Liar Liar

by L A Cotton

  I was exhausted.

  Evan was up and in front of me, staring at me with such intensity I stepped back. “Stop.”

  “What’s the point? It doesn’t change anything. Kendall is determined to break me, to make my life at Credence unbearable. Everyone has a breaking point, Evan, and mine expired long before I moved here.”

  His eyes shuttered, but then he was looking at me again with that look as he wrapped me in my arms. “You have me and Scarlett and Lilly and the guys. You have people, Becca. Don’t let her get to you. You can’t let her get to you.”

  You have me. Evan’s words echoed in my mind. I wanted so badly to believe him. But there was still so much hanging over us like dark foreboding clouds. He felt it—I knew he did. It was the reason he resisted.

  We both had secrets.

  And secrets came hand in hand with lies.

  “Where were you?” Lilly had that post-sex glow about her. Jealousy ran through me, only adding to my restlessness. After stopping things before they went too far, Evan had pressed a chaste kiss to my lips before announcing he had to get back for Eli. He’d only come out to Rogues to check that I was okay. I guess once he had seen with his own eyes that I was fine, that was enough for him, and he left me … again.

  It was becoming a pattern with him. And it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

  “I already told you. Nowhere. I went to pee and got lost.” I peeked over at Malachi, but he gave nothing away. It was likely someone else had seen Evan. Me and Evan … together, but if they had, no one said a word. And with the way Vin lingered around me like a bad smell, he was definitely none the wiser.

  “You should have waited for me; I would have escorted you.” He slung his arm over my shoulder. “It’s not safe to walk these streets alone.”

  “Stop being such a creeper,” Lilly scolded.

  “Chill. I’m just saying, if Becca needs a friend, I am more than willing to—”

  “Jesus, dude, she is not interested. Can we please move on? Another beer, Becca?” Jay kicked back against the bumper car he and Lilly shared. I shook my head, sliding out from under Vin’s grip. The slight buzz I’d felt earlier had vanished like an ice bath when Evan slipped out of the abandoned office and sent me back to my friends.

  I still couldn’t believe how I’d acted. How out of control I’d been. But I craved the connection—needed it—so much it hurt. Evan wanted it too. I saw it every time I looked at him. But like a storm on the horizon, I didn’t know whether he would sweep me up in its devastation or shelter me from its ruin.

  “Where’s Scarlett?”

  “She said something about food,” Vin answered. “That girl can eat.”

  “Please tell me she didn’t drive off, alone and high?” Lilly’s eyes widened with alarm.

  “She wasn’t that high. Just one smoke.”

  “Vin! What If something happens to her?”

  “Happens to who?” Scarlett stood just outside of the bumper car track with a bag of Chick-fil-A in her arms. “I come bearing snacks.”

  “Awesome.” Vin jumped up and went to her. “Did you get fries? I could kill for fries right now.”

  “Whoa, whoa, I brought stuff for everyone, jackass.”

  I settled back in my car and watched the two of them argue over who got what. A month ago, I wouldn’t have imagined being here—doing this. I didn’t fit in a place like Credence High, but Evan had told me that I just needed to find my people. And maybe I had. Scarlett, Lilly, Jay, even Malachi, and Vin—were they my people now?

  “You okay?” Scarlett said as we neared the door to school.

  I nodded, my lips pressed together in a flat line. Scarlett had picked me up. She’d insisted, and I was grateful. I knew I had to face everyone at some point, even if skipping afternoon classes yesterday made me look guilty. My heart thumped against my ribcage as we entered school, but to my surprise, the whispers and snickers rolled off me. Maybe it was because Scarlett and Lilly flanked me as we made our way to my locker. Or it could have been Evan's words replaying over and over in my head. You have me. But I moved on autopilot, ignoring the tsks of disgust and critical glares as I searched him out. We rounded the corner, and Evan was there, leaning against his locker. Waiting. Our eyes collided, heat licking the inside of my stomach. Evan lifted his chin, moved off the wall, and started walking down the hallway ... away from us, in the other direction.

  What the... Scarlett snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Becca, earth to Becca.”

