McKenzie must’ve realized my terror. She squeezed my hand tight, reminding me she was by my side. I glanced down at her to find forgiveness and understanding staring back at me. All at once, peace encompassed me.
Sitting in front of the curb was a long, black limo. The door swung open and out popped Morgan. Her flaming red hair was piled on top of her head and bounced as she skipped toward Gavin with her arms wide open. I had to admit, my brother was a lucky man. Dr. Morgan Carter was a tall, svelte woman with a rack that no man in his right mind could refrain from taking a glance at. She was smart and funny, and for some reason she loved Gavin. In my father’s eyes, her beauty and wit were only added bonuses. The fact that Morgan was a doctor and came from money was all that mattered to him.
My gaze dropped to McKenzie. She was every bit as pretty as Morgan—even more so if you asked me. Morgan was supermodel gorgeous, but McKenzie’s beauty was transcendent with her flowing blonde hair and slender curves. She was a runner, like me, and her body showed it. But for me, McKenzie’s beauty went even deeper. From her sweet lips poured the philosophies of love. Her blue eyes revealed the depths of her soul, and her heart carried the weight of the world. McKenzie knew when to be serious and when to have fun. She had a knack for seeing the good in people when others would’ve discarded them, and she never let others’ opinions sink in too deep.
The reunion between my brother and Morgan was heartwarming as his bride-to-be flung herself into his arms. Gavin lifted her from the ground and kissed her. It warmed my heart to see him so happy, and to feel that same happiness standing next to me. I smiled and was about to lean down to kiss McKenzie when Jared shoved between us and wrapped his arm around her.
“What the fu…?”
“Look, everyone! It’s Olivia!” Jared shouted.
I jerked around, catching sight of Olivia leaning against the limo, daggers shooting from her eyes. Her baby bump prominent in the soft glow of the overhead lighting of the breezeway, she placed her hands over her stomach and pushed herself from the car. A sickeningly sweet smile curled the corners of her mouth. “Oh my God! Kenz?”
McKenzie side stepped from Jared’s grasp and met Olivia for a hug.
I leaned in to Jared, teeth gritted, and hissed, “What the fuck was that?”
“Are you blind? The Wicked Witch had her bitch face on. If you two kissed, there would’ve been one hell of a scene made.”
“So? McKenzie and I aren’t going to hide from her. Not anymore.”
Jared pushed his hair back from his face, exasperated. “I’m not telling you to hide. I’m telling you to play things safe until you get home. Look at them.” He motioned to McKenzie and Olivia. McKenzie was tense, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Olivia stood rigid, analyzing everything about the woman she claimed as her friend. “Do you really want McKenzie on edge all week because you two just had to tell the world you’re in love? Olivia will make her life hell if you announce your amore now.”
“It’s not like she doesn’t already suspect,” I argued. “She’d be a fool not to.”
“Suspecting is one thing. Knowing is another.”
“That’s lying, Jared. I won’t lie. McKenzie deserves better.”
“Yes, she does. She deserves a guy who can love her unconditionally without the added baggage of a knocked-up ex-girlfriend in the mix.”
Ouch! That hit below the belt.
“But she doesn’t have that, and for some fucked up reason she loves you. All I’m asking is that you put her first for once. The trip to Texas, your stupid drunken fits, those were all about you. You say you love her, well act like it. Man up and protect her from the bitch-whore who wants to destroy her…and you for that fact.”
“I can’t believe you’re here!” Olivia squealed.
“Me either. When the guys showed up asking me to come, I was stunned,” McKenzie supplied.
“They came all the way to Amarillo to get you?”
I sighed. Jared was right. Olivia was fishing. She was out to hurt me, and if that meant tearing McKenzie down, I believed she’d do it. By bringing McKenzie here, I’d put her between a rock and a hard place. I was forcing her to choose between Olivia and me in order to appease my own conscience. My gaze dropped to Olivia’s stomach. It killed me that I still felt nothing for the baby that I supposedly fathered. If only I had an inkling of a connection with the child. Maybe then I could manage to build a bridge between Olivia and myself. Not only for our child, but for McKenzie, too.
