One Little Lie, page 10
But if they want to see trouble…
Rich’s voice is louder and far more grating. “If that kid causes trouble, who do you think will suffer? Leo, that’s who,” he continues without waiting for an answer.
Eloise sighs. “That’s not what I was saying.”
“Well, it’s what we should be thinking about,” Rich snaps.
My muscles tense at his tone. No one should talk to a woman that way. And definitely not to the woman who’s my half sister. She’s the least repugnant of this crew and she deserves a hell of a lot more respect.
“Vincent needs our help,” Eloise says.
“He needs to be shipped back where he came from,” Rich shoots back. “No one wants him here and he’ll never belong.”
Fury hits me so hard and fast, it makes me immobile. I’m standing there frozen as blood rushes past my ears and my breathing grows labored.
Every inch of me wants to go in there and take Rich down. But then my gaze catches on his car keys sitting on the end table in the front hall.
A wicked smile tugs at my lips and I don’t think. I do. Snagging the keys, I stride right back out the way I’d come in. But this time, I’m not going for a run.
Nah. I think I’ll take a ride. A long one.
Rich might be worried about his precious little son, but I’m pretty sure there’s nothing he loves more than his car. So I turn the ignition and rev the engine. I tear out of the driveway loud enough to make the caterers turn and stare.
And then I stay gone. I don’t have my wallet on me so there’s not much to do but drive around. But sometimes driving around is the best way to cool down.
Especially when it’s a stolen car.
The party is well underway by the time I return. The sun is setting and the outside lights are ablaze. The street is lined with high-end cars and SUVs, the likes of which would have caused a riot in my old neighborhood.
But here in this part of town, it’s the norm. No one even blinks when a Mercedes pulls up behind a Tesla.
I slip in through a side door to avoid the guests, but I can’t avoid the family.
“There he is, the little piece of—”
“Richard,” Eloise snaps.
Hooray for family, am I right?
Rich storms toward me. Eloise races down the hallway after him, Marsha and Rudy not far behind. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say they’ve been keeping an eye out for me. I head straight for my bedroom, but I’m not quick enough to close it behind me before Richard’s there, barging his way in, the rest of the family hot on his heels.
“Have fun on your little joyride, punk?” Rich’s face is an ugly shade of pink, all mottled and sweaty with anger.
He’s definitely not pretty in pink like Addie.
The thought has me smirking, which only enrages him further. But Eloise puts a hand on his chest and pushes him back.
“What did you think you were doing?” Eloise says. She doesn’t look angry so much as hurt.
I glance away quickly. Crap. The look she’s giving me is so similar to the look my mom used to give me when I got in trouble. It’s a look that says, I expected more from you.
That has my jaw clenching tight. My mom shouldn’t have expected anything from me, and Eloise definitely has no reason to. I don’t owe her anything.
Marsha scowls at me with crossed arms, but Rudy finally speaks up. “I will call the cops on you, kid. Is that what you want?”
His face is wrinkled and covered in age spots. His hair is thinning and gray. But the flash of anger in his eyes makes him seem way younger all the sudden.
It’s a challenge.
I can deal with that. I smirk at him. “Go ahead. Then I can head back to juvie where I belong, right Dad? And you can go back to pretending that I don’t exist.”
His nostrils flare like they always do when I mock him with the D-word.
“Grandpa, the guests are asking for you.” Leo’s voice from the doorway has all spinning to face him.
How long has he been standing there?
He ignores me outright, his gaze fixed on his grandfather. Rudy sniffs and straightens his tie. “Be right there.” He looks straight at me. “We’ll continue this later.”
A long silence follows as he and Leo head back to the party.
Rich is the first to break it. “Look here, you little punk—”
“Not so little, actually,” I say with a grin as I head toward him.
He backs up a few steps like the cowardly wuss he is.
“That’s enough,” Eloise says. “Both of you.”
Richard starts to sputter in protest, but Eloise isn’t having it. “You scared us, Vincent.”
I flinch at the use of my full name. And because yet again, it’s something my mom would have said. It’s the kind of thing family says. The kind of thing people say when they actually care.
“Scared I was gonna ruin Dick’s pretty little toy?” I say with a taunting grin at Richard.
“Scared you were going to get hurt,” she snaps.
“Yeah, Rudy seemed real concerned.” My voice drips with sarcasm. “He’ll be crying like a baby when he has the cops haul me off to jail.”
She rolls her eyes but her cheeks pinken. She knows I’m right. Eloise might have a heart, but she’s the only one. The rest of this crew are all soulless, entitled pricks who think family is synonymous with inheritance.
My mom was the only family I’d ever needed. I’m glad she never forced our way into their lives.
“He didn’t mean it,” Eloise mutters, glancing away with a sigh. “He’s a fan of tough love.” When she glances back at me she wears a rueful smirk. “Trust me, as a teenager in this house, I suffered through plenty of tough love.”
A huff of shocked amusement escapes me, and for half a second, I think maybe I’m about to have a real conversation with someone in this house.
But then, of course, Rich has to go open his big mouth and ruin it. “If your father doesn’t call the police, I will.”
