Beneath The Lies

by Riann C. Miller

  “I was heartbroken to learn that Shelley Johnson recently passed away. Have you ever met her? Oh wait, of course you haven’t. Your parents didn’t want you to know the Johnson’s or their son Alex. A shame really, not knowing who your birth parents are, if you ask me.”

  I push the lump in my throat down as I struggle for air. Birth parents? A slow haunting smile forms on her face, causing a shudder to pass over my body.

  “Your father had his reasons, I guess, but still the Johnson’s have wondered about you for years. Their adorable little baby that was taken from them, never to be seen again.”

  I watch horrified as she laughs—actually laughs—at the blow she just delivered. “I think it’s time to go, don’t you think, Lis?” Gabby jumps up, knocking her chair backward.

  “Yep, time to go.” Alyssa grabs my hand, pulling me in her direction. Tears start streaming down my face as Gabby opens her purse and tosses money on the table. All I can hear is the thud of my heartbeat as I’m being pushed toward the entrance of the restaurant while Leeta’s words remain on repeat.

  My parents never wanted me to know my birth parents, someone left an article about a kidnapping, and Leeta is without a doubt trying to imply that the two are connected.

  “That’s not possible...it’s just...not.” Before I know what’s happening, I lean over a bush close to Gabby’s car while my stomach rejects everything I just ate.

  ****

  I don’t remember the ride back to Gavin’s apartment, but when I snap out of the daze Leeta’s comment put me in I’m sitting on Gavin’s couch next to him with two frightened friends staring at me. “Babe, are you okay?”

  I breathe through a sigh and look over at Gavin. He’s clearly just as concerned as Gabby and Alyssa are. “I don’t know. I don’t think...it can’t be...true. Right? I mean, my parents adopted me, they didn’t kidnap me. That’s just absurd.” I jump to my feet and start pacing the room.

  No one says a word as I continue to ramble on. “Leeta is demented. You said so yourself. What she’s claiming...it is just ludicrous. She’s trying to make me doubt the only two people who’ve ever loved me, and it’s...” I drop back down on Gavin’s couch where once again I break out in tears.

  Gavin wraps me up tight in his arms while he slowly rocks me back and forth, trying to calm me down as my tears turn into an ugly sob.

  When I start to regain some control again, Gavin speaks up. “Kate, I don’t know how you came to be your parents’ child. I only met your mother once, but that was enough to see how much she loved you. Maybe you were kidnapped, maybe you weren’t. Maybe your parents knew something, maybe they didn’t. No matter what, whatever you do from this point forward, never doubt how much they loved you. That’s exactly what Leeta is hoping you’ll do.” I know Gavin warned me about his mother, I know he thought she was after something but nothing could have prepared me for what happened today.

  I look up and see Gabby and Alyssa quietly standing over to the side then I notice that Kiran is with them. That’s how completely out of it I was when I arrived. I don’t even remember seeing him until now.

  “What if it’s true?” I look up and into Gavin’s dark eyes. He seems to be reflecting the same pain I feel back at me.

  “Maybe your birth parents didn’t willingly give you up. Even if that part is true, it doesn’t mean that your parents were involved with it. They could have been victims themselves.” I take a deep breath, forcing my body to relax because he’s right. God, he’s right. And no matter what, I know my parents loved me, but what if? That’s the part my brain keeps going back to.

  “Babe, look at me.” I bring my face up to Gavin’s. “Fuck, it guts me to see you this heartbroken. You want answers? I’ll do everything in my power to help you find them. If you’d rather we never talk about this again, then say the word and that will be it from me. But...whatever happens from this moment forward, I want you to know that your parents, they aren’t the only people who’ve ever loved you. You need to add me to the list, and like them I’ll do anything and everything fucking possible to make you happy and to keep you safe.”

  My mouth drops open as I hear Gabby and Alyssa sigh. “You love me?”

  Gavin looks deeply into my eyes. “Yes. I love you. I’ve loved you longer than you’d ever think was possible.”

