THEIR LIES, OUR LIVES

by L. J. Hoffman

  THEIR LIES, OUR LIVES

  By L. J. Hoffman

  THEIR LIES, OUR LIVES

  COPYRIGHT © 2013 by L. J. Hoffman

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  To my friends who encouraged me to read and escape to another place.

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  EPILOGUE

  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  CHAPTER ONE

  Another few miles and she’d be back home, or at least near enough. Since stopping at the convenience store Randi’s last hour of driving was making her back ache and feet hurt. She had hoped the brief stop, to get out and walk around, and buy an iced tea and lottery ticket, would have helped lessen the growing exhaustion she was beginning to feel with nine hours on the road. Imagining being able to kick off her shoes, strip off her clothes, and slide into that gloriously comfortable King-size bed next to Chad were flooding her mind and senses. Chad would be so warm and welcoming. He’d probably be lying on his side, with his left arm under the pillow and his right stretched over caressing the emptiness where Randi would soon be. With a little encouragement on her part, he’d awaken from his slumber for some yeah baby, glad you’re back, missed you like crazy sex!

  Turning onto Circle Court and letting out a deep sigh, Randi eased her car to a stop in front of Chad’s garage. Five two-story homes made up Circle Court, and all were cloaked in darkness, tucked in for the night. A quiet, tranquil neighborhood would be expected since it was nearing three o’clock in the morning. The night was still warm, but for July that would be the norm. She didn’t want to make much noise so she only grabbed her purse and laptop bag to take into the house for now. Chad had given her a key some months ago so she figured to quietly slip in the kitchen door and head directly upstairs. Stepping onto the back patio, she slipped the key into the lock, glanced into the kitchen and noticed a shirtless Chad standing in front of the refrigerator.

  In a split second, she had turned the key, entered, and focused on Chad as she stepped into the dimly lit kitchen. What she never expected was for him to be awake, shirtless, and quite obviously NOT alone. A woman had her back against the refrigerator and appeared to be momentarily speechless. But clearly, a split second eye roll of disgust was hurled in Randi’s direction. Chad! A woman! He’s shirtless? Their close proximity, her eye roll!….Are you fucking kidding me…what the hell!

  “Guess the element of surprise is always a good thing,” Randi said as she placed her purse and laptop on the black granite countertop. Her keys, she kept in her hand. She really didn’t know if this was the end of the road for her. It was as if someone had hit the stop button on her life, and time was standing still. Awkward didn’t even begin to describe the moment.

  Time lurched forward as Chad quickly stepped in Randi’s direction but not before she noticed that he was hot and hard. Ready to go - aroused. HARD & HOT…the dick! As he reached out to cup her face in his hands and kiss her on the forehead, his attempt at sounding nurturing fell flat. “Hey baby, you look spent. Did you take off last evening?” Enveloping her in his arms, he pulled her in close and whispered into her ear very quietly, “I need you baby.” The words sounded lusty with want and passion. Not a plea to help him escape a female that he was having difficulty extracting himself from. I so can’t wait for this explanation….and it sure as hell better come fast….HA!….that was probably what the mystery woman was hoping for…BITCH.

  Randi tossed her keys on the counter beside her purse, stepped back from Chad and folded her arms across her chest. She glanced back and forth between the two perpetrators and waited for an explanation. What had she walked in on? Certainly, from what she saw, this was an interrupted moment that was within a hairs width of becoming mind blowing kitchen sex. She waited. Her mind insisting she lash out and call it the way it was or at least appeared. But if experience had taught her anything, it was to wait. Wait and give people enough rope to hang themselves with their lies. Relationships and lies are NEVER a good pairing, yet they always seem to be hand in hand.

  “Hi, I’m Jenna Timmons, I live next door. You must be totally exhausted! Chad said you’d be back tomorrow once the workshop ended in Charlotte. I can’t imagine you’d have wanted to drive all that way after a long day, but yet here you are.” Jenna was trying to be smooth but her voice was a little too high and she was speaking a little too fast for Randi’s liking. Nervous? Flustered? Perhaps both? Jenna sat her beer on the counter near the sink and made her way to the door. Once she was standing near both Randi and Chad, she decided to offer up her explanation of events. “Luke, my husband, we had a little argument before he left for work. I was sitting on the back deck; and I just couldn’t sleep. And then, I heard Chad come home. I thought maybe a beer and a neutral male opinion about “my” argument would help me to smooth things over with Luke once he gets home.” Looking at her left wrist and spinning her gold watch around, she exclaimed, “Oh shit, he’ll be off duty and here in about three hours.” Without a moment’s hesitation, she reached out to touch Chad’s bicep, giving a gentle squeeze, and said, “Thank you, that helped.” Giving one final little smile to no one in particular, she exited the kitchen door.