Eloise sighs.
I turn to Rich with a grin. “Is that a threat, old man?”
“It’s a promise,” he sneers.
Score one for cliches.
He points a finger in my direction. “Leo has worked too hard for you to come along now and take what’s his.”
My brows draw together in genuine disbelief. “You think I want this?”
“Your bad attitude affects this family, young man,” he continues.
I turn to Eloise. “He lost me at young man.”
I’m pretty sure her lips twitch before she catches herself.
Rich stalks toward me and jabs a finger into my chest. Probably hurts. I do work out. A lot. “You stay away from Leo. And I swear, if you do anything to hurt Dr. Wade’s daughter, I will personally put you on the first flight back to California.”
“To who?”
He blinks. “What?”
I shake my head. I’m not about to explain to him that there’s no one for him to send me back to. My mom is dead and my mean-as-hell uncle is in prison. Again. I lost anyone I used to call friend when I left the old hood to live with my uncle, so…there’s no one.
There is literally no one to go home to.
“Don’t think I won’t,” he starts again.
“Whatever,” I mutter, moving past him.
He grabs my arm and I still. Taking my time, I move my gaze down to see where he’s touching me.
Just like Addie, he blanches. But unlike her, he drops his hand instantly.
“I mean it,” he says. “I won’t have you messing with good kids like my son or that Wade girl.”
That Wade girl. He doesn’t even know her name. He definitely has no clue that the rumor about me and Addie is a lie.
“Come on.” Eloise takes me by the arm. “Come out and meet the other hospital donors. Despite what you might think of us, we actually do some good work for the community.”
She’s still talking as we reach the giant sunken living room, which has been turned into a fancy cocktail party complete with a bar set up in the corner and caterers strolling around with trays of appetizers.
I stop short when I spot her.
Addie.
Like always, she’s a bright light in the middle of a dull, muddied scene. She’s beaming up at Leo and Rudy, an older couple right beside her.
For a second I can’t swallow. I can’t even breathe. She looks like a freakin’ angel with that beatific smile. Too good to be in this house with these people.
Too good for me.
Rich catches me staring. “Don’t even think about—”
“Addie,” I call out, moving toward her with purpose.
Truthfully, I hadn’t been thinking about it. I hadn’t had the slightest inclination to go along with her stupid lie.
Until Richard threw down the gauntlet. Now it’s way too tempting to piss him off by directly defying his orders.
After all, no one can call the cops because I like a girl, right?
But it’ll piss them off all the same.
Addie turns and blinks, her gaze widening with surprise. Not a pleasant surprise, by the looks of it.
Leo’s glaring. Marsha and Rudy are frowning.
Oh yeah. This is gonna be fun.
I don’t stop walking until I’m at Addie’s side. She wants the world to think we’re a couple?
Great. Let’s do this.
“Hey, babe,” I say as I slide an arm around her waist. “Glad you could make it.”
Her lips part in shock, but I move fast before she can protest.
Leaning down, I plant a kiss on her lips.
Twelve
Addie
The feel of Vince’s lips pressed to mine brings a wave of heat just like last time.
But it’s over almost as soon as it starts, and this time I feel that heat searing my cheeks as he pulls away.
They’re staring. They are all staring.
And my dad?
He’s glaring.
“Addie?” my dad says, like he’s only just met me.
“Oh, um…” My heart races as I look up to see Vince smiling down at me, his eyes glinting with mischief and mayhem.
What is Vince doing?
What on earth is he doing?
I wave a hand toward Vince. “Dad, um, this is—”
“Vince,” he says, thrusting his hand out toward my dad. His grin isn’t exactly pleasant. It’s not a sneer, precisely, but it’s very . . . wolfish. That’s the only word I can think to describe it.
My dad doesn’t shake Vince’s hand, dropping his stare instead to take in the faded, torn jeans and the black T-shirt.
It’s all I’ve ever seen him wear and for a second my addled brain starts to wonder if this look is like the brooding bad boy version of Steve Jobs’s black turtleneck.
“I’m Addie’s boyfriend,” Vince adds.
My brain is torn back to the moment with a horrifying ripping sound as Gina gasps and my dad gawks at the two of us.
My stomach flip-flops and my blood feels like acid as I squirm under everyone’s stares. It’s not just my dad and Gina. Leo and his family are staring too, and everyone is waiting for me to chime in.
To deny it.
“When did this happen?” Gina asks. She’s the only one who doesn’t look totally horrified. She actually looks more excited than anything. So I turn my attention to her.
“Um, it’s really new so…” I trail off as my dad arches his brows.
Of course it’s new. I haven’t even been here for a full week.
I have no idea how to explain. Where to even begin. Right now, the urge to run away is overwhelming.
“Will you excuse us?” My teeth are clenched so tight it’s painful and I’m wearing this smile that I didn’t even realize I’d donned. Habit, I guess.
No one protests, so I grab Vince’s arm and drag him away.
He lets me. Obviously. I couldn’t have moved this mountain if he wasn’t going along with it.
As soon as we reach the hallway, I round on him with a hiss. “What are you doing?”