McKenzie raked her teeth over her bottom lip. It was obvious she was on edge, and I hated seeing her back in that situation. With a heavy heart, I nodded once, letting Jared know I agreed. It was time I put her first and protected her from the shitstorm that was coming our way. When we were back in Sarasota, on our home turf, we could declare our love. There, I could protect her, but here we were vulnerable. We would simply have to keep our not-so-secret secret for a few days more.
Jared patted my back and moved toward the women. “Of course we did. It’s only fair I have a date for the wedding,” he bragged.
My stomach churned. Every good feeling I had drained from me. The panic caused by this city reared its ugly head, leaving me sick. Deep in my chest, my heart thudded in agony. This was not what I had planned, and while deep down I felt I was making the wrong decision by keeping us concealed, I couldn’t deny the logic in Jared’s thinking. Not only were we saving McKenzie from Olivia, but we were saving her from my father, as well.
Jared wrapped his arm around McKenzie’s shoulder. I could feel all eyes on me, except his. Gavin and Morgan looked confused. Olivia wore a look of disappointment. And McKenzie seemed lost and hurt by the turn of events. My face twitched and furrowed, silently praying she’d understand.
She squeezed her eyes closed for a protracted moment, her sweet lips flattening in a straight line. When they opened, understanding and acceptance resonated from her stare. She nodded and wrapped her arm around Jared’s waist. “I couldn’t let him get in trouble with all the bride’s maids. You know how this goofball is.”
“Yeah. I sure do,” Olivia groused.
While the chauffeur packed our luggage into the trunk, we all slipped inside the limo. My skin crawled when Olivia positioned herself next to me across from Jared and McKenzie. She tried to nestle herself into my side, but I scooted as far from her as I could get.
As the car pulled away from the airport, everyone carried on, laughing and chatting, except for me. All I could think about was how I would now have to endure Olivia and my father without McKenzie by my side. Not like I’d hoped, anyway.
At times like these, I’d usually call my twin, Andie. That’s when it struck me. “Where’s Andie?” I blurted out.
A growl rumbled from Olivia. She balled her fists in her lap and dropped her head back on the headrest.
Morgan chuckled. She seemed so at ease, curled up next to Gavin. Jealousy boiled in my veins. I should’ve been sitting just like that with my girl. Instead, fucking Jared had her next to him. The thought that he had orchestrated this the whole time, poked around in the back of my mind. “Andie won’t be here ‘til later this week. Her understudy sprained her ankle or something like that.”
“They have more than one understudy,” Olivia sneered.
“It’s not that big of a deal, Olivia,” Morgan chided. “She’ll be here in time for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. That’s all that matters.”
“Lucky,” I muttered under my breath.
Olivia jerked her head in my direction, glaring at me. Guess I wasn’t as quiet as I thought. A spiteful grin twisted the corner of her mouth. She turned back to Jared and McKenzie, leaning toward them. “So, Kenz, why didn’t you tell me that you and Jared were together?”
My head started to throb, and I realized that if I grinded my teeth any harder I would break a tooth.
“We’re not. I’m here as a friend,” McKenzie clarified.
“With benefits?”
“Will
you ever learn to shut your face?” Jared grumbled.
“Will you ever learn to comb your hair?” Olivia shot back.
Yeah, I admit it. I laughed at that one. I’d often wondered if Jared owned a brush. Olivia seemed proud that she made me laugh. She placed her hand on my knee and grinned. “Oh, Kenz, you’re going to love Drew’s parents.” Okay, that one made me laugh, too.
“What’s so funny?” Olivia demanded.
“You said McKenzie would love my parents. That’s pretty funny to me.”
“I don’t see the humor in that. Your parents have been wonderful to me. Especially your father.”
“Does that mean you took the paternity test?”
“Excuse me?”
I shook my head and removed her hand from my knee. “Nothing. Just be careful with Father. If he’s being nice, it’s because he wants something.”
“You don’t give him enough credit. Your father is a wonderful man.”
Even Gavin had a quick snicker at that one.
“If you say so,” I deadpanned. Resting my head back, I gazed out the window toward the city that raised me. The landscape flew by as the chauffeur drove us to Cambridge where my hell on earth awaited me.
