Liar Liar

by L A Cotton

  “Nothing.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I'm fine.”

  “Fine is like saying everything's gone to shit.”

  I waved her off as I went to Mitch's office to lock up my bag and jacket.

  “Did you see that boy of yours again?”

  “Not talking about this,” I said. Because I hadn't. Since Friday. And I didn't want a reminder.

  “Oh, humor this old woman. My Dirk isn't exactly chomping at the bit for it anymore.”

  “Too much information, Cindy.”

  “Oh, I remember senior year well.” She leaned back against the counter, a dreamy look plastered on her face. “The dances, sneaking around on the weekend, prom, what happened after prom.” Cindy waggled her eyebrows, earning an eye roll from me. “Tell me, you're not a tiny bit excited it's senior year?”

  “I- I hadn't really thought about it.”

  At least, I was trying not to.

  “Sugar, this year could change everything. Just don't kiss too many frogs to find your prince. Learned that one the hard way.”

  “Noted.” I grimaced.

  Noticing my strained expression, Cindy sighed. “So much to smile about yet you're over there like the world's about to end. I'll never understand the youth of today. Homecoming is right around the corner, and you have a drop-dead gorgeous date. What’s to be glum about?”

  If only you knew. The words teetered on the edge of my tongue. Cindy didn't understand—how could she? To her, I had the world at my feet. Senior year. A cute guy turning up at the diner to see me. College on the horizon.

  But some days, I was barely holding on by a thread. I walked the hallways of school wearing my I-don’t-give-a-shit smile, but it was exhausting. And even though I’d accepted the new Becca and everything that came with her, some days I still missed the old Becca. The Becca before my life turned to shit. When we first moved to Credence, all I could think about was getting as far away from Montecito as possible. But now that I'd been here a while, it was impossible not to compare my life now with my life then. And a tiny bit of me was mourning for a life I never got to live. Like right now, my old friends at Montecito Prep would be planning for homecoming. The dresses, the limos, who was going to ask who. And I'd loved it, despite wishing that my regular date, Liam Deveroe, would treat me like something other than a fragile piece of glass. At Credence High, I didn't even know if there was going to be a homecoming.

  Every day, I woke up, picked out an outfit I thought would ‘blend’ in, and plastered on my everything-is-fine smile. But everything was not fine, not by a long shot. I had friends who thought they knew the real Becca, a girl out to ruin me, and a guy who wanted me but not enough to shout it from the rooftops. Not to mention how strained things were with Mom.

  Every day, I lost another tiny piece of myself to a white lie or whispered taunt. But I no longer knew if that was a bad thing. Maybe it needed to happen in order for me to survive Credence High. For to me find out who the new Becca really was. What she was made of.

  “Becca, earth to Becca.” Cindy snapped her fingers in front of my face, and I jumped.

  “Huh?” Blinking at her, I exhaled a long breath. “I’m just tired.”

  “Yeah, tell it to someone who believes you.” She winked and went off to greet the new diners while I tried to push all the thoughts of Montecito and Credence out of my head. But no matter how hard I tried, some things refused to budge.

  Lilly and Scarlett.

  Evan.

  Even Eli and Cindy.

  And I didn’t want them to. Because maybe Cindy was right. Maybe I did have things to smile about.

  I just had to find a way to keep them.

  “Evan,” I said, trying to pull out of his grip. “We need to get to class.” Giggling as he nibbled on my neck, I half-groaned, half-moaned in protest.

  “Not yet,” he rasped.

  “The bell rang already.”

  “So let’s hang out in here.”

  My hands pressed harder. “No, we need to—”

  Warm needy lips covered mine, and I sunk into the kiss wondering why I even bothered trying to fight it. The more time we spent together—like this—the more I wanted Evan. But we were at school… in a closet ... with our classmates right on the other side of the door.

  “Evan, what are you doing?” I murmured.

  “Persuading you.” I felt his mouth curve into a grin, and he rolled his hips, pressing the outline of his hardness into me.

  I let myself enjoy the feel of him for a second, and then I said, “Time’s up, buddy.” Sliding out from the cage he’d created with his arms and body, I said, “Class calls.”