  The girls both make an awe sound, causing Kiran to smirk and shake his head at them.

  I whisper, “I love you, too.”

  “This is fucking fantastic! Geez, Kate you are one hell of an interesting lunch date,” Alyssa pipes in.

  Gavin however is keeping his eyes on mine until I lean in and kiss him. I love him, and I just admitted that to not only him but to our closest friends. I’m not sure how he did it, but Gavin managed to take the scariest news I could have ever learned and somehow gave me the courage and faith to believe everything is going to be okay.

  “We’ll make it through this. Together.” I’m nodding my head while I wipe away the last of my tears.

  “Where did you put the newspaper article?” Gavin looks over at Kiran and the two of them share a strange look. “Well?”

  Gavin looks back over to me and nervously clears his throat. “Somebody left you that article and the only thing that made sense to me was they were hoping you’d think you were the baby that was stolen. Therefore, I decided to look into it myself. So far, I haven’t learned much more than you already know.”

  “Much more? What does that mean?” I question.

  Gabby and Alyssa’s smiles disappear as their concern for me returns.

  “Your birthday is March 2. This baby was born January 22 and kidnapped on March 15. Personally, I think it’s possible, or at least worth checking into.”

  My heart drops again at the suggestion that I was taken from the people who created me, but then another thought enters my head. “Wait a second. Don’t you think my mother would know the difference between a newborn baby and a baby that is almost two months old? She always told me that she went to the hospital where I was born and brought me home.” And that was either a lie or proof that I wasn’t kidnapped. My only experience with babies is Callie, and yes she felt like she had grown a lot in two months.

  My father was a sharp businessman. When he wanted something, he usually got it, but in my heart I believe that kidnapping a child for his wife that desperately wanted to be a mother is beneath anything he was capable of.

  “I don’t believe it and Leeta is truly a bitch for making me think otherwise, but...” I trail off as everyone watches me like I’m a piece of glass that might shatter at any moment.

  “But what, babe?” Gavin quickly replies when I pause.

  My gaze shifts back to Gavin as I square my shoulders with confidence. “I want to find out who my birth parents are. When I asked my dad about it years ago, I think he was worried that I wanted them in my life, and that’s not the case. But I am curious. I think that’s normal for any adopted child and now with Leeta throwing around these claims, well...it’s just more of a reason that I need to know.”

  Gavin smiles with pride. “Then that’s exactly what we’ll do. We’ll find out and no matter what information we uncover, I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

  Again both girls sigh in a sweet, dreamy way. “I really need to find my own hot guy. Seriously, I can’t handle being the only one not in a relationship anymore,” Alyssa adds before turning to Kiran and giving him a sexy smile, one that causes his brows to bunch. He immediately starts shaking his head no, which has everyone except Alyssa laughing.

  “You need to talk to my brother. He’s...cut out for you,” he adds.

  Everyone except Alyssa picked up on Kiran’s comment. If I had to guess, it sounds like Kyler is into Alyssa, but knowing her she’s been so set on finding a new man, she’s probably missing the awesome guy that’s been right under her nose this whole time.

  “Kyler is sweet. Plus he’s dating that one chick he knows from high school.”

 
; Kiran is shaking his head no. “Not anymore. They broke up months ago and believe me, Kyler isn’t sweet. I found out the fucker fought last month at Phil’s.”

  Both Gabby and Alyssa have shocked expressions while Gavin looks pissed. “What the fuck?”

  Kiran looks right at Gavin. “We said no, and he wanted to fight this prick, so they arranged something with Phil. I told him if he does it again I’m going to kick his ass personally.”

  “Jesus. He’s lucky they didn’t kick his ass after the fight for being your brother.” Gavin replies.

  “Thankfully, he’s not taking on fighting as a hobby. He just wanted a shot at this one douchebag and unfortunately was willing to do anything to get it.” Kiran sighs with frustration.

  “Why? I mean, why was it important to fight this particular guy?”