His smile makes me shiver. It’s predatory and cruel, just like the glint in his eyes.
“What do you mean?” he says. “I’m just going along with the lie you told, Little Red.”
“Little...what?” I shake my head. Doesn’t matter. What matters is— “What are you even doing here?”
My voice is high and screechy. Even though I’m whispering, we both flinch.
He rocks on his heels, his grin turning to a satisfied smirk. “I live here.”
I blink a few times as I try to make sense of this.
I don’t know much about the people who own this house. Just that they’re massively wealthy, my dad speaks of them with reverence, and my stepmom made me try on no less than five new dresses before we left the house today because she wanted to impress them.
Words like classy, elegant, and discerning were used on the drive here as they filled me in on the sort of party they were dragging me along to while the twins got to eat pizza and watch movies with their babysitter.
“I so wish I was their babysitter,” I whisper.
I don’t really mean to say it aloud. Vince arches a brow in response.
“I don’t understand,” I say, pressing my fingers to my temple as my head spins.
I really should have eaten dinner before we came here. I’ve been eyeing the appetizers but haven’t had a chance to snag any with my dad introducing me to new people every five seconds.
“I swear, Little Red,” Vince growls as he crosses his arms. “If you faint right now—”
“I’m not going to faint,” I snap.
I say it with way more conviction than I feel. I might faint. But I don’t want to be that girl.
How did I become this girl? I’m like some old-timey heroine who swoons.
Ugh.
I can only imagine the lectures I’d get from my friends if they knew I was dealing with stress by not eating. Not healthy, Addie. Not. Healthy.
I take a deep breath and drop my hand. “Why did you tell everyone you’re my boyfriend?”
His lips lift on one side so he’s giving me this crooked smile that makes my heart flutter in my chest. “Good question. Why did you tell everyone I’m your boyfriend?”
My head jerks back. “I didn’t…that’s not…” I let out a huff of indignation. “I told you what happened and that’s not the same thing.”
“Isn’t it?” He sounds totally unimpressed with my argument.
I’m not exactly feeling confident with it myself. How is this different?
It just is.
But I can’t deny the fact that I’m the one that started the stupid lie, so I don’t have much of a leg to stand on and we both know it.
He watches me for a long moment, and the smug satisfaction in his eyes has me forgetting the earlier embarrassment as anger kicks in.
“I don’t understand why you did that,” I say again, waving toward the other room where my horrified dad is no doubt waiting for me to return.
“I just told them what you told the school.” Vince says.
I frown at his gloating tone. He doesn’t have to enjoy this so much. “I haven’t heard you voluntarily speak at all in school. But what? Now you decide you can talk?”
“I’ve always been able to talk, Little Red. I just chose not to.”
“Stop calling me that,” I mutter.
He leans down until he’s in my face. “I thought silence would keep friendly new girls away, but I was wrong. But this was what you wanted, right?”
I cross my arms with a frown. “For you to out me as your girlfriend in front of my dad and stepmom? Um, no. Not so much.”
“Hey, you started it, Little Red—”
“Why are you calling me that?”
He shrugs and then reaches out to tug on one of my curls. “It fits.”
“Yeah, well I’m not a little kid.”
“No, but I am the big bad wolf.” He drops the smirk, his eyes hard. “You should have run when you had the chance.”
I back up a step at the threat in his voice, but I’m not frightened of him. Not really. He’s trying to scare me, that’s all.
And that pisses me off.
“Why are you doing this?”
He doesn’t answer, and my brain is scrambling to piece it all together. I’m remembering those odd little snippets of information I’d gotten from my dad and Gina when I’d mentioned the fight between Vince and Leo. He’s new here, and Leo obviously hates him…
I meet Vince’s glare. “Who are you to these people?”
He exhales loudly, all exasperated by my questions apparently. Well, tough.
The sound of voices distract me from our staring contest and I glance around us for the first time. We’re standing just outside the doorway to the kitchen and a young guy with dark hair from the catering company carries a tray as he walks past us with a wary look.
“Everything all right out here?” he asks, his gaze darting to Vincent before giving me a look that says, blink twice if you need my help.
I smile. “We’re great,” I say, the words all chirpy and chipper despite my anger.
Vince snickers as the caterer walks away, but his laughter cuts off abruptly when I take his hand. His brows arch in surprise and I determinedly ignore the rush of heat that courses through me at the feel of his big, calloused hand wrapped around mine.
How is he so hot all the time? I give him a tug. “We can’t talk here,” I say.
He chuckles. “Good idea. Let’s go to my bedroom and really freak them out.”
I stop short in the kitchen doorway. “We are not going to your bedroom.”
His smile makes me shiver again. For no reason I can possibly explain, my gaze drops to his lips and heat floods my cheeks as I remember that kiss in the hallway. Okay, truthfully I hadn’t really stopped thinking about that kiss ever since it happened.
It had felt so . . . so . . . real. I know it wasn’t, but it felt like it.
Not that I have anything to compare it to.
“Careful, Little Red.” His low growl has my gaze darting up and I’m positive my cheeks are on fire when I see the dark desire in his gaze.
