The Lies That Define Us Part 23

"Why would the cameras be an issue anyway?"

"Oh, no reason." She waved a hand dismissively.

I couldn't let it go. "There's got to be a f.u.c.king reason." My voice grew heated and my fists clenched at my sides.

"Liam, please," she begged, "it's not like I killed someone. It's stupid, honestly. Forget I said anything." She brushed past me and slipped out of the room.

She was lying about something-a lot of things, most likely-and I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever know the truth.

Or if I even wanted to.

My feet pounded against the sand as the sun began to rise above the dark line of the ocean. My breath came out in sharp pants, and my lungs felt ready to burst, but I kept going. My arms swung at my sides, propelling me forward.

"Dude, slow down," Ollie wheezed behind me. "Bleh." He spat on the ground. "I'm pretty sure you kicked sand into my mouth."

"Quit your whining and run faster," I taunted.

I was exhausted too, but I couldn't quit yet.

Push, push, push.

Forge ahead. That's what I had to do. Exhaustion meant nothing in the face of what was to come.

Ollie didn't catch up, and I continued to hear him moan and groan behind me.

"I-have-to-go-to-work-you-know," he managed to get out between pants. "And-I-can't-work-if-I-can't-stand-on-my-legs."

"Wah, wah, wah, you're such a cry baby."

"f.u.c.k-you-Wade."

"You know, it doesn't quite have the same effect when you can't breathe properly." I grinned over my shoulder at him and he gave me the finger.

I shook my head and forged ahead.

Half a mile left.

Ollie grew quiet behind me, and I glanced back to make sure he hadn't pa.s.sed out or something, but he was still trudging along-his face red with exertion.

I slowed to a walk and Ollie cried out, "Thank-you-Jesus."

He walked beside me, gasping for air with his hands on his hips.

"Dude," I laughed at his misery, "what's wrong with you?"

It wasn't like Ollie was out of shape, so I found his display pretty funny.

"I-shouldn't-have-eaten-all-those-Cheetos." He clutched at his side. "I-think-I'm-going-to-be-" He bent suddenly at the waist and retched all over the ground.

"f.u.c.k, Ollie." I skittered backwards, cringing.

"Sick," he finished, standing up and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I feel better now." He reached for me with his dirty hand, like he was going to clap me on my back.

"Oh f.u.c.k no." I dodged his hand. "Don't even think about it."

Ollie loved to mess with my slight obsessive-compulsive tendencies when it came to cleanliness.

"Oh, come on," he taunted, waving his hand. "It's just a little puke."

He tried to rub his hand on me again. I nearly fell over my feet trying to get away. I ran back to my house with Ollie trailing behind me, laughing hysterically. I was sure to a pa.s.serby it looked like we were acting like a bunch of silly kids.

I busted inside the house where the girls were just waking up. Talia and Rebecca were sitting at the table while Ari made breakfast. I'd intended to make all of them breakfast, but they'd woken up earlier than I expected.

Ari didn't turn away from the stove as I took a seat at the table. I hadn't seen her since the night before and it didn't look like she wanted to make conversation.

Ollie came busting inside and bent to kiss Talia.

"Don't kiss him, he just threw up," I warned her.

"c.o.c.k-blocker," Ollie muttered when Talia ducked away from his lips.

I laughed. "Does it count as c.o.c.k-blocking when you weren't about to get any anyway?"

Ollie mumbled unintelligibly under his breath and took the empty seat beside Talia.

"What are you ladies up to, today?" I questioned Rebecca and Talia.

"Shopping." Rebecca clapped her hands together. Shopping didn't sound one bit appealing to me, but I guessed most girls loved it. "Ari finally agreed to go with me to the mall, so we're doing that. Talia's going too."

"You're leaving me, babe?" Ollie pouted.

Talia poked his puckered lip. "I think you'll live."

His head lowered, crestfallen.

"Breakfast is served," Ari chimed, setting down dishes with eggs, toast, and bacon.

She went back for a stack of plates and utensils and set them down on the table. She took the empty seat beside Rebecca, away from me. Her choice in seat didn't go unnoticed by me, or anyone else.

Ollie made a big show of rolling his head around before his eyes landed on me. "What did you do to p.i.s.s off the pretty lady, Wade?"

"Nothing." I shrugged. "I'm a perfect f.u.c.king angel."

Ollie snorted. "Right? And my name is Christina Aguilera, and I'm a genie in a bottle."

The table went silent and within seconds we all broke out into laughter.

Talia buried her face into the crook of Ollie's arm but quickly pulled away with a cry of, "Ew, you stink!" Which only made us laugh harder.

