Heartfelt Lies

by Alexandra Christopher

  "Spread your legs for me, sweetheart," I whisper.

  Her knees immediately part and I'm greeted with the site of smooth bare lips. "Damn, Ella. You're so beautiful, even here," I say, running two fingers between her slick folds.

  "Kohl," she gasps.

  "Tell me what you want, Ella. Don't be shy, let me hear you."

  "Lick me… please," she pants.

  "My pleasure." I bend forward, sucking her clit into my mouth.

  Her head falls back hard against the tiled wall. "That's sooo good," she purrs.

  I eagerly suck her clit as I curl two fingers inside her tight heat. She grinds her pussy against my face, her ass circling against the cool stone seat. I replace my fingers with my tongue, licking a path to her dripping entrance, collecting her juices, before dipping down to swirl around her puckered bud.

  "Ahhh!" she moans.

  "That feel good?"

  "Yes, so good. Don't stop," she says, fingers gripping my hair.

  I tease her with my tongue, then thrust my fingers in and out of her tight pussy. Her walls are getting hotter, her moans growing louder. Within seconds, she's clenching around my fingers as her nails dig into my shoulders.

  I rise up and grab the condom to sheathe myself, before returning to my knees and entering her in one long thrust. My thumb circles her clit with tight fast circles as my cock pumps in and out of her mercilessly.

  "Fuck, you feel so good, baby."

  "Kohl! I can't take, I can't take it," she swears, head thrashing side to side. "It's too good. I'm about to—" her back arches off the wall as she screams my name once again.

  Her walls spasm around me as she comes. She falls back against the tile, eyes closed, breathing rapidly. I pump into her twice more before biting down hard on my bottom lip as I explode inside her.

  My head rests against her breasts as I fight to pull air into my lungs. Slender arms circle me, her fingers running softly up and down my back.

  I wind my arms around her and squeeze her tightly to me. "I never knew it could be like this," I mumble.

  She takes my face between her hands and stares deep into my eyes. "I didn't either. I love you so much, Kohl. I know you've only been in my life for a few months, but I can't imagine it without you now."

  "I love you too, sweetheart. I promise I'm not going anywhere," I reassure her.

  We sit there for a few more minutes before getting up. We each wash the other from head to toe, before I wrap her in a towel and carry her to bed.

  After making love twice more during the night, I'm pleasantly awakened at four a.m. with her lips around my hardening cock. I swear I've never come so fast in my life. I just can't help myself with her. Everything is just better when it comes to Ella.

  "You're too good to me." I kiss the top of her head as she rises from under my comforter.

  "Nah. Just trying to take care of my man. I feel like I'm about to feed you to a lascivious wolf."

  "What?" I frown.

  "Don't act like you don't know," she says sternly.

  "Ella, I promise you never need to worry about that. I would never cheat on you. You know that, right? I've already told Kennedy she best keep her distance and I mean it. I would never put myself in a compromising position with her."

  "I don't think you would cheat on me. It's not you I'm worried about. Kennedy isn't exactly the picture of trustworthy."

  "I know she's not. I can handle her though, don't stress about it."

  "She wants you, and I'm willing to bet she'd do just about anything to get you back. That's what worries me."

  "Come here, crazy girl," I laugh, pulling her securely on top of my chest, my arms wrapped tightly behind her back. "I'm not going to let her cause any more trouble between us. Please, don’t give it another thought. Okay? Those are crazy thoughts."

  She rolls her eyes. "Whatever you say."

  "Good. Now that that's settled, we don't have long before Jax shows up. And it's my turn to return the favor."

  She squeals as I flip her onto her back and make my way under the covers.

  19

  Ella

  I've been sitting here at my spot by the river for a few hours now, I came here straight after work today. It's my favorite place to kill time, while bringing a little peace to my soul. I've filled page after page in my journal, thoughts seem to be pouring from my mind.

  My therapist will be pleased to see it Friday. She and I have grown close over the past few months and I actually look forward to our bi-weekly appointments now. She's helped mend my broken spirit and has taught me how to forgive myself for past circumstances that I had no control over.