  “You’re no fun.” He caught my wrist and brought it to his mouth, pressing his lips against my pulse, making it spike. “Tonight?”

  “I’m out with Scarlett and Lilly.”

  A deep scowl passed over his face. “You’re going to The Vault?”

  I didn’t meet his eyes. All week, I’d avoided telling him that I was going to the club. I didn’t want to rock the boat, not after things had been so good between us lately. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pushed my chest up against him and looked up through my lashes, pouting. “If you come, then we wouldn’t have to worry about what might or might not happen to me.”

  “It’s not my—”

  “Scene,” I finished for him. “Yeah, you already said that. No parties and no clubs. What exactly do you do for fun?” It was supposed to be a joke, but Evan’s eyes darkened, probably in an attempt to reprimand me. Except it had the opposite effect and a bolt of lust shot through me.

  “Becca.” It was a warning, but I couldn’t think about what it meant, not with him looking at me like that.

  “I get it, but I want to go, Evan. Everyone’s going to be there. I’ll be fine, promise.”

  “I don’t like it.” He gripped his jaw.

  “You don’t have to like it, but I’m going.” I hadn’t been back to the club since Kendall set me up. But I wanted to go. I wanted to party with my friends. I wanted to be a normal eighteen-year-old girl.

  Pressing a kiss to Evan’s lips, I turned for the door, but his words made me pause. “Be careful.”

  With a heavy sigh, I slipped into the emptying hallway, hitched my bag up my shoulder, and headed for class.

  “You look hot.” Lilly smiled, smoothing down her skintight black dress. “Does this look okay?”

  “Yes. Jay will die.”

  “Good.” She winked at me as I hitched down my own skirt. The vintage denim mini barely covered my butt but teamed with shimmery leggings and my new black wedge ankle boots I'd bought with my first two paychecks from Mitch, I looked good. “Those streaks look awesome.”

  Catching my reflection in glass window across the street, I smiled. Lilly had suggested pinning some electric pink fake extensions into my hair. They gave me an edge I hadn’t felt before.

  “It’s a shame a certain mystery guy won’t be there tonight to appreciate it.”

  My head whipped around, my jaw dropping open, and Lilly let out an amused laugh. “You should see your face right now.”

  “I don’t know what you’re—”

  She waved me off. “Please, the two of you are not as discreet as you think you are. I think I need my eyes lasered after stumbling across you guys in the library.”

  “You … hmm … crap.” The color drained from my face. But Lilly leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “Hey, your secret’s safe with me. He’s good for you. I haven’t seen you smile so much since you got here.”

  “Who’s smiling?” Apparently, her voice wasn't low enough. Scarlett joined us, and for a second, I was worried she had overheard, but then I noticed her glazed-over eyes and the way her body seemed to sway as she stood next to us.

  “Just me.” Lilly shrug-smiled. “Jay is going to freak when he sees this dress.”

  Scarlett’s eyes swept down her body, an appreciative expression passing over her face. “Yeah, he is. You look totally fuckable in
that dress.”

  “Ew, Scarlett, how wasted are you?”

  “I might have finished off a bottle of vodka before heading out.”

  “Jesus,” I said. “No more for you.”

  “Pfft.” Scarlett slung her arm around my shoulder, yanking me to her. “Did I tell you about my momma?”

  “Scarlett.” Lily flashed me a sad smile. “I don't think now is a good time.”

  “Lilly, Lilly, Lil, did I ever tell you how much I love you, girl?”

  “Okaaaay, let's head inside.” Lilly hooked an arm around Scarlett's waist, and between us, we walked her to the line.

  “Straighten up and look pretty,” Lilly said in a hushed voice as we reached the front.

  “I'm always pretty. Besides, Joe will let me in. Hey, Joe.” She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around the hulk of a guy’s neck. He caught her awkwardly throwing us a ‘what the hell’ look.

  “Scarlett. Looking good.”

  “Thanks, hot stuff. We're celebrating.”