Chapter Two
McKenzie
Hurt. Numb. Relieved.
I was conflicted with emotions. Drew and I had a plan. We weren’t going to hide anymore. But the moment I saw Olivia standing next to the limo, I knew our plan was shot. Back in Amarillo, my initial gut instinct had been to keep us concealed until after the wedding. It had been right. Olivia would be crushed by our relationship. This was not the right time to tell her—not with the stress of the wedding, on top of her pregnancy and her discord with Drew.
His pleading eyes cratered a hole the size of the Atlantic in my chest. He wanted so badly to be together with no obstacles, but there would always be one―Olivia. No matter what, she was carrying his child, and she would never accept our relationship. Not that I could blame her. If the roles were reversed, I couldn’t say I’d react any different. The girl code was a bond. One that I’d broken not once, but twice. When she discovered my disloyalty, I would become the most despised person on the planet.
The whole drive to the Wise family home, I watched Olivia with Drew. A little piece of me felt sorry for her. It was obvious she wanted to make things work with him, but he shot her down every time. If she only knew it was because of me.
Guilt. It was eating me alive. He didn’t love her and never would. That was a point he’d made clear many times over. And there was no way I could live without him. I tried. That was the most miserable two months of my life. However, none of that appeased the guilt I felt for betraying Olivia, especially when she needed us both the most.
“You okay?” Jared whispered in my ear when he thought no one would notice.
I nodded. I wasn’t okay, but no one needed to know that.
“Liar.” I chuckled and poked him in the side. Jared nudged me back. “I’m here if you need to talk.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“We’re here!” Olivia squealed. She grabbed Drew by the knee, giving it a good shake.
Drew rolled his eyes and moved his leg from her grasp. Slumped in his seat, he crossed his arms over his chest and let out an exasperated sigh. God, he looked good enough to eat. His light brown hair was cropped short. I had to admit, I missed his usual length, but I understood the point of cutting it all off for the summer. His tailored slacks and collared shirt contoured his athletic frame. I knew he preferred being in jeans, a t-shirt, and his favorite pair of Converse, but if he only knew how good he looked dressed like that. Then again, he probably did know. Drew was arrogant that way.
He rubbed his hand over the crown of his head as our eyes met. My smile was greeted with his cocky grin. He motioned for me to look out the window. I shifted in my seat, my knees knocking against Jared’s as I took a gander at the magnificence that was the Wise estate.
Rod iron gates opened, allowing the vehicle to enter the property. Shadows danced over the expanse of the land. We drove down a gravel road toward a house that popped right out of a history book, or better yet, a movie. Plush greenery shrouded by the blanket of the night surrounded the enormous, colonial style home. Large statues, reflecting pools as far as the eye could see, and elegant cobblestone steps leading to the front door made this house come to life. I gasped as we pulled around the curved drive that circled a beautiful fountain. It rained down, inviting the guests into the magnificent home. I whipped around to Gavin and Drew. “You were raised here?” I exclaimed.
“If that’s what you call it,” Drew muttered.
Gavin laughed. “What? You can’t imagine little Drew romping about this place?”
I glanced at Drew and back at the front of the house. Gorgeous lights illuminated the perimeter, bringing to life the vast mansion. Two stories but countless windows sparkled in the artificial light. It left me wondering what this place might’ve looked like back in the day when only candlelight brightened these walls.
“On the contrary. I can see you both in a place like this,” I confirmed, giving Drew a quick wink.
“Gavin will inherit it, too,” Morgan announced, a hint of pride in her tone.
“Too bad you won’t inherit it, Andy,” Olivia cooed.
I cringed at the sound of my nickname for him falling from her lips. That was our little joke. He called me Mickie and I called him Andy. While I didn’t despise my nickname as he did his, it still was a piece of us. A storm raged in his eyes, his nose flared, and his fists balled against his chest.
“Drew,” he corrected her, venom lacing his tone. “And I wouldn’t want it. It belongs to my brother, as it should.”
“This place is amazing,” Jared said. “I bet it’s chock-full of history.”
“It’s been in our family for six generations. But you’ll hear all about that from our father,” Gavin noted. “He’s rather obsessed with the dynamics of the house. He works very hard to ensure its historical accuracy.”