  The days since Kohl left for the beach have been way too long. My shift at work seemed to last forever today, which is nothing unusual, Mondays normally do. But knowing Kohl is almost home made it that much worse. I have all this anxious energy building up inside me that I don't know what to do with. I suspect tomorrow will drag by at a snail's pace.

  I already told Mr. Lewis I would probably be calling in sick Wednesday. He just laughed and told me to take the day off, mumbling something about 'being young and in love' as he made his way back to his office.

  I haven't talked to Kohl much since he left, we've talked here and there but that's it. I wanted him to relax and enjoy his vacation and I didn't want to seem like an insecure girlfriend, tracking his every move.

  I did text him last night though, making him promise to come directly to my house when he gets back in town tomorrow night. I don't care how late it is, I'll go crazy if I don't see him soon.

  I've spent a little time getting to know his parents since he's been gone. They had me over for dinner the night after he left. They were both really nice and made me feel welcome, like family. Then, Beth called yesterday and asked me to come over. She taught me how to make Kohl's favorite chocolate pie as a welcome home surprise.

  I just need a few more minutes here, before going home. I close the cover to my journal, slip it into my tote, and fold the straps under the bottom. I use it as a make shift pillow as I lie back on the plush grass. The air is starting to cool down, a slight wind blowing my hair, making it tickle my cheek.

  I stare up at the open sky, the sun's starting to make its descent, turning it a gorgeous mixture of pinks and blues. As I lie here, appreciating its brilliance, I can't help but think of my mom. I miss her so much it hurts. I hope she's up there somewhere. I picture her, no longer broken, a smile on her face, and my dad's arm thrown over her shoulder. Both of them watching over me. Proud of the woman I'm becoming.

  "I love you, Mom," I whisper into the breeze. "I know you did the best you could. I forgive you."

  I wish I knew more about my dad. Thoughts of him have taken up space in my mind more and more lately. I think I'm ready to hear a little about him if Gram's up to it tonight. I have so many questions, yet don't have a clue where to start. Maybe I'll slip it into conversation and let her guide the way. She's good at that.

  My stomach growls loudly, reminding me I haven't eaten since lunch today. The nachos I had on my break at work have long worn off. Guess it's time to make my way back to the car and head home.

  "Gram, I'm home!" I yell out, as I step through the front door.

  "I'm in the kitchen!" she returns.

  "Something smells good in here," I compliment, breathing in the deep aroma of garlic and oregano.

  "That's my homemade sauce. Lasagna sound good?"

  "Sounds wonderful. You need some help?"

  "Sure. Wash up and I'll show you how to layer it all together. After we get it in the oven, we can throw together a quick salad and some bread."

  Gram and I work together side by side, placing the layers of pasta, sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella into the white ceramic baking dish. When we reach the top, we cover it with a thick layer of cheese.

  "My goodness! I think it weighs twenty pounds." I groan, picking up the hefty dish.

  "It probably does. It'll add twenty pounds to my hips, too,"
Gram jokes as she opens the oven for me to place it inside.

  I walk over to the fridge and start pulling out the vegetables we'll need for a salad. When my arms are loaded, I take them to the sink and place them into a colander and begin washing.

  "I was thinking about Mom while I was at the river today," I state. "Do you think she's happy now? Wherever she is. Do you think she's at peace?"

  Gram turns to me with a smile. Nothing but understanding and kindness shining from her eyes. "Oh, Ella. Yes, honey, I think so."

  "Do you think she's with my dad?" I ask, quickly turning back to the sink to continue scrubbing the carrots.

  From the corner of my eye, I see Gram step up beside me. She reaches out, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze before speaking. "There's no doubt in my mind they're together. Those two were thick as thieves from day one. Where you saw one you saw the other." I hear the fondness in her voice and glance over to catch a wistful smile covering her face.

  "Can you tell me a little about him?" I ask.