  Kiran looks right at Alyssa after she asks him what everyone was wondering. “Nope. Not my story to tell. You want that information, you ask him. I’m sure when he finds out how you heard he’s already going to be pissed as hell at me.”

  A strange flash of emotions cross Alyssa’s face. I think until this exact moment she’s never thought of Kyler as anything other than a friend, but right now I can tell in her mind she’s testing out the possibility of something more.

  “Well, we better get going. Call me, Kate, and I’ll be here in a second if you need me.” Gabby squeezes my hand before walking to the door. “Come on, dip shit. Let’s go.”

  Alyssa snaps out of her thoughts as the room breaks out in laughter once again at her expense. “Whatever, asshole,” she says to Gabby then turns to me. “Call me. Love you.”

  “Love you both,” I say before they walk out the door.

  Kiran clears this throat. “I better get going myself. Tell Elsa when she gets back that I’ll be here for my appointment on Tuesday.”

  My face lights up when he says Elsa. Apparently I’m not the only one who caters to her request. “Thanks, man.”

  Once Kiran is gone Gavin walks over and takes a seat on the sofa next to me. “Babe, I’m so fucking sorry about Leeta. I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep her act up for too long, but I wasn’t expecting her to do anything as crazy as this.”

  My stomach turns remembering the way Leeta behaved. Gavin could have warned me until he was blue in the face and that still wouldn’t have been enough to prepare me for today.

  “She wants your stock but we need more information than that,” Gavin adds, reaching out for my hand.

  “I’ll call or email Mr. Togg, my dad’s attorney, and see what he can find.”

  I pull my feet up next to me and lay my head on Gavin’s shoulder, curling into his warm body. “Where’s Callie?” After my question, Gavin’s body goes tense.

  “At Carly’s. This is her weekend. I get her back on Tuesday. Kiran was here when Carly picked her up and it was...bad.”

  I immediately pop up and look him in the face. “Bad?”

  A painful expression crosses his face. “Yeah, Callie did not want to leave with her. God. She begged me to let her stay.” A stab of pain hits my own chest imagining what that must of felt like to see.

  “Carly started screaming that you were brain washing her daughter and that she doesn’t want you around her anymore. Then she started pulling on her arm and I just...lost it.”

  Gavin stands up and starts pacing the room. “I have to do something about this arrangement I have with that bitch. She’s trying to point the blame at you but Carly was out of control and doing shit that blew back on my little girl long before you came into my life. But—Fuck! I’m so goddamn scared to push this. What the hell will happen if a judge strips what rights I do have? Huh, what then? Callie will lose the only stable person in her life, the only place she feels safe.”

  My brain races to think of something to say or do that will make him feel better. “What if you increase the amount of money you pay her each month in exchange for more time? But only if you get it in writing.”

  “I could do that, but this is Carly. You’ve only had the pleasure of dealing with her for a few weeks. The only way I can truly ensure that my little girl is safe is to figure out a way to get her to allow me to adopt her and sign her rights away.”

  If I only had access to my trust, we could offer Carly an unbelievable amount of money, an amount she wouldn’t be able to refuse. That could happen in two years if I manage to graduate on time, but a lot could happen to that adorable little girl in the meantime.

  “We’ll figure something out...together.” Gavin’s face softens at my words and he stops pacing. I walk over and wrap my arms around his waist, which has him doing the same. “I love you. I meant that before. I didn’t just say it because you did, and loving you means I’ll do anything to protect your daughter. Together, we’ll figure something out.”

  Gavin tilts my face back and his mouth crashes down onto mine, causing all of the stress of the day to completely melt away. Less than two hours ago I thought my world was unraveling, and now thanks to Gavin, it almost feels complete for the first time since I lost my parents.

  I sit down to use Gavin’s computer the following morning to email my dad’s lawyer. If I want answers, he seems like the person I should start with.

  From: Kate Reynolds

  To: Jim Togg

  Subject: Question

  * * *

  Mr. Togg,

  Sorry it’s taken me a while to return your email. I’ve decided that I do not want to sell my stock to anyone. Especially to The Jentar Group. If I change my mind regarding this topic, I’ll let you know.