  “Huh, what?” My heart plummeted into my toes.

  “Are you coming to hang at Jay's tonight after work?”

  “Maybe.” I couldn't tear my eyes away from the lockers. Evan had walked off, acting like nothing had changed. That he hadn’t dragged me to that office and kissed me senseless yesterday. That I hadn’t had my hands jammed down his jeans less than twenty-four hours ago.

  “You gotta come, and bring some of those burgers again. The ones with the relish.” Jay grinned.

  “Jay.” Lilly shook her head. “I swear you only think with your stomach.”

  He leaned in close to her and pressed a kiss to her nose. “That's not the only thing I think with.”

  “Eww, you're disgusting.” She craned her head around Jay to me. “But you should come, Becca. It's not the same without you.”

  “Maybe,” I said, distracted. Trying to figure out what was going on with Evan.

  “I'm out, fuckers. Malachi, shall we?” Scarlett started down the hallway, and he moved past us. “See you guys, later. Don't let them get to you, Becca.”

  “Yeah,” I murmured. That was the plan, although I knew it was easier said than done. Especially if Kendall had anything to do with it.

  Morning classes were bearable. A couple of guys tried to proposition me, but the teacher soon shut them down. I was more concerned about lunchtime. Unless I hid in the bathroom, running into Kendall was a given. Lilly met me by my locker, and we walked to the cafeteria together.

  “We could skip lunch?” she suggested.

  “No, I’m not hiding. I did nothing wrong, Lilly. Nothing.”

  “Good for you. Besides, the guys are going to meet us in there.”

  True to their word, Jay and Malachi were standing guard outside the doors. Jay scooped Lilly up in a bone-crushing hug while Malachi offered me a half-smile. “Ready?” he said, pushing open the door. I nodded and ducked underneath his arm.

  The room didn’t fall silent, which was something. But everyone watched me, no doubt waiting to see if there would be a repeat of yesterday. My eyes landed on Kendall across the room. She stood up slowly, hand on hip, making no attempt to hide her anger at me being here. She obviously hadn’t expected me to come back so soon, and from the looks on most people’s faces, she wasn’t the only one.

  “Come on. Let’s get something to eat and then get out of here,” Lilly whispered, sliding her arm through mine. We walked to the counter like that with the guys flanking us. Part of me felt bitter that Evan wasn’t here to support me. He’d cared enough to come out to Rogues and check on me. But does he care enough?

  We reached the counter and grabbed our trays. I added some soda and chips, eyeing the hot dishes when Lilly whistled through her teeth. “She’s coming over here.”

  My eyes shuttered, and I sucked in a sharp breath before turning to face Kendall. Her expression narrowed, ablaze with fury. “Didn’t I make it clear enough yesterday? This is a no-slut zone.”

  “I don’t see any sluts here except you, Kendall.” Jay barked a laugh while Lilly gasped beside me.

  “You weren’t complaining last year, were you?” She arched her eyebrow, and a slow smirk spread across her face.

  “Fuck off, did I touch you.”

  “Jay,” Lilly hushed. “Don’t let her provoke you.”

  He went to speak, anger rolling off him, but I stepped forward, looking her dead in the eye. “What do you want, Kendall?” My voice was surprisingly calm. Nothing like the vortex whirling i
n my stomach.

  “Not much really. Just you … gone.”

  “Not happening. I don’t know what your problem is, but I go to school here now. You don’t have to like me, but I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Becca.” I heard Malachi, the clipped warning in his voice, but the adrenaline pounding in my ears drowned him out. My whole body trembled with nerves and anger and frustration, but I couldn’t break. Not now. I had to show her that she couldn’t intimidate me.

  “You should ask your friends what happens to people who think they can fit into a place like Credence when. They. Don’t.”

  “Whatever, Kendall.” I turned my back on her, clutching the tray in my hand for support.

  “You don’t get to turn your back on …” Kendall’s voice trailed off, and I glanced back to see what had silenced her. Evan had walked into the cafeteria and joined the line. But it made no sense; he wasn’t even looking in our direction. “I guess I’ll see you around, Becca.”