  "I'll tell you anything you want to know. Your dad was a good man, Ella. He was a great son, a loving husband, and I know he would've been the best father a girl could ask for."

  After the last vegetable is clean, I pick up the colander and move to the center island to begin cutting. Gram grabs a bowl and starts pulling the lettuce apart, placing it inside, as I start to dice a bell pepper.

  We quietly work side by side. I use the time to gather my thoughts. When the salad is complete, I place it in the fridge to stay cool and we start on the bread. Gram is the first to break the silence.

  "Your dad was a hard worker. Very strong willed and determined. I see a lot of him in you, you know?"

  "Really? But I don't feel strong."

  "Oh, sweet girl." Gram gives me a sad smile. "You practically had to raise yourself and your mom, too. There's no way you could have done that without will and determination. You're the strongest person I know. Don't ever doubt that."

  "Do you have any pictures of them?" I ask, slicing the last piece of bread.

  "I sure do. A whole bin full. Come on, we're done in here for now. Let's go rummage through some pictures."

  Gram leads us into her room and tells me to have a seat on the floor. She walks into her closet, coming back out with a clear plastic container half as big as she is. It is packed to the brim with pictures.

  "Now the ones on the top will be the most recent. There should be a lot of your dad and mom together. The closer we get to the bottom, the older the pictures. There should be plenty baby pics of your dad and a bunch of others, too, as he grew throughout the years."

  Soon we're settled in, surrounded by a blanket of memories covering the floor. I enjoy digging through the bin, listening to Gram reminisce as she tells story after story with each picture we see.

  I can't get over how much I look like my dad. Or how happy he and Mom were together. There's hardly a pic of him without her, once he became a teenager. I never witnessed the joy on my mom's face that is reflected in these old pictures. I can see now why she never moved on. He was her world. When he died, her happiness did, too.

  There's a lot of pics with Kohl's dad, also. From the time they were just little boys, all the way up until they're joined by my mom and Beth.

  "Wow. They were friends a really long time." I pass her a photo of my dad and Jack together, just two little boys playing ball in the yard.

  "Oh, those two were inseparable. Loved each other like brothers. Jack spent most of his time here, so he was like one of our own." I note her sad smile

  "Yeah? Why don't we have them over sometime?"

  "We could. I'm sure it would do us all some good. It's been a long time since we shared a meal. It was hard for a long time after your dad passed. There was a lot of hurt to overcome."

  "But didn't you sell him the construction company?"

  "Yes," she nods. "Bill would have wanted it that way. He and Jack had put their differences behind them a long time before he passed, Jack was his right-hand man. He and Ryan always had been."

  "My grandfather died of a heart attack, is that right?"

  "Yeah, that's what they say. I swear he died of a broken heart though, he was never the same after Ryan got killed. He lived just two years after we lost your dad. His heart couldn't withstand the pain. After Jack started working for him again, he went down-hill fast. He was content in knowing the company he built with his son was in good hands. We went to bed one night and he never woke up."

  "I'm so sorry, Gram. You've lost so much. I know you say I'm strong like my dad, but I'm not, I got my strength from you, we both did."

  "Oh, sweet child," Gram squeezes my arm. "We've both lost a lot, but we have each other now and I wouldn't trade you for anything in the world. Every time I catch a glimpse of your eyes, I see a piece of your dad. I know he's so proud of you."

  "I hope so." I stare down at my hands, working up the courage to ask my next question. "You said my dad was killed. Was it an accident?"

  "No." Gram studies the picture in her hands. She inhales a deep breath and slowly releases it before answering. "He was murdered, honey. Stabbed outside a bar a couple towns from here. Your mother was with him. She ran over and held him in her arms as he died. They swore you could hear her screams for miles."

  "I can't imagine," I whisper brokenly.

  "I'm sorry, Ella, I don't think you're ready to hear the rest. Maybe we should continue this another day. Okay?"

