The Lies That Define Us

by Micalea Smeltzer

  My mom sighed, and her shoulders sagged slightly. “Okay. Sure.” Raising her eyes—the same light blue that stared back at me in the mirror every day—to mine, she said, “But we are talking about this later. We’ve let you off the hook for two years. No more, Liam. I mean it.”

  “Yes, Ma.” I walked toward her and pulled her into my arms, hugging her tight. “Love you.” I kissed the top of her blond head.

  “See ya later, Dad.” I hugged him, too, before heading out to my car.

  I really did have a meeting. But not for five more hours. Oh well.

  What they didn’t know wouldn’t kill them, and hopefully that would give me enough time to compose myself after their surprise attack.

  Ari

  When I came downstairs ready to leave for work, I was surprised to find Liam’s parents sitting in the family room watching TV but no Liam to be seen anywhere.

  “Uh…” I started into the room. “I’m getting ready to leave for work. Did Liam leave?”

  “He said he had a meeting,” his dad responded with a shrug.

  “Oh, okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you guys later then,” I said awkwardly, backing out of the room.

  “Oh.” His mom popped up from the couch suddenly. “How rude of us. We never properly introduced ourselves. I’m Remy.” She hurried over to me and opened her arms for a hug.

  “Ari,” I said unnecessarily, accepting her hug.

  “Mathias.” Liam’s dad waved from the couch.

  “Mathias,” Remy scolded, “get over here and greet the girl properly.”

  Mathias grumbled, much the way Liam did over most things, and stood. He walked over and held out his hand.

  “Nice to meet you.” He shook my hand. To his wife, he asked, “Does that suffice?”

  “Good enough,” she remarked, grinning at him. They seemed to be communicating silently with just their eyes—the way only certain people could.

  “I need to get to work.” I took a step away and their attention moved to me. “I work at Mo’s; I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. It’s just down the road not too far. If Liam doesn’t come back and you get hungry, just come on by.”

  “That sounds so nice. I’m sure we will.” Remy smiled brightly at me.

  I nodded once and headed for the garage. Behind me, they began to speak in hushed tones, and I swore I heard Mathias say, “She doesn’t know.”

  If she was me, what was it I didn’t know?

  ***

  From the moment I set foot in Mo’s, I didn’t slow down. There was a constant stream of orders to take, drinks to refill, and food to carry out.

  Little pieces of hair fluttered around my face, and I batted them away. It was time to re-do my ponytail for the fifth time. I could never get my hair to stay back for long; it demanded to be set free.

  I finished taking an order and breezed over to the computer to enter it.

  I’d picked up on things fairly easily and Rebecca had long since stopped helping. If I had a question I sought her out, but it was rare.

  While I was entering the order, she came over to me and leaned against the counter. “I’m exhausted, and I have two more hours on my shift.”

  “Me too,” I groaned.

  “We should do something Monday. You’re off, right?” she asked, scrubbing a hand over her tired face.

  “Yeah. What do you have in mind?” I asked nervously.

  “The mall?” she suggested. “It’s not like either of us really has the money to buy anything, but it would be fun to do something different.”

  “Sure,” I agreed with a shrug.

  “Yay!” She clapped her hands together. Glancing up, she muttered, “I gotta go. Table three is waving for me.”

  I laughed and finished entering the order.

  I stuffed my notebook back in my pocket and headed into the kitchen to see if one of my orders was ready. One was, so I grabbed a tray and began piling the plates on. When I first started, I’d stared in wonder at the waiters and waitresses effortlessly carrying the heavily-loaded trays. I’d believed there was no way I could ever master that, but I had.

  I carried the tray out and placed the plates on the table.

  “Is there anything else I can get you guys?” I asked.

  “Nope.” The man shook his head. “I think we’re good for now.”

  “I’ll be by to check on you in a few minutes.”

  I went to one of my other tables and grabbed glasses for refills. I found that keeping myself busy helped the time go faster. Some of my colleagues preferred to only make a few trips out to tables and then busy themselves in the back on their phone. That wasn’t for me, though. Granted, I didn’t have a phone, but even then I couldn’t imagine myself being that way. I was there to work, and I wanted to provide the best service I could so I could make big tips.

  I returned the refilled drinks with a smile and checked on my other tables, bringing people extra napkins and ketchup when they asked.

  When my shift finally ended all I wanted to do was go home and sleep.

  Home.

  Damn. I hadn’t realized I’d already begun thinking of Liam’s house as home.

  That wasn’t good.

  With a sigh, I clocked out and went through the back door to where I’d left my bike. Biking to and from work wasn’t ideal, but it sure as hell beat walking. I piled my things in the little basket in the front and climbed on. I hadn’t ridden a bike in years before I got on that one, but it was one of those things you never seemed to forget how to do.

  It was after eight in the evening, but the sun still shone in the sky, and I was grateful for that fact. It would suck riding home in the dark.

  When I got to the house, I slipped off the bike and put the code in to open the garage door. I was surprised to find that Liam’s Jeep was still gone.