  “We are?” I mouthed to Lilly while Joe held our friend at arm's length, something clouded in his eyes. “You take it easy tonight; this won't make her better.”

  “No.” Scarlett thrust a finger into the air. “But it'll numb me up good. I already feel—” A pained expression passed over her face, and Lilly stepped forward with a groan, wrapping an arm around Scarlett and guiding her inside.

  “Watch out for her tonight,” Joe said as I slipped past him. I wasn't sure if he was talking to me, but I nodded and entered the club.

  “She's wasted.” I nudged Lilly and nodded over to where Scarlett was draped over some guy as he eyed her low-cut tank top.

  “I'll keep an eye on her.”

  “What she said before.” I cleared my throat. “About her mom?”

  Lilly's eyes softened, filled with a sadness I didn't yet understand. “She's sick. Real sick.”

  “Oh.” My voice was small. I'd guessed it was bad, but I didn't consider how bad. It explained a lot.

  “Hey, don't let Scarlett see you do that. She doesn't like it.”

  “I ...”

  “Shh, she's coming over here.”

  “Hey, my two favorite people.” Scarlett plopped down next to me and reached over for her drink. “Who's ready to get our groove on?”

  “Scarlett, do you think that's such a go—”

  “Say those next words, and I'm leaving. I'll do it. I'll find some guy and take off.” Lilly sat back, and I shot her a look. “Becca, new girl, newbie, you'll dance with me, right? After all, you do owe me. If it wasn't for me—”

  “I come bearing shots.” Jay grinned down at us before placing down a tray of shooters.

  “Seriously, she doesn't need more,” I mouthed to him, but it was too late. Scarlett had a glass in her hand ready to drink. “Last one down buys the next round.”

  Lilly, Jay, and Malachi each picked up a glass.

  “New girl, don't chicken out on me now. I need you.” Her head rolled back, and I felt sure she was going to pass out, but she shook her head and rocked forward, bracing her glass in front of her mouth. “On three ...”

  I picked up the last glass and inhaled. Whatever Jay had gotten was strong, and my stomach instantly lurched, protesting the burn.

  “One, two, drink!”

  I threw the glass back and shuddered as the alcohol burned its way down my throat.

  “Awesome, let's dance.” Scarlett yanked my hand in hers, and I clambered up.

  “Lilly,” I said through gritted teeth. There was no way I was babysitting drunk Scarlett alone. With a resigned sigh, she joined us, and we made our way to the dancefloor. For someone full of a bottle of vodka, Scarlett moved pretty well. Her arms waved above her head, and she bounced on the balls of her feet to the music. Lilly and I crowded her like a vulnerable child, but after a couple of songs, I needed to pee.

  “Bathroom,” I mouthed to Lilly, and she nodded, moving closer to Scarlett, as Jay and Malachi watched on from our seats.

  I wound my way through a wall of damp bodies. A couple of guys got handsy, but I shirked them off, keeping one eye out for Kendall. Part of me hoped she wouldn't show. Since the diner last week, things had died down, but in a way that only put me more on edge where she was concerned.

  The line was short, and within a couple of minutes, I was washing my hands. The girl staring back at me no longer resembled the prim and proper girl from Montecito. Heavy kohl liner highlighted her eyes, the fake pink strands of hair framed her face, and the burden of living a lie weighed heavily in her smile. Giving her one last glance, I left the bathroom and slipped back into the club.

  “Looking good, beautiful,” a deep voice said as I turned the corner. I looked up to find a guy. He looked vaguely familiar. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Hmm, no thanks, I'm actually just going back to my friends.” Moving to step forward, he rounded me, cutting off my path. My eyes widened, and everything in me went on high alert.

  “Don't look so worried.” With a tilt of his head, the guy smirked and rubbed a hand across the corded muscles in his neck. “I just want to chat.”

  “Now is not a good time,” I said firmly, hoping he would take the hint, but his eyes blazed with hostility, and I stepped back.

