Hailey's Truth

by Cate Beauman

  Jeremy stared at her with defeated, pleading eyes, so much like the night in the hospital when he’d been a boy…when she’d left him to fend for himself.

  “You can start by telling the truth,” she gentled her voice. “Not having steady work doesn’t make me ashamed of you, but the lying bothers me a lot. Can we make a deal from here on out?”

  He shrugged, looked away.

  She took that as assent. “You tell me the truth, no matter what, and I’ll do my best to stop checking up on you.”

  He shrugged again, nodded. “I can live with that.”

  “Good. I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.” She reached out to him but dropped her hand when he didn’t make a move to take it. “That was unfair.”

  “I can’t change who I was.”

  She’d really hurt him with her accusations. “I know. I can only apologize again.”

  “Let’s forget it.” He smiled. “Come give me a hug, Sissy.”

  Her heart melted every time he used his childhood nickname for her. It brought back so many good memories. It reminded her of the sweet little boy she and her parents had drawn out of the lost, troubled shell he’d arrived with when Mom and Daddy took him in all those years before.

  She hugged him gingerly, careful not to touch the ugly rainbow of colors against his ribs. As she breathed in his aftershave and felt his strong arms around her, the familiar tug of shame came rushing back. How could she regret having Jeremy in her life when they had so many moments like this? It was good to have him here—her family. She drew away. “Can I ask you a couple more things so we can put this behind us and move on?”

  “Sure, come sit down, have some breakfast.” Jeremy turned off the TV and handed her a doughnut covered in powdered sugar—her favorite.

  “Thanks.” She relaxed now that the air was clear once and for all, took a bite, licked the sugar from her lips. “Who beat you up?”

  “Some guy from the garage where I’ve been picking up hours. He’s been pretty damn resentful I’m getting time when he’s not getting enough. He thought he’d teach me a lesson.”

  “Did you report it?”

  He glanced away and back. “No. I want to leave it alone. I lied to you about that too.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t want the police involved. It’ll only make things worse.”

  “All right, we’ll leave it alone. Do you want me to help you find a steady job?”

  “No. I think I’m onto something. Some rich guy up in the hills needs an assistant or what not. He may give me a chance. I kinda mentioned I know Ethan Cooke. I’m hoping that’ll do the trick.”

  She took her last bite, brushed her fingers together before reaching for the roll of paper towels Jeremy had brought with him instead of the napkins that sat on the small table in the kitchen. “Last question: Now that we’re figuring this out, is there anything else I should know? Is there anything else you want to tell me before we drop this whole thing?”

  “No. That’s it.” He took her hands, stared into her eyes. “I’m sorry I lied, Hailey. I’m working so hard to be a better person. I want you to be proud of me, to honor mom and dad for everything they tried to give us. From this moment forward, no more lies.” He locked his pinky with hers, an old childhood gesture. “I’m going to call that guy again and try to get the assistant job. If not, I’ll keep my hours at the garage until something else comes around. The money’s pretty good.”

  Her eyes watered as she nodded. “I love you, Jeremy. I am proud of you for trying. Mom and Daddy would be too.”

  He hugged her again and she held on. “Do you want another doughnut?”

  She eased away, grinning. “No. I have stuff to do. I need to go.”

  “I’ll be at the garage this afternoon. You can come check on me if you want. It’s down in South Central.”

  “No, I don’t need to check on you.” She frowned. “South Central? Jeremy, that’s a really dangerous place.”

  “I’ve been a street kid for years. I can handle myself.”

  She took in his bruises, his swollen eye and lip. He hadn’t handled himself so well two days before, but she kept her comment to herself. “I know you can. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Bye, Sissy.”

  She blew him a kiss at the door and closed it behind her. It was Austin’s turn.

  Austin hurried to the front door as whoever was outside continued to pound a fist against it. He yanked it open, stared at Hailey, flinty-eyed and arms crossed.

  “You lied to me.” She pushed passed him and walked to the center of his living room, carrying her peachy scent and a hell of an attitude with her.

  He shut the door.

  “I said, you lied to me. Why?”

  “Why don’t you tell me what I lied about, then I can give you an answer.” He assumed this had to do with Jeremy, but he wasn’t offering up any information without knowing what she did.

  “Why did you act like you didn’t know Yoshoris’ business hours, especially after you went there yesterday to check up on my brother?”

  He suppressed a wince—just barely. She’d been busy this morning.

  “And the bigger question is, why were you checking up on my brother in the first place?” She folded her arms again, all business.

  “Take a seat and I’ll explain.” He gestured to the huge leather cushions.

  “I think I’ll stand, thanks.” Her arms tightened, her hip shot out to the side.

  He shrugged and leaned against the door. The best way to deal with this was to meet her fire with a wall of calm. “Suit yourself.”

  “I want answers, Austin.”

  “Fine. After I talked to your brother the other day, his story didn’t add up, so I thought I would check it out.”

  “Why?”

  “I just said, his story didn’t check out, and I was right.”

  Her brow raised a fraction. “Well, score one for you. Why didn’t you tell me that last night instead of dancing around the truth?”