  I leaned my bike against the wall and headed inside, removing my crossbody bag and dragging it behind me. I hadn’t eaten dinner, but I did have a late lunch at Mo’s, so I wasn’t hungry. I’d probably shower and have a snack later. Then again, going to bed sounded like a mighty good idea.

  I hadn’t been paying attention, and I smacked into a wall.

  “Ow,” I cried, stumbling backwards.

  “Hey, careful there.” Mathias reached out to steady me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, just fine.” I rubbed my forehead where it had collided with his hard bicep. “Is Liam still gone?” I looked around like maybe he was hiding behind the couch or something.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s typical Liam, though. Fleeing an uncomfortable situation is his M.O. He’ll show up later tonight or in the morning.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.

  “And that’s normal?” I raised a brow as Remy came into the hallway from the area of the kitchen.

  “Yeah,” she replied with a sigh. “Unfortunately.”

  “Hmm,” I hummed, moving around Mathias so I could head for the stairs. “Well, I’m going to go shower, and I’ll see you guys in the morning, I guess.”

  Awkward level? On a scale of one to ten we were at a twelve point five.

  “We made dinner if you want any,” Remy called after me, her face turned down into a concerned frown.

  “I’m not that hungry, but I’ll grab some if I need to.”

  She nodded. “Goodnight.”

  “Night.”

  I hurried the rest of the way down the hall to my room and breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed behind me.

  Sweet, sweet sanctuary.

  I headed straight for the bathroom and rid myself of the grease-smelling clothes. By the time I got out of the shower I felt like a whole new person. I changed into pajamas and brushed out my wet hair.

  Settling into bed I watched some TV before drifting off to sleep.

  And when I slept, the truth masked as nightmares plagued me.

  ***

  I walked along the sidewalk, kicking at random pebbles as I thought about the atrocious amount of math homework I ha
d. It was seriously unfair.

  School sucked.

  And so did the other kids.

  Particularly Anna Hendricks.

  You could say she was the resident mean girl of my school, and for some reason she had it out for me. I didn’t know what I could’ve possibly done to bring her wrath down upon me, but whatever it was must’ve been bad the way she tortured me.

  Today, she’d told my crush, Jack Harrison, that I liked him.

  But that wasn’t all. She’d announced it in the middle of lunch in front of the whole eighth grade.

  I’d never been more embarrassed in all my life.

  I’d run from the common area and straight to the bathroom. I’d sat there and cried until the bell rang when I finally had to compose myself and go to History class.

  At least the school day was over.

  Mom and Dad were both working but my mom had told me that we could get pizza for dinner.

  I loved pizza.

  I wiped a stray tear away and silently scolded myself for still crying over Anna and the mean thing she’d done. My tears gave her power, even if she couldn’t see them.

  “Hey, darlin’, are you okay?”

  I glanced up, jolted from my thoughts, to see a dark SUV rolling to a stop beside me.

  A man leaned out the passenger window looking concerned.

  “I’m fine,” I muttered, not making eye contact. I got a bad vibe from him and wanted to get away, so I started walking again and quickened my strides.

  The SUV continued beside me at a slow pace.

  “You need a ride home?”

  I swallowed thickly.

  “No, but thanks.” I tried to sound polite and not let the fear show through my voice. “My mom is picking me up around the corner,” I lied.

  The SUV came to a stop and the man’s voice turned sinister. “Now, darlin’, we both know that’s not true.”

  My eyes widened in surprise, and my fight or flight senses kicked in.

  I took off running, and I heard the SUV doors open. Feet thumped behind me, but I didn’t dare look back.

  A steel band slammed around my abdomen, yanking me against a hard chest. I started to scream, but the moment I opened my mouth a hand was there covering it.

  I kicked.

  I bit.

  I screamed.

  But there was no one there to help.

  No one there to save me.

  “You’re coming with us, Scarlett.” The man who’d been in the passenger seat spoke near my ear as I was dragged back to the SUV. I was shoved inside the back, and my shoulder slammed into the seat.

  “My name’s not Scarlett!” I screamed back, fighting to get past him and to the safety of the outside.

  “It is now.” He grinned menacingly and then his fist slammed into my face.

  Everything

  Went

  Black.

  Liam

  “Can’t sleep?”

  “Jesus,” Ari yelped, slamming a hand to her chest. Her blue eyes were wide with surprise.

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s only me. Liam.” I raised the mug of hot chocolate to my lips—yes, hot-fucking-chocolate. I didn’t care if it was July and the middle of the night. I wanted some hot chocolate. “I still don’t know how I can possibly scare you at this point. This happens practically every night…or morning.” I glanced at the clock lit up on the TV, flashing that it was two in the morning.

  “Right.” She lowered her hand, and I noticed how shaky it was by her side.

  She’d been screaming again.

  “You want some hot chocolate?” I asked her, lifting my mug.

  Even from the distance between us I could see the sparkle in her eyes. “Hot chocolate?” She lit up, her smile wide.

  I nodded from where I sat on the couch. “Yeah. Come sit down, and I’ll make you some.”

  Surprisingly, she did sit down.

  “I’ll be right back,” I said, standing up and brushing past her. My leg bumped into her knee, and I mumbled a quick apology. “Sorry.”

  She let out a small laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” I stopped beneath the archway and turned back to look at her.