  The way she hissed my name was like nails on a blackboard. I tried to catch Evan’s eye, but Jay and Malachi crowded us until we’d paid for our lunch. It crossed my mind to go to him, but he hadn’t wanted to talk this morning, and I didn’t want to stick around and eat with Kendall’s eyes burning holes in my head, so I followed my friends out of the cafeteria.

  Away from Kendall.

  Away from the judgment of my classmates.

  Away from Evan.

  Scarlett was waiting for me outside of class, and she offered to drive me home. It was the perfect opportunity to ask the question that had been bugging me ever since Kendall mentioned her that night at Rogues.

  “Who’s Ami, Scarlett?”

  Scarlett’s hands tightened on the wheel, and I knew whatever she had to say wasn’t going to be good. “Kendall O’Hare really needs to learn to keep her mouth shut.” She let out a deep sigh. “Ami Walters moved to Credence in ninth grade. She was real quiet, and her daddy got a job up at the Port. A lot of local men were overlooked for that position ...”

  I didn't need her to say it. I knew the second the words left her mouth.

  “Kendall's daddy was one of them.”

  “Ten points to the new girl. She and Malachi hit it off. Quiet attracts quiet or something. Anyway, they became fast friends. He liked her, we all saw it, and over time, Ami became one of us.”

  “What happened?”

  “At first, she hid it from us. The notes, the threats. Kendall even pushed her around a couple of times, but Ami never said a word.” Scarlett's mouth turned down at the corners. “And I didn't push her. I figured if she needed our help, she would ask. But then Kendall's daddy lost his job, and things got worse. She started targeting Ami out in the open. Spreading lies, vicious rumors.”

  It all sounded so familiar.

  Too familiar.

  “It became a full-time job trying to keep her out of Kendall's claws. She was losing weight and not sleeping; the girl was a wreck. Didn’t have your fight, that’s for sure. Malachi tried to comfort her, but it tore him up, seeing someone he cared about hurt like that. He struggled with it. We all did.”

  “They were together?”

  Scarlett shook her head. “No. Ami wasn't interested in him like that. They were best friends.”

  A buried memory knocked at my conscience, but I couldn't quite grasp it.

  “What happened to Ami, Scarlett?”

  “End of tenth grade, she ran away. The whole damn town was out looking for her. She left Malachi a note saying she couldn't take it anymore. That she didn't belong in a place like Credence. Her family was beside themselves. When the cops finally found her on the Greyhound with a one-way ticket out of this hellhole, they up and left town. Just like that. We didn't hear from her again. Malachi changed after that. Withdrew. I don't think he ever forgave himself for not doing more.”

  “Why didn’t someone report it to the principal?”

  “And go up against a family like the O’Hares? They’re not stupid, Becca. Teachers knew, some even witnessed it. But Kendall’s momma is a mean bitch, and her daddy, well, he got involved in some bad shit when he lost his job. Now, he’s involved in all kinds of bad.”

  I tilted my head against the window, absorbing her words. It wasn’t hard to believe Kendall had driven a girl out of town. She was a classic bully. Mean and relentless. But knowing her family history gave me some insight into how she ended up that way. Things must have gotten really bad for Ami to run away. I only stood up to Kendall because I'd made a promise to myself—to my parents—that I would make Credence work. Maybe under different circumstances, things would have been different. But I'd witnessed, firsthand, the evil that existed in some people. It would take a lot more than a few notes and idle threats to drive me out of town.

  “Did Evan know Ami?”

  I remembered now; the tension between Malachi and Evan at Rogues. Something lingered between them. Tethered them.

  Scarlett shrugged. “Not really.”

  “Oh.” There was more, I could see it in her eyes.

  “But she had a thing for him. He never gave her a reason to think there was anything there, but she was kind of obsessed. You’re not the first girl to roll into town and fall under the Evan Porter spell.”

  “Oh.” My voice quieted. “Is that why there's tension between Malachi and Evan?”