  "Yeah, I think you're probably right," I mumble. "I've heard enough for now." I start gathering pictures, returning them to the plastic container. I pick up one of my mom and dad, they're close to the age I am now. Both of their smiles convey they're on top of the world. "Can I keep this one?"

  "Absolutely. You can have as many as you want. You’re welcome to anything I have in this house. What's mine is yours," she says, smiling.

  "I'll just take this one for now. Thanks, Gram. I love you," I tell her sincerely.

  "I love you, too, Ella. So much," she says, wrapping me in her arms. "I'll leave these out so you can come in here and look through them anytime you want. Okay? Now, let's go check on that lasagna. Shall we?"

  "Yes, ma'am." I stand and help her to her feet.

  We stuff our faces full of comfort food as we laugh and joke well past bedtime. We're both yawning as much as we're laughing at this point.

  "Why don't you head on to bed and I'll clean this up," I suggest.

  "No, I can't do that," she says, as if the suggestion's outrageous.

  "Please? I promise I don't mind. I could use a little quiet time with my thoughts."

  She looks at me, indecision weighing on her face. "I guess I'll see you in the morning. You come wake me if those thoughts get too loud. You hear me?"

  "I will, promise."

  Gram stands and places a kiss to the top of my head. "Kohl will be back tomorrow, right?"

  "Yep. I can't wait to see him. They'll be home sometime tomorrow night. I think they have reservations to parasail early in the afternoon, so it may be late by the time they make it back to town."

  "I see. Well, Kohl's welcome anytime," she teases, a knowing grin spread across her face.

  "Night, Gram." I giggle.

  "Goodnight, sweet pea," she chuckles, while walking out of the room.

  I make quick work of storing the leftovers, give the counters a good wipe and load the dishwasher. After making sure all the lights are off and doors locked, I climb the stairs up to my room. The day is finally starting to catch up to me. I decide on a hot shower after placing my phone on charge.

  Completely relaxed, from the water, I throw on some sleep clothes then hop onto my bed. I'm braiding my hair when my phone lights up with a text.

  A number I don't recognize is displayed before me. Frowning, I swipe my thumb across the screen and open the message.

  Unknown: Should've listened to me. I tried to tell you there's no way you'd ever keep him.

  Me: What are you talking ab
out? Who is this?

  I sit and wait, and wait, and wait some more, my eyes never straying far from my phone. Minutes pass with no response and my nerves start to get the best of me. A glance at the clock shows me it's just past eleven.

  I pick my phone back up and type out a text to Kohl. I don't want to seem paranoid, so I decide to play it cool.

  Me: Hey! How's it going? Just wanted to tell you goodnight. Hope you had a fun day. Can't wait to see you tomorrow. Love you!

  I toss my phone onto the bed and chew the polish off my nails as I stare at the screen. Another thirty minutes pass before it lights up. I'm quick to snag it off the bed, relief flooding my system that Kohl has responded. Only, it's not Kohl.

  It's the same number that sent the text earlier, only this time a picture accompanies the message. I click on the pic to enlarge it for a closer inspection.

  Kohl's arm is wrapped around Lily's waist. He's in a pair of dark swim trunks that show off his strong legs and a sleeveless white shirt. Lily is pressed tightly against his side, a huge smile on her face, her hand currently under his shirt pressing against his chiseled abs. A tiny pink bikini top barely covers her breast and cut off denim shorts showcase her slender hips. They look to be walking off the beach and onto the wooden boardwalk. I look closely at Kohl. His body language gives nothing away, his face neutral as well.

  Unknown: They're awful cozy. Don't you think?

  Me: Your point?

  Unknown: Just wait for it…

  A few minutes pass before another text comes through. This time, no message, just a video without sound.

  Kohl and Lily are inside the hotel. Whoever is filming, stays quite a distance behind. They turn a corner and are out of sight for a few seconds. The video comes to a stop before slowly revealing the horror around the wall.

  Lily jumps, her legs winding around Kohl's waist. He grips her thighs, as he stumbles, his back hitting the door. She throws her head back in silent laughter.