  “Hey now, you look a little scared there, Becca.” He stepped forward. If knowing my name wasn't terrifying enough, the predatory glint in his eyes was enough to send my pulse into overdrive. “You're not scared, are you? I heard you like it rough?” He licked his lips, crowding me into the corner. My feet moved on slowly, retracing my steps until my back hit something solid. The wall maybe or an unsuspecting person. I couldn't look. I couldn’t do anything except stand there, hoping that someone would intervene soon.

  “You want me to fuck you right here in front of everyone?” His hand reached out for me, wrapping around my neck in an oddly tender way, and he pressed me against whatever was behind me. Wall, my mind urged. It has to be a wall. Because surely no one would stand witness to this and not stop it.

  Fear silenced me and my eyes shuttered trying to shut him out, his vicious words. But I felt him. His bitter breath licking my face. “Let’s see if you’re as good as—”

  Cool air whooshed around me, and I flickered open my eyes, watching with confusion as the guy was ripped away from me. Evan threw his fist into the guy's face, and the two of them stumbled into the main room. Still pressed against the wall, my heart was pounding against my chest, and I couldn’t move. Evan and the guy grappled with each other, swinging fists and elbows.

  “Becca!” Lilly hurried toward me with Jay protectively at her side. “What the hell?” Eyes filled with alarm, she glanced back and forth between me and Evan and the guy going at it. But I was too shell-shocked to respond.

  “Get her out of here,” Evan barked in our direction just as the guy swung at him, catching him across the eye. His head snapped back, and I screamed. Lilly jumped beside me, gripping my arm. “Jay,” she pleaded. “Do something.”

  “Security is coming,” he said, hovering on the edge of the fight with uncertainty glittering in his eyes.

  A crowd had formed around Evan and the guy as they danced around one another, searching out the other’s weak spots. The guy's mouth was moving as he hissed something at Evan. His eyes narrowed in response, and he lunged for him again. I clapped a hand over my mouth while my other hand searched out Lilly’s.

  “We should go.” Jay came to us and herded us like sheep.

  “We can't leave him,” I gasped, peering around his shoulder.

  “Porter's got this and look.” He motioned to the left of us where Joe and another guy were storming through the crowd. “Security has arrived. Come on. Malachi has taken Scarlett home already.”

  He had?

  As Jay pulled us through the crush, I looked back at Evan, but the crowd had closed in around them. My eyes did find Kendall, though, a mix of annoyance and smugness on her face.

  “Becca, c'mon,” Lil
ly tugged on my hand, and I snapped out of it and followed.

  “We should go back,” I said the second the cool air enveloped me.

  “I don't think that's such a good idea.” Lilly's mouth was downturned at the corners but morphed into a tight smile when Jay comforted her. “This is not how I saw the night going.”

  Jay dropped a kiss on her head. “Come on, let’s get you girls ho—”

  A commotion over by the door caught our attention, and my eyes landed on Evan. Seeing him standing there, relatively unharmed, I felt the adrenaline leave my body, and I crashed. Reaching out for Lilly to steady myself, tears burned behind my eyes. Evan stalked over to us, hovering on the edge of our little circle. Jay frowned, glancing back and forth between us, but Lilly leaned up and whispered something to him, and he nodded stiffly.

  “You'll be okay?” she asked.

  I nodded over the thick lump in my throat as I watched Jay and Lilly leave. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I held myself together. Waiting. Evan seemed torn, the storm in his eyes obvious even with the distance between us.

  But then we were moving toward each other, colliding in a tangle of limbs.

  “You're bleeding.” I reached out and swiped Evan's eyebrow. He winced. Taking my hand, he pulled it away gently bringing it to his lips. “I'll live.”

  “What are you doing here? I thought—”

  Something flared in his eyes. It wasn't the usual storm, but something else entirely, and it rendered me speechless.

  “I wanted to see you. C’mon.” Entwining our fingers, he yanked me in the direction of the Impala. Evan opened the door, and I slid inside, the knot in my stomach tighter than ever. “Are you okay?” he said as he climbed in.

  “Me? What about you? You’re hurt,” I rushed out.

  “I’m fine.”

  He didn’t seem fine. His hands gripped the wheel, knuckles drained of blood.

  “Evan?” I reached out for him, but he stiffened.