  ~~**~~

  Luke Timmons had just finished washing and waxing his brand new Ford F150 truck. He’d waited weeks for his special order. Never in his life was he able to have a made to order, brand-new vehicle, but at thirty-five he was finally in a position to treat himself and so he did. It was a thing of beauty and damn if he couldn’t wait to hit the road when vacation time rolled around. He and Jenna were headed south for a few days on the Outer Banks. She wanted a week at a posh resort and spa in the mountains, while Luke longed to be on the beach. Maybe do a little kayaking, enjoy some deep-sea fishing. Get away, as a couple, alone. Give them a chance to experience different scenery. In truth he was hoping that it would help Jenna’s mood. Lately it didn’t matter what he did because nothing was ever right. His buying the new vehicle really pissed her off. Probably because it was something for him, and not “all about her”, and when he implied in the heat of the argument that she could get a job if she wanted more money, that didn’t go over very well. Soon they’d be married three years, and for the life of him, he wondered if he’d make it in the relationship another year.

  The alarm beeped on his watch telling him to put away his toys; it was time to go in. He scooped up both his bucket and the dirty rags setting them next to the wall in the garage. As he reached for his hooded sweatshirt, the lottery ticket he bought that morning dropped to the floor. Snatching it up, he took his wallet from his left rear pocket and slipped it in. Oh what a great dream….to be a lucky lottery winner. He’d catch a quick nap before heading in to work the night shift as a State Trooper. Nights were the shift that best suited him, and he loved the job. The situations people could get into at late hours never ceased to amaze him. Some were intentional. Other events were so beyond
anyone’s control that those unfortunate souls were victims in every sense of the word. Putting the garage door down, he turned to walk into the kitchen. Jenna was sitting at the table playing a game on her laptop. She rolled her eyes as he entered the kitchen. Oh great…seriously, an eye roll…here we go again.

  “I suppose your little clock said its nap time.”

  “Well, yeah, I should get an hour or two before I get ready and head out. Is there something you needed me to do?” Luke figured if she was asking, when she knew what he normally did, she had a reason. Once he finished washing his hands, he tore off a couple paper towels to dry and turned to face her.

  “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. So many of the couples we know have started families, and I think it would be good for us to have a little one. I certainly have the time and...” Luke abruptly interrupted Jenna mid-sentence.

  “Not a conversation I’m going to entertain now. Especially all the better we’ve been getting along. You don’t create a baby so YOU can occupy your free time. In case you hadn’t noticed, those other couples are damned busy, ALL the time.” Tossing the paper towels in the trash, Luke took a couple of steps toward the living room. He could hear the protest of the hardwood floor as she hurriedly slid the chair away from the table. He knew without a doubt, another argument was on the way.

  “You are a selfish bastard Luke Timmons!” Her words were all but hissed from her mouth. Running into the living room to get directly in front of him, she stopped quickly and with both her hands, palms flat, smacked them against his chest.

  Luke snared her wrists with both of his hands. He paused to take a cleansing breath and with eyes that radiated cool calm said, “Jenna, why in the hell would I even consider a child when I am married to one. If you remember, it was a child that brought us together in marriage in the first place, and God rest her soul. As I remember, being pregnant didn’t make you happy then. I guess you don’t consider that you ever had a child since you miscarried!” Pulling her hands away, he released her wrists and stepped left, heading towards the stairs when he heard her words dripping with venom. Words that tore at his heart.

  “Miscarriage maybe, but there can always be another baby.” Jenna stomped back into the kitchen.

  As Luke stepped onto the upstairs landing and walked into their bedroom, his eyes stung with tears. He’d wanted a child, that child, his daughter. A baby that would never be and a life he could not forget. Part of him died when Jenna had miscarried, yet she moved on without missing a beat. How had that been possible? Forget a nap. He grabbed his work gear and headed back downstairs. He’d hit the gym before work. Maybe running like hell on the treadmill, or finding a boxing partner, would expend his anger. Out the front door he bounded, never looking back. Unlocking his truck, he saw Chad Wingert, his next-door neighbor, mowing his lawn. With a toss of his hand, Luke waved acknowledgement and hopped into his truck. What he wouldn’t give to be on vacation, headed south alone. Away from Jenna. Placing his right hand to his heart and gently closing his eyes, he whispered a silent prayer for his unborn daughter.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Turning the lock and securing the door, Chad reached for Randi. She quickly reversed her steps moving to the opposite end of the counter. The kitchen and living room were an open living space allowing her room to move; she needed to get a clear path to the kitchen door, if she could maneuver it. Could she pick up her purse, laptop, and keys and actually get out the door? That might be a problem. This homecoming was not playing out as she’d envisioned it in her mind. Chad was plotting; knowing he had to diffuse the situation and convince Randi that what she thought was going on was far from truth. He’d covered his ass before, and she took him at his word, so this should be no different.

  “Come on babe, I know your mind is working overtime. I just walked in the door, stripped off my t-shirt cause it smelled like cigarette smoke. TOM’S was packed with people tonight. Blue, with smoke actually. I knocked back some beers with the guys. I was gonna drink some water before heading up to bed when I heard knocking at the door. It was Jenna and she looked upset. She asked if she could talk to me for a minute. Come ooonnnn, don’t be like this. Please….I really missed you.” All the while he was slowly snaking towards Randi giving her his best puppy dog eyes and a pout that only tender kisses could soothe.