  I do have a question for you, though it has nothing to do with selling my stock.

  I was wondering if you had any information pertaining to my adoption. Due to recent events, I would like to know the names of my birth parents. Do you have their names or any information that you can share?

  Thank you for your time,

  Kate Reynolds

  I already feel guilty for asking Mr. Togg for information. I know my dad didn’t want me to know who they are, but due to Leeta’s claims, I can’t let this go without knowing. I don’t know what I’ll do if I find out that I’m in fact the child that was kidnapped. The fairytale I’ve told myself for years is simple: my birth parents weren’t able to keep me but hated the idea of giving me away, until they met my parents. Then they knew they were doing the right thing, especially for me. Never in any of my thoughts did I consider the idea that my birth parents didn’t willingly give me up, and that’s a truth I’m not sure I’m capable of handling.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” I turn and find my sexy boyfriend standing in the doorway to his office without a shirt on.

  “Eyes up here, babe.” I hear a laugh in his voice as I snap my eyes to his, only to find that he’s enjoying the fact that I’m ogling him.

  “If you want me to look at your face, then maybe you should have put a shirt on,” I reply with a grin.

  “You’re lucky I’m wearing anything. I woke up alone and wanted to know where you took off to.” Gavin’s smile dims a little.

  “I didn’t take off. I wanted to send my dad’s lawyer an email. I’m hoping he’ll read it first thing tomorrow when he goes to the office.”

  Gavin keeps his eyes locked on mine, and I see how greedy, almost hungry they are. We had sex twice last night, but it seems like we can’t get enough of each other.

  I stand up and close the distance between us. When I make it to him, he reaches his arms out and pulls me tight to his body then his mouth locks on mine.

  I love kissing him. I love touching him. I love the way he makes me feel weak yet powerful at the same time.

  His hand slides down my back and around to the front then into my panties. When Gavin makes it down to my sex, he immediately slips a finger inside of me. “Jesus, you’re always so wet.”

  Gavin’s words send a shiver through my body. I love it when he talks dirty to me and it doesn’t take much for my desire for him to take over. I’m panting with
need, need for him. Gavin already knows me well enough that he scoops me up then quickly lays me down on the couch he has at the back of his office. Within seconds, he has my t-shirt and panties off and tosses them on the floor.

  Kneeling in front of me, Gavin lifts both of my legs and places them over his shoulders then moves his face down and sucks my clit into his mouth.

  “Oh...yesssss,” I trail off on a loud groan. Gavin hasn’t done this but a few times, and each time my body lights up. He alternates between his tongue and his fingers but once he finds a rhythm he pushes me over the edge and I start coming on his face.

  Gavin starts to slow down as I ride out the last wave of my orgasm. When he brings his head up, I’m greeted with the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. The desire I see in his eyes, his desire for me, makes the way I feel for him almost dangerous. I need him in ways that have nothing to do with sex.

  Gavin’s hands move and he pushes his boxers down. He pulls me to the edge of the couch and seconds later he pushes inside of me, causing us both to groan. “Oh, fuck me. This is my absolute favorite place to be.”

  His eyes glaze over with lust as he starts thrusting in and out of me, captivating me in a unique way. Gavin talks about me belonging to him, but it’s in moments like these that I know I’ll never want to belong to anyone else.

  “I...love...you,” he rasps out between breaths. I can tell by the look on his face that he’s close. He reaches his hand down between us and starts rubbing my clit.

  “I want to feel you. Feel you come on my dick, babe, please. I need it.” His words alone start a tingling sensation in my body but as his thumb starts to really move, paired with his dick pounding in and out of me, I fall over again. “Yes. Fuck yes, that’s what I wanted babe.” As I start to come back down again, Gavin speeds up until he’s moaning out his own release.

  “God, I love you.” Gavin holds my face close to his as he kisses me deeply before he pushes back and pulls out of me. As he stands up, his face goes from relaxed to tense in seconds. “What’s wrong?” I question.