  This was a side of Hailey he’d rarely seen. She was always so bubbly, so cheerful. But her claws were out today, and she was looking for blood—his blood. If she wanted the truth, he’d give it to her—or most of it anyway. “Because if I’d told you I heard your brother getting beat up and that the story he fed me afterwards was a bunch of bullshit, you would’ve reacted exactly as you had last night, like you are right now.”

  “How dare—“

  “Your instinct’s to protect,” he cut her off, his own voice going edgy. He knew where this was going and didn’t like defending himself against a liar’s word. “A natural reaction, but sometimes it’s hard to see the truth when it’s staring you right in the face.”

  “And what truth is that, exactly?” Her foot began to tap.

  “He’s a criminal, Hailey.”

  “A brush with the law doesn’t make him a criminal. He’s paid for his mistakes.”

  A brush with the law? Was she fucking kidding? “Your brother’s bad news. Nothing good will come from having him back in your life.”

  She gaped at him before she turned away and walked to the window, her hands fisting at her sides.

  He clenched his jaw, already wishing he could take his comment back. Not because it wasn’t true, but the delivery had been bad.

  “Wow, you’ve got a nerve,” she whispered in a hiss of fury.

  “Hailey, Jeremy’s messing with drugs.” He would leave it there.

  She whirled around, cheeks flushed. “You saw him using drugs?”

  “No.”

  “You saw him selling?”

  “No.”

  “Then how can you say such a thing?”

  “I have my reasons.” God that sounded lame and condescending.

  “You ha
ve your reasons,” she spat back. “Let me get this straight. You haven’t seen him using, and you haven’t seen him selling, but Jeremy’s mixed up with drugs. That’s quite an accusation without any proof. Who are you and what did you do with the real Austin Casey?” She took two steps closer, then stopped.

  “I’m right here.”

  “Not from where I’m standing,” she scoffed.

  The hell with this. He moved until they stood toe-to-toe. “Take a closer look. Nothing about me’s changed. Jeremy’s mixed up with S-1.”

  “S-1? What the heck is S-1?”

  He saw it click as furious incredulity blazed into her eyes. “A gang?” She laughed, bitterly now. “This is getting good. He’s a gangster and a what—what—“ she flung her arms around wildly “—a drug dealer or user? You haven’t actually seen him do either, but you have your reasons for accusing. I think you should concentrate on being a bodyguard and leave your P.I. aspirations behind.” She sidestepped him and marched to the door. As she twisted the knob, he put his hand against the wood, holding it in place. “Where are you going?”

  “Back to Ethan and Sarah’s. Don’t worry; I’m not about to confront Jeremy. I wouldn’t dream of insulting him with questions when your facts are so baseless. Get out of my way; I’m angry enough to hit you.”

  “Hailey, what I’m telling you is the truth.”

  She turned again, her body brushing his as her breath trembled in and out. “Jeremy and I just had a long talk. He confessed everything to me—working as a mechanic under the table, lying about Yoshoris, not really calling the cops when he got beat up. He looked me in the eye and told me there was nothing else when I asked. As far as I’m concerned, he has a clean slate. Not even Jeremy can hose me that badly.”

  More fucking lies. That sent him over the edge. “Then you’re being a fool.”

  “Oh…my…God.” She spaced out each word, her eyes popping wide. “How dare you?” Hailey tried for the door again. “Get out of my way.”

  “Not yet.” He kept his hand against the wood.

  “I don’t have anything more to say to you.”

  Stubborn determination creased her brow. Her mind was made up: Hailey wouldn’t believe anything else he told her so he would keep the rest to himself. If she couldn’t grasp Jeremy’s involvement with S-1, she certainly wouldn’t be open to hearing that he was playing Russian roulette with the Mexican Mafia. He stared down at her as she trembled with fury. She was all but ready to blow her top.

  Austin gained a slippery grip on the tethers of his temper. “Look, we’re both pissed off. Why don’t you sit down a minute and take a deep breath?” He needed to take one himself. He took Hailey’s arm, tried to lead her to his couch. “I don’t want you driving when you’re this upset.”

  She pushed him this time. “What, are you going to get me a glass of milk, maybe a cookie too? Why do you treat me like a damn child? I’m almost twenty-five for God’s sake.” She shoved at him again. “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. I’ve done it most of my life. Now let me go!” She ripped free of his hold, yanked the door open, slammed it behind her with a solid crack.

  “Hailey. Son of a bitch!” Austin started after her, stopped, slammed his fist into the door. He leaned against the wood, closed his eyes, and steamed out a heavy breath. “That went well.”

  Chapter 6

  HAILEY POPPED UP FROM THE water, choking—again. She yanked her flooded mask from her face and flung it, watching it sink to the bottom of the pool. “Damn it,” she snapped, slapping her hand against the warm liquid, creating a splash and rippling waves.

  She was still rip-roaring after her confrontation with Austin, and now she could add a healthy dose of frustration to her list. Why couldn’t she get this right? She’d watched forty-five minutes of ‘How to Snorkel’ videos on YouTube. They’d assured her it was so simple; well, apparently it wasn’t. She glared at her mask, slapped at the water again, unable to rid herself of the choking rage and confusion threatening to overwhelm her.