"What are you doing today, Liam? Would you want to go with us?" Rebecca asked with a sly smile, eyeing Ari. She wasn't oblivious to our situation, and if there was strife, it looked like she was going to try her best to push us back together.

"I have training," I replied, scooping some eggs onto my plate. After I had breakfast, I was meeting up with Brady and Jeremiah and getting out in the water. I needed to clock some serious surf time in the next two weeks.

"Oh, that's right!" She snapped her fingers together. "I think I read about you qualifying for some big tournament or something in a magazine. You know, since you never come by Mo's anymore and talk to any of us."

I mock-winced. "Sorry, Rebecca."

"Mhm," she hummed. "I'm sure you're all torn up about it."

I cracked a smile and finished adding things to my plate. "Devastated, I a.s.sure you."

I grew quiet as I ate while the others chatted, but I did steal glances at Ari every now and then.

I was determined to find out what she was hiding.

I would, eventually, I knew, but when I did, would it change everything?

Ari.

"This would look great on you." Rebecca held up a floral printed dress, laughing maniacally.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Yeah, no thanks. Why don't you get it?"

"Never," she cackled, replacing it on the rack.

Talia scanned a nearby rack. "I hope I can still wear cute clothes when I get big. I might be pregnant, but I still want to look stylish."

I eyed her skinny frame. "I think you'll be fine. You'll probably be one of those girls whose belly doesn't pop out until that baby is ready to come out."

She frowned. "I hope not. I'm kind of looking forward to having a belly-I'll take that over the stylish clothes any day."

"Ollie will be so funny as a dad," Rebecca said, moving to another rack. "I can see him trying to wear the kid as a hat or something."

Talia shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past him. It's going to be interesting for sure."

Rebecca eyed me from the next rack over. "Guuurl," she said real low and slow. "I saw Liam hand you some money, so get to looking and buy something hot."

I stiffened. "I'm not spending his money. I'm going to slip it back in his wallet."

Talia snorted. "He's going to ask you what you bought, and then he'll be p.i.s.sed when you tell him nothing. You better not go home empty-handed."

"Ugh," I groaned. "I don't want to spend his money."

Liam knew I wouldn't spend any of my own, so he'd handed me a wad of cash and told me to buy whatever I wanted. Not likely. Even with the girls trying to persuade me I wasn't going to break. I didn't want to be any more of a charity case than I already was. Liam let me use a room in his house, eat his food, and he'd already bought me plenty of clothes. I didn't need anything. I'd only agreed to the shopping trip so I could spend some time with the girls.

Rebecca came around the rack to stand in front of me. "What exactly is going on with you guys?"

I shrugged. "We have feelings for each other, but that's it. It's complicated."

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Talia, did you hear that? It's complicated. A relations.h.i.+p isn't complicated. You know what is complicated? Using the bathroom and running out of toilet paper and having no one to get you more."

"I...Did you just..." I busted out laughing.

"Make an a.n.a.logy using toilet paper? Why yes, yes I did, because you just gave me the s.h.i.+ttiest answer." She giggled and b.u.mped her elbow against Talia's arm. "See what I did there?"

Talia shook her head, laughing under her breath.

"I can't handle you."

She smirked at me. "You love me, and you know it. I make your days at Mo's fly by." She spun around dramatically.

"You know," I mused quietly, "you guys are the first real friends I've had in a long time."

Rebecca stopped, staring at me open-mouthed. "Seriously?"

I nodded and picked up a black-and-white striped sweater, holding it against my body. "Yeah."

"You realize that's kind of pathetic, right?"

I suppressed a laugh. "Yeah, I know, but it's true."

"Well, I'm honored to be your friend." Talia briefly touched her fingers to my arm. "I'm so happy I spoke to you that day and convinced you to let us help."

"Me too," I agreed quietly, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

I owed a lot to Talia and Ollie.

I put the sweater back on the rack and moved to another.

I was only going through the motions, since I wasn't going to buy anything, but it was still fun to look and imagine.

We moved on to another store and then another, all the while Rebecca tried to convince me to spend Liam's money.

It wasn't happening.

"I'm getting hungry," I said when we left the next store. By that point I was desperate to move the shopping trip along so I could end Rebecca's nagging. I loved the girl, I really did, but she was tap-dancing across my last nerve.

"Me too," Talia agreed. "Can we head in there first and then eat?" She pointed her orange painted fingernail at a baby clothes store. Her eyes shone brightly, glimmering with excitement.

"Ooh. Baby stuff," Rebecca cried gleefully. "I love baby stuff." Sobering, she pointed at both of us. "That doesn't mean I'll be joining the baby train any time soon, though. Maybe in like...five years." She crinkled her nose in thought.