  Randi was listening, watching, and continued backing around the kitchen island, passing the refrigerator. Being a master manipulator was second nature to Chad, and he wanted to make her think she’d imagined what she saw. Not likely this time asshole! “Really! Is that really the explanation you wanna go with?” Her tone was controlled but had a hint of bite. “I gotta say one thing you really do think fast on your feet. The sad part is you probably believe the shit you’re puttin’ out there. There is absolutely….AB-SO-LUTELY….no fucking doubt what I saw. Your words tell me lies! Your body spoke the truth at the VERY moment you were caught. HARD to wrap your mind around I’m sure, but I don’t believe you.”

  Chad stopped. Exasperated, he sighed, dropped his chin to his chest and slowly shook his head left to right. “You’re wrong Randi, so wrong.” Raising his head and pushing his hand back through his dark brown hair, he leaned against the island counter, and in the tone of a parent correcting a child he warned. “Keep this up and you’re really gonna piss me off. I’ve had a long day. I’m ready to go to bed and I don’t need your drama right now. You should have just stayed put in Charlotte and come home tomorrow. Shit, I mean today. Now knock it off and let’s go to bed.” He stormed into the living room and stomped up the stairs.

  Any further explanation was no longer necessary in his mind. He’d spoken, which meant their conversation was over. Period.

  Randi closed her eyes briefly and set in her mind, right then and there to end her relationship with Chad. Alert flags had kept popping up in her mind. This wasn’t the first time she’d questioned their relationship. Things she saw, but was told she misunderstood. Like women acting a little too familiar with Chad’s body when they were out as a couple. She didn’t need it! And she sure as hell didn’t need to resolve it in her mind at this very minute. She was tired, angry, and wanted to escape. Escape to the safety of her apartment. Quietly grasping her keys, she put her purse over her arm and tucked the laptop under it. She knew Chad would be expecting her to come up the stairs and into his bed. In the past, that would have been exactly what she would have done. She would have sucked up her pride, told herself she was making too much of things, and crawled….not literally, but she felt like she just as well did…into his bed and his arms. He’d hold her, kiss her, and whisper words of passion to her. But, he’d never loved her. His loving made her feel cheap and made her feel like second best. Yet she stayed.

  Not tonight. She slipped his house key off her key ring and placed it on the counter. Quietly, she exited out the kitchen door and settled into her car. She had to control her departure. Once the decision was made, she had to move. Looking in her rearview mirror, she could see Chad’s front porch light pierce the darkness. Rushing out his front door, in his boxers, his arms flailed in rage. As she turned onto the highway, Randi’s cell phone began to ring a familiar tone. Without looking she knew it would be Chad and he certainly would be livid.

  ~~**~~

  Luke had hoped he’d feel differently about returning home this morning after his shift, but he didn’t. Looking back now, he realized marrying Jenna might have been a mistake. But at the time, it was the right thing to do. They had been dating for about two months when she told him she was pregnant. She was on the pill and he always used protection, but he knew nothing was fool proof and an unplanned pregnancy could still happen.

  Foster care was all Luke had known growing up. No true family. He wasn’t connected by family, and he wanted that…a family. After the initial shock of her pregnancy wore off, he was beyond happy. Sure they hadn’t been seeing each other all that long, but in his mind that didn’t make a difference. She was pregnant with his
child, and he did care for her. Maybe not love her, but then, maybe he didn’t know what true love felt like since he couldn’t say he had ever experienced it. How can you know how to feel emotions you’re not sure you’d know unless they bit you on the ass?

  Turning his patrol car onto Orchard Road, Luke noticed a young woman leaning against a parked car in the 200 lot of Orchard Road Apartment Complex. As he eased to a stop behind her car, his senses were on high alert. What is this young woman doing out at nearly five in the morning? Alone? Leaning against her car? Was she drunk? Sick?

  Luke lowered the driver side window of his patrol car and called out in a gentle yet authoritative voice. “Miss, this is Trooper Timmons with State Police. Are you alright?”

  “Oh God…..ssshhhiiitt.” Randi growled softly. Life cannot be this complicated, yet it is. Turning to face the patrol car, Randi addressed Trooper Timmons. “Officer, I’m fine really. I’ve just driven nine hours from Charlotte, had a very unpleasant encounter with my boyfriend, and I use that endearment in the past tense. I up dumped my stupid purse! I just want to get in my apartment, kick off my shoes, get outta these clothes….and no that is not a pickup line….and go to bed. The last 24 hours have been unforgettable, yet that is exactly what I would love to do. Forget.”

  A smirk teased his lips at the rant of this young beauty. She did appear a little worse for wear and tired to the bone. But, she was fiesty and quite certainly all right. The early dawn light of this July morning provided him with a good look at her. Her brown hair was cut in a short Marilyn Monroe bob, with random curls of madness on top of her approximately five foot, seven inch frame. Under different circumstances, he was certain her blue green eyes would be very alluring to be sure. He knew he shouldn’t prolong her agony but damn he wanted to at least get a name. “Well, Miss…”