person. He became cold and distant, and sometimes I get the feeling that he resents me. But I don’t understand why he would. At first I thought this was just his way of grieving over the loss of his mother, but after a few months, our relationship didn’t get better, but got worse. And now we barely talk outside of work. So after your conversation with Trent confirmed that he had something against me, I wanted to know what it was. He was mad that you didn’t agree to help and left the office shortly after your meeting.” She paused and bit her lip. “After he left, I decided to go through his documents in his office…”

  “You did?”

  She nodded and looked away from me. “And I found out why he’d changed since his mother’s death.” Her voice trailed off into a whisper.

  “What is it?” I took her hands and squeezed them reassuringly.

  She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “Trent’s not really my half-brother.”

  I stared at her for a second, trying to digest her words. “What do you mean? How is that possible?”

  “I found some documents. Apparently Trent’s mother purposefully left them for Trent when she passed away. So Trent didn’t know the truth until a year ago.”

  “What kind of documents?”

  “There was a letter to Trent from his mother as well as Trent’s birth certificate and an old letter from the hospital where he was born. Apparently, there was a mix-up when Trent was born. He was switched at birth with my biological half-sister.”

  “What?” For a moment I thought I had misunderstood her words. “How could that have possibly happened?”

  “They were short-staffed that evening and neither set of parents wanted to know the sex of the baby before the birth. There were complications during both births and the wrong identification bracelets were placed on the two babies.”

  “So Trent’s not related to you at all?” I knew she had answered my question, but for some reason, I needed to ask one more time, I needed to make sure I had this right.

  “No, he’s not. I have a half-sister out there somewhere, though.”

  “Wow. That’s just crazy.” I tried to process what this all meant. “Is this why he’s trying to push you out of the company?”

  Her brows furrowed i
n anguish. “I think so.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, with our—my father in the hospital recovering from his stroke, it’s unlikely he’ll return to the company and become CEO again. I think Trent just wants to make sure I don’t somehow jeopardize his position as the CEO.”

  “Well, he’s a fucking asshole!”

  She forced a smile. “I know I can’t overlook the fact that he’s been trying to sabotage my position at the company, but a part of me—the younger sister part of me—can’t help but feel sorry for him. I can’t imagine what he went through when he found out the truth. To find out your whole life was a lie…”

  “Still…there are better ways to handle this situation than to try to take over a company that’s not yours to begin with. He can’t get away with that shit.”

  “I know…but you have to understand, ever since he was fifteen, my father has been grooming him and preparing him to take over the company when he got older. Trent’s worked really hard to prove himself to my father over the years. I can’t imagine what he must have felt. Maybe he thinks it was all for nothing.” She let out a deep sigh. “I know I need to remind myself of what Trent’s been trying to do. I know I need to handle this situation soon. I just need time to process my feelings.”

  I caressed her face, wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheeks. I kissed her forehead and whispered, “It’ll all work out.”

  She slumped inside my arms and mumbled, “I can’t believe I have a sister.”

  “I know. That’s crazy.”

  “Do you think I should try to find her?”

  “Hmm.” I tried to sort through my thoughts as I looked into her anxious emerald eyes. “Do you want to find her?”

  “I…I don’t know.”

  “Well, the good news is, you don’t have to do anything at this very moment. I think you need to give yourself at least a few days to let this news sink in. This is a lot to take in, and you need to allow yourself to process everything before deciding on your next move.”

  She nodded in agreement. “Thanks for being here for me. I know you were hoping for something far less serious.”

  I snorted a laugh. “Perhaps, but I’m not a rabid horn-dog. I can fight off my urges when necessary.”

  She kissed me gently and smiled. “And here I thought I was irresistible to you.”

  “You are.” I winked. “I just know how to hide it well so I don’t scare you off.”

  She beamed at me and at that moment, I felt happier than I could ever remember being. I wasn’t sure why, but there was something about Blair I felt connected to. Even though we’d only met less than two months ago, there was something about her that made me feel like I’d been connected to her for years.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Blair

  Three Weeks Later

  “How is he doing?” I asked as soon as we were out of earshot of my father’s hospital room.

  Dr. Hines studied my father’s chart before removing his square-rimmed spectacles to look at me. “The good news is that now that your father’s out of the coma, he’s no longer in critical condition and can leave the hospital as early as next week.”

  “And the bad news?” I knew there was bad news by the expression on his face.

  “Well, from the latest CT scan and MRI, there appear to be some signs of brain damage from your father’s stroke.”

  I gasped. “Is the damage permanent?” I quickly brushed away the hot tears that fell down my cheeks.

  “It’s too early to say what the lasting damages are at this point. Right now, he’s lost a significant part of his muscle movement on one side of his body, which has affected his ability to speak. He’s also suffering from some memory loss. These are common side effects of a stroke. Many patients make a good recovery and can regain most, if not all, of their movement and ability to speak. But please be aware that it’s a very long recovery process, and there may be some residual cognitive, behavioral, and physical disabilities. For now, let’s remain optimistic as we continue to monitor his recovery.”

  “Okay. Thank you, Dr. Hines.”