  She shook her head and reached up to pull her hair loose from the bun it was in.

  “I didn’t know you could apologize.” She laughed some more.

  I settled my face into a glare. “Don’t expect it to happen again.”

  “Trust me, I’m not.” She chortled, still completely amused.

  “Hey, I can apologize, it’s just rare,” I defended.

  “And apparently never for the things you should apologize for,” she countered, looking at me seriously.

  “Right.” I drew out the word. “I’ll be back with that hot chocolate,” I muttered, and hauled ass away from her.

  It only took a few minutes to make the hot chocolate, and when it was done I added four mini marshmallows to the top. And sprinkles. Girls love sprinkles, right? It just looked like unicorn shit to me, but hopefully she’d appreciate it.

  And why in the ever-loving-fuck am I thinking so seriously about sprinkles and whether or not Ari will like them? I was tempted to pick the fuckers out, but the little devils were too small for that.

  I was giving the damn sprinkles way too much thought and stalling for time.

  I grabbed the mug up and headed back into the family room. Ari had made herself comfortable on the couch, snuggling into the cushions with a blanket draped around her shoulders.

  “Here.” I stretched my arm out with the mug, handing it to her roughly. A bit of the liquid sloshed out onto my hand, but I didn’t give a fuck.

  She took the mug with a quiet thank you.

  I took a seat as she lifted the mug slowly to her lips, testing the temperature. When she decided it was safe to drink she took a large gulp and let out a small moan.

  “I haven’t had hot chocolate in years. This is delicious.”

  I gave her a small smile. “Years, huh?” I stretched my legs out on the ottoman. “Why’s that?”

  She paled and set the mug down on the table behind the couch. “Circumstances,” she finally responded.

  “Do these circumstances have anything to do with why you wake up screaming every night?”

  She paled even further to a ghostly white and lowered her head, picking at a loose thread on the blanket. “I’d wondered if you heard me.”

  “Every night.” I took a sip of my own hot chocolate. “I figured you’d tell me in your own time, but…” I shrugged. “I’ve been an asshole, so why would you tell me anything?” I laughed self-deprecatingly. “I’m sorry for that, truly, but I don’t know any way else to be. Not anymore.”

  “What was her name?” she asked softly, her eyes almost caring.

  “Whose name?” My brows furrowed in puzzlement.

  “The girl who broke your heart. What’s her name?” she said each word slowly and carefully, like she was placing a highly-combustible bomb in my lap. I guess, in a way, she sort of was.

  “How’d you know?” I forced the words past my lips. I wanted to be angry with her for even asking, but something about the quiet of the night and the small intimate bubble that seemed to surround us kept me from exploding.

  “I didn’t.” She shrugged her slender shoulders and took a sip of hot chocolate. “I guessed based on your behavior. Sometimes you look at me with such distrust, and hey, I get it, you could distrust me simply for the fact that I’m a stranger, but it’s more than that,” she defended. “I know it is.” She squared her shoulders with a resolve and lifted one brow like she was daring me to argue with her.

  “You’re right,” I confessed, and damn it felt good to give voice to the words.

  “What was her name?” she asked again, trying to coax the truth out of me.

  I narrowed my eyes on her. “Why does that matter so much?”

  “It doesn’t.” She set her mug aside and wrapped the blanket back around her shoulders since it had fallen down.
“I thought maybe you’d feel better to talk about it.”

  “I haven’t talked about it since it happened, why would I start now?” I countered, resisting the sudden urge to reach out and glide my fingers over her soft cheek and down to her chin where I could bring her lips to mine.

  “Because the truth heals everything.” Something glimmered in her eyes. Something that looked a lot like fear.

  “What’s your truth, Ari?” I adjusted my seat on the couch so that I could look at her more fully. “Why do you wake up screaming every night?”

  “I’ll tell if you tell,” she whispered, ducking her head so I couldn’t see her eyes.

  “You lie.” I reached out and grasped her hand against my better judgment, forcing her to look at me.

  “You’re right.” Her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips, and her eyes flicked to my own mouth. “But only because I know you’re like me. You’ll never tell the secrets you keep.” Her voice was soft, almost husky sounding, and the air seemed to sizzle between us. That was the longest we’d ever spoken, and without fighting. I blamed it on the seeming safety of the early hour. Like no one and nothing could reach us. It felt as if we existed in our own realm. One all our own.

  “We’re made of the same stuff, you and me.”

  “And what’s that?” Her voice was soft, and she leaned unconsciously closer to me.

  “Secrets and lies, woven together by fear and hate.”

  “Is that all?” she asked breathlessly, her knee bumping mine as she adjusted her position on the couch.

  “There’s hope there too, somehow still burning even when it should’ve long since been extinguished.” I stretched my arm over the back of the couch, and the gesture seemed to draw her even closer to me. So close that I could count a few tiny freckles sprinkled across her nose.

  “Liam,” she breathed my name, and something in me snapped.

  That something being my self-control.

  I grabbed her face with both of my hands. Her mouth parted with a gasp, and I swore I saw a brief flash of fear in her eyes like she was unsure of what I was about to do.

  I crashed my lips against hers.