  Enough was enough. Hailey swam to the edge of the pool and rested her head against her arms on the smooth cement coping. The wake she created slapped over the naked skin of her waist. She concentrated on the sounds of the waves hundreds of feet below, trying to relax the aching strain in her shoulders and neck. With each breath in and out, she counted—or attempted to—until her busy mind wandered back to Austin’s wild accusations. Why would he say such horrible things? He had to have known he was hurting her.

  She remembered Austin’s solemn eyes staring into hers. Could it be true? Was Jeremy mixed up with drugs and a gang? She too had jumped to the conclusion that Jeremy was into drugs again because of the quick cash for his car, designer clothes, and his half of the bill, but a gang… The very idea was so absurd. She vehemently shook her head. No, of course not. Gangsters weren’t clean cut; they were covered in tattoos, wore funky sagging clothes and bandanas around their heads. That definitely wasn’t Jeremy. And besides—he’d promised. Austin was trying to be a good friend, to help, but he’d made a mistake; he was running with the wrong information and overreacting.

  She still couldn’t believe Austin had called Jeremy a criminal. Ted Bundy was a criminal. Selling a bag of pot at a party and being caught with a beer in your hand at the age of eighteen was teenage stupidity. Jeremy had moved past that mistake. He didn’t even drink anymore.

  Calmer, steadier, she stood again in the shallow end, using her foot to retrieve her mask and snorkel. She was going to get this right, by God, without Austin’s help. She doubted he would be rushing to her aid anymore.

  Hailey spit into her mask, rubbed her saliva about, and rinsed. She slipped it on, adjusted the strap. “I can do this,” she said before popping the snorkel piece in her mouth. Determined to get it right, she submerged herself, kicking her flippered feet. As she took her first breath through her snorkel, she sucked in a mouthful of water and her mask filled. She thrust her head out of the water clumsily, coughing, losing her balance. As she fell backward, she tossed her mask off. “I give up. That’s it. Some people just aren’t meant to be scuba divers,” she said to no one. She yanked off her flippers, winged them through the air, and gasped when Austin caught one in his hand.

  He stood, staring at her with a full grocery bag in his arm.

  Oh, great. She closed her eyes as humiliation burned her cheeks. This just wasn’t her day. With as much dignity as she could muster, Hailey walked through the shallow end, up the stairs and grabbed her towel. She wrapped herself in the soft cotton, fighting the urge to shiver in the cool breeze.

  “Your mask’s too tight.” Austin tossed the flipper on the nearest lounge chair as he continued to look at her.

  She glanced up and back down at the brick inlay of the patio. How should she respond to his calm observation? Should she pretend this afternoon hadn’t happened? She reminded herself Austin was only trying to help, that he would never be intentionally cruel. But he’d said horrible things that weren’t true. Your brother’s bad news. Nothing good will come from having him back in your life, played like a mantra in her head. “It didn’t feel too tight.”

  “Trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”

  Her eyes flew to his, fully aware of his double entendre. She wasn’t going there again today, especially not when her temples were starting to throb. “I’ll have to loosen the strap, then.” Her teeth started to chatter, partly from the cold, mostly from nerves. He would continue to insist that her brother was the symbol of everything she stood so firmly against—drugs, useless violence.

  Her world was imploding around her—a good man, a person she trusted implicitly, told her what she couldn’t allow herself to believe, while her brother, a man she wanted to trust the same way, to believe in wholeheartedly, told her something different. Her stomach clenched from her mental tug-of-war.

>   Hailey pressed her fingers against her head. No. She couldn’t do this anymore today. She’d always believed herself strong enough to handle anything. For so many years, she’d had no choice. But this was too much right now. The possibilities were too disturbing. “I need to get dressed. I’m cold.”

  “Okay,” was all he said as she walked away.

  He’d hated seeing Hailey like that—eyes vulnerable and weary, body braced as if waiting for his next verbal attack. He despised knowing he’d caused her misery.

  Austin cringed as he thought of how he’d handled things at the apartment. He couldn’t have screwed it up more if he’d tried. There were a hundred-and-one ways he could’ve presented Hailey with the facts.

  He shook his head, muttered a curse. Had he really expected Hailey to respond any differently than she had? He’d more or less called Jeremy a loser, a druggie, and a gangster. True, Jeremy was all three, but Austin had totally screwed up nonetheless.

  Austin scrubbed another asparagus shoot and placed it in the olive oil and herb marinade he’d prepared for the mix of vegetables he would grill later. He needed to make things right with Hailey, but wasn’t sure how to go about it. A simple apology wouldn’t get him out of this one.

  He picked up a zucchini next, ran it under tepid water. Should he tell her he’d made a mistake? She didn’t believe him in any case. Austin shook his head, immediately dismissing the idea. He wasn’t a fan of lies. The fact of the matter was, everything he’d said was the truth. But how did he make someone see what they were determined to ignore?

  He would start with an apology for hurting her, for his poor delivery of hard facts, and go from there.

  “You’re still here.”