  I slowly walked back to my father’s hospital room as I took in the news. I was relieved that he had finally woken up from his coma. He’d been in a coma since his stroke three months earlier. But it was hard not to continue to worry about what this could all mean. I wanted to desperately tell him about Trent and what he was trying to do, but I also didn’t want to worry him at this point when he needed to rest and time to recover.

  “Here are some ice chips,” came Ben’s voice inside my father’s hospital room.

  I heard my father’s garbled speech as he tried to respond, and my heart broke at the sound. Just as I was about to walk into the room, Ben’s words stopped me.

  “You don’t have to worry, Mr. Parker.” There was a sincerity in his voice that I’d never heard before. “Just focus on taking care of yourself.”

  I wasn’t sure why, but I took a step back and stood beside the wall next to the doorframe of my father’s room.

  “B—Brrr.” I heard my father’s attempted words and I shut my eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay.

  “Yes, Blair,” Ben responded softly.

  “Y—yyuu? B—buh…f—ffrr?”

  Ben let out a warm chuckle. “Mr. Parker, nothing gets past you, does it? Well, Blair and I haven’t exactly talked about it, but just between you and me”—he lowered his voice—“yes, I’d like to think that I’m her boyfriend.”

  “G—good.” He let out a labored sigh.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her. All you need to think about is getting enough rest and having a speedy recovery. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  I smiled and blinked back the tears as I listened to Ben’s conversation with my father. I always wondered if there was a deeper side to him beyond his cocky, aggressive exterior, and now I knew. This was a side of Ben I’d never seen before. It was a side of him he didn’t show me, but I could see now that this was the real Ben.

  I waited for a minute after their conversation stopped before walking through the door.

  “Hey, I’m back.”

  “Welcome back.”

  “How’s it going?” I smiled at my father. Half of his face responded and formed into a tired smile. “Is Ben bothering you, Dad?”

  “Hey, be nice!” Ben laughed. “Your dad was telling me how much of a brat you were as a child. I see that you haven’t changed a bit.”

  “Don’t put words in my dad’s mouth, asshole,” I teased. “He would never say that about me.” I made a face at Ben.

  My father’s laugh came out low and uneven, but I could tell he was in a good mood.

  “Well, I hate to leave, but I really need to get back to the office.” Ben got up. “It was great meeting you, Mr. Parker.”

  “B—Bill.”

  Ben smiled. “It was great meeting you, Bill. Don’t forget what I said. Just focus on taking care of yourself.”

  “Dad, I’ll be right back.”

  I walked Ben out of the room and into the hallway.

  “Thanks for taking the morning off and coming to the hospital with me.” I buried my face into Ben’s warm embrace, feeling more at home with him than I could remember with anyone else.

  “Thanks for helping me with my Christmas shopping. I’m awful at it. My family will probably ask me who helped me with it.”

  “And what are you going to tell them?” I looked up at him.

  He leaned down and gently kissed my nose. “That I have a wonderful girlfriend.”

  I beamed up at him, amazed at how incredible those words had just made me feel. I felt myself sink deeper into his hard, warm chest as I inhaled his inviting scent. “I’m glad you met my dad today,” I whispered against his chest.

  “Me too. I can tell he means a lot to you.” He kissed me on the forehead and tightened his arms around me.

&nbs
p; “Yeah.” I paused and felt ashamed for even thinking it. “Am I a selfish person to wish that my dad never had the stroke so he could be dealing with the mess with Trent?”

  Ben’s face twisted in anguish. “No, of course not. That’s not an easy situation to be in. Have you told your dad yet?”

  I shook my head. “He’s already sick. I don’t want to trouble him with this too right now. I know that I need to confront Trent about this, and sooner rather than later. I need to make sure my father’s company and my family are protected.” I felt a pang of guilt as I thought of Trent as an outsider, a stranger who was trying to take advantage of my father and our family.

  “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

  “Yeah, I think I’m going to talk to Trent tomorrow.”

  Ben raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me there to help?”

  I smiled and shook my head. “No, I think I need to talk to him alone.”

  “Okay, if you change your mind, just let me know.”

  “Thanks, boyfriend.” I winked at him, causing him to let out a hearty chuckle.

  “And have you decided on what you want to do on the sister front?”

  “Yup, I have.” I grinned. “I’m going to do it. I’m going to find my long-lost half-sister.”

  “That’s great. I’m glad you decided to go for it.” A smirk appeared on Ben’s face.

  “What?” I smacked him playfully, knowing he was up to no good. “What are you thinking?”

  “It’s nothing.” He made no effort to hide his amusement.

  “Spill it, pal.” I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently, pretending to be upset. “Or else all we’re having this week is regular coffee.”

  “No!” He laughed. “Fine. Jeez, you sure know how to threaten a guy.” He shook his head. “I was just thinking what it’d be like to have two of you around.” He licked his lips and arched an eyebrow. “That’d be pretty hot.”

  “You asshole.” I hit him again, but this time harder.

  “I was just teasing, baby,” he protested against his laughter. “You’re already a handful. I don’t need—or want—two of you.”

  I raised a finger at him. “My sister is off limits. Don’t get any funny ideas if I find her.”