Kiss Me with Lies (Twin Lies Duet Book 1)

by S. M. Soto

  “Wow,” I breathe, and I hear Baz’s low chuckle.

  “I take it this is your first?”

  “Gala? Uh, yeah. Back in New York, I don’t really do much of this. That’s more of my friends’ MO. They were raised in this life, so it’s what they’re used to.”

  “And you?”

  I tear my eyes away from the tables with the children and look up at him. “I had a normal childhood. Some might even consider it a sad one, but it was nothing like this.”

  “What part of New York did you grow up in?”

  I clear my throat, using my free hand to run over the length of my dress. “Actually, I grew up in California. Moved out East for college and decided to stay there.”

  Baz’s brows raise, and I can see the questions in his eyes. The obvious being “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  “And what about now? You ever see yourself coming back?”

  I pause. My mouth opens, and it’s on the tip of my tongue to say hell no, but honestly, I don’t know anymore. Being here, near the place I grew up, has made me realize I miss it. The air. The weather. It’s nothing like New York. I think that’s why I love and hate it.

  “I don’t know. I thought I’d never step foot in California again, but here I am anyway.”

  “Why wouldn’t you want to come bac—”

  “Sebastian!”

  The sound of the voice rains nails down my back. I clutch onto Baz’s hand more tightly, and I work to control my breathing. Vincent Hawthorne—dressed in a tux just like Baz, though he doesn’t look half as good—strides toward us, a wide grin consuming his whole face. My stomach churns and twists with rage as I look up at Baz, watching the emotions play out on his face. He grins. It’s a boyish one, one I haven’t been privy to yet. He lets go of my hand, and they pull each other into a brotherly hug with pats on the back.

  When was the last time they saw each other?

  Or does this happen every time they hang out?

  “How you doin’, man? I see you brought a date—” Vincent pauses when he glances at me. There’s no recognition in his dark eyes, but his brows do draw in together, and he frowns. “Wait, do I know you?”

  “Vincent, this is Mack—”

  I thrust my hand out toward Vincent, my heart banging violently against my chest as bile rises up my throat at the thought of his skin touching mine. “Scarlett.”

  I feel Baz’s gaze on the side of my head. He’s probably wondering why I didn’t use my real name, but just because he hasn’t remembered me yet doesn’t mean the rest of them won’t. All it might take to spark a memory is my name, and all hell would certainly break loose.

  Scarlett was the first name I gave them, after all.

  Vincent takes my hand, and I try to suppress the shiver that runs through my body. It’s not a good one. His gaze trails up and down my body, and I can taste the acidic bile now. If he doesn’t stop looking at me like that, I won’t be able to hold in the vomit as it spews from my lips. Thankfully, he lets my hand go and shifts his gaze back toward Baz.

  “I’ll see you both later, Seb. I just spotted Dick Epstein come in with his wife, and I need to have words with him.”

  Before leaving, he turns to me. “It was a pleasure, Scarlett.”

  The way he says my name has the hair at the nape of my neck standing at attention.

  He couldn’t.

  No, he couldn’t have figured it out.

  Vincent was the dumbest of the group. There’s just no way.

  I swallow the sudden lump in