  “I guess.” She frowned. “Nothing ever happened with them, Becca.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Sarcasm filtered through her words, but I didn’t reply. How could I explain our relationship to anyone when I still didn’t know where I stood? “You’re wasting your time with that one. Porter doesn’t let anyone in.”

  Why did people keep saying that?

  What did they know that I didn’t?

  “Hey girl.” Cindy smiled as she wiped down a table. “It's just you, me, and Rusty. Mitch had to take off.”

  “Okay. I'll dump my bag then be right out.”

  When I’d deposited my bag in the back office, I smoothed down the collar of my pink shirt. The uniform Mitch had us wear was awful; I looked like a giant marshmallow.

  “Could be a quiet one until the post-game rush later.”

  She was right. The Credence Wildcats were playing their first home game tonight. Mischa had managed to persuade Lilly and Jay to go watch, much to Scarlett's disapproval, since it meant they couldn't hang out in his garage bar.

  I was busy wiping down tables and refilling the saltshakers when the door swung open, and a child’s laughter filled the room. “Becca, you wook like a giant piece of candy.” Eli ran over to me and started tugging at my shirt.

  “Hey, little guy,” I ruffled his hair. “What are you doing here?”

  “Mom was—”

  “He needed to be fed, so I thought we'd stop by.” Evan scooped Eli up. “What'll it be E, burgers or dogs?”

  “Dogs!” he shrieked, clapping his hands excitedly.

  “We'll be over there.” Evan motioned to a table in the corner, and I nodded. “Wait,” I called after him, and he spun them around walking backward. “Did you know I worked here?”

  Evan's lips tugged up in a rare smile, sending my stomach into a frenzy. “Maybe.”

  I headed back to the counter in a daze. Evan was here, in Shake ‘n’ Pass. The place I worked.

  “So who is the hottie who just walked in?” Cindy winked at me as I pretended not to watch Evan and Eli pore over the menu.

  “Just a friend.”

  “Oh, you have it bad. I can see it in your eyes.” She smiled knowingly, and I felt a blush work its way up my neck and into my cheeks.

  “He’s … It’s complicated,” I stuttered.

  “Sugar, it always is. Looks like they’re ready for you.”

  I grabbed my notepad and made my way over.

  “Hey, Becca,” Eli beamed. “Ev says I can have anyfink I want. So I want the biggest dog you got.”

  “You want onions and mustard with that
?”

  His face screwed up. “Eww, no way.”

  “Hold the onions, got it. And for Ev?” I said keeping my eyes on Eli, afraid that if I looked at Evan, I would melt into a puddle.

  “Cheeseburger and fries and a chocolate milkshake.”

  “Supersize?”

  A soft laugh came from his direction, and I couldn’t stop myself. Our eyes connected, sending my stomach into flutter overdrive. “Yeah. One for the little guy, too.”

  Eli pumped the air with excitement. “Yeah, I wuve chocowate.”

  “Coming right up.”

  As I leaned over to collect their menus, Evan’s hand skated across my leg, and I sucked in a sharp breath. “I, hmm, I’ll be over with your drinks shortly.”

  His laughter followed me as I hurried back to the counter.

  “Just friends, she says,” Cindy raised an eyebrow at me, and I ducked my head to avoid her scrutiny.

  “Go over there already.” Cindy nudged me, and I jumped, startled. “If you don’t, I will, and let’s face it, he didn’t come here to see me.”

  Evan and Eli were halfway through their meal. I’d tried to keep myself busy, but Eli’s infectious laughter and his constant chatter filled the diner. It was impossible not to watch them.

  “Go on. It’s quiet.”

  Without overthinking it, I dropped the cloth I’d been absentmindedly wiping circles with and headed over to them.

  “Becca!” Eli shrieked.

  “Hey, buddy! How’s the dog?”

  “Awesome.”

  “That’s good.” My eyes flickered to Evan, waiting for him to invite me to join them. He motioned to the space beside Eli, and I slid in beside him. Eli went back to his food while Evan watched me. I had questions, but it didn’t seem appropriate to bring them up in front of his little brother, so I steered clear of anything serious.

  “You’re not a football fan?”

  “Not really. Besides, I had to take care of this one.”