“He’s allowed it to be modernized, though,” Olivia added. “Just wait ‘til you see the kitchen, Kenz.”
“So you can add her to the kitchen staff,” Drew mumbled.
The driver barely had the vehicle in park before Drew threw open the door and slipped out of the car. I sighed, knowing he was going to be in a pissy mood for the remainder of the trip. This place held bad memories for him—a past that I’d barely scratched the surface of understanding—and now he had to endure it with another set of lies hanging over him.
“What the hell is wrong with him?” Olivia sneered.
“Everything,” Gavin muttered, following Drew and helping Morgan from the vehicle.
Olivia grabbed me by the hand and pulled me onto the seat next to her. It was still warm from where Drew had been. “I’ve missed you, you know. Things haven’t been the same since you left.”
I smiled and patted her hand. “I’m happy to be here.”
“I bet. So you and Jared?” She wiggled her brows.
“Me and Jared, what?”
Jared groaned, “God, can’t you mind your own damn business?” and followed Morgan out of the vehicle.
“Who pissed in your Wheaties?” she yelled after him. “Geez! Send them to Vegas for a week, they return with a stowaway and horrible attitudes.”
“It’s been a long day. That’s all,” I stated, scooting out of the vehicle.
Drew stood outside the car, staring up at the house with his hands in his pockets, brooding. The Drew who opened up to me only twenty-four hours ago was gone―closed off to the world that invaded his nightmares. I’d always thought his arrogance and evasiveness were simply part of his personality. Now I knew better. It was his defense, his armor, a wall that he built around himself to keep everyone out, and it pained me to see it back in full force.
I positioned myself next to him, close enough that our arms touched. Every part of me warmed with want and need for this man. Just t
he feel of him near me set my soul on fire. “You okay?”
“No,” he answered honestly.
“Can I fix it?”
Drew looked down at me, his aqua eyes hard and aloof. “You being here helps. Please forgive me for what happened at the airport. I had no intention...”
“What happened at the airport?” Olivia questioned.
I jerked away, putting distance between Drew and myself. Drew’s lips twitched and his brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to reply, but I intervened. “Drew was joking around at the airport. You know how he is.”
“He did always treat you like a little sister.”
Jared snorted. “Yeah, that’s how he treated her. Just like a little sister.”
“Jealous much?” Olivia retorted after him.
“You bet!” he exclaimed.
“Yeah, I do bet,” Drew, sneered. “C’mon, Mickie.”
He took my hand, slipping into the crook of his arm. “What about our luggage?”
“Fairfax will take care of it.”
Before I could ask, Drew motioned toward the chauffeur, who was already removing our luggage from the trunk
Ah, yes. How silly of me to forget I was now swimming in the pool of wealth and privilege. The house alone would be a constant reminder of how out of place I was. A country girl with a surfer girl’s heart in the middle of high society. Talk about a method for disaster if ever there was one.
Drew led me up the cobblestone steps that ushered us to the open front door where a regal man dressed in a black tuxedo with white gloves waited.
“Good evening, Mr. Gavin,” his deep baritone voice echoed.
“Good evening, Banks,” Gavin replied as he escorted Morgan into the house. “Are Mother and Father around?”
“Yes, sir. Mr. Wise is currently in his study, and Mrs. Wise is resting. They should be down shortly.” The man turned his attention to Drew and myself as we entered in close behind Jared and Olivia. “Mr. Drew, it’s been awhile.”
“Not long enough, Banks.”
“Yes, sir.”
The man closed the door behind us and I gasped at the magnificence that was laid out before me. My shoes clacked against the sand colored marble flooring, making me self conscious. A gentle breeze danced through the corridor, cooling my summer heated skin. An elaborate chandelier dangled from a wood paneled ceiling. A dual winding staircase encased by a brass bannister welcomed guests into the home. At the top of each staircase, massive brass statues stood holding candelabras that matched the chandelier. An antique table, more elegant than anything I’d ever bought from IKEA, was perched in the center of the staircases. On top was a large arrangement of roses. Their sweet scent filled the room.
The Truth Be Told (The Truth in Lies Saga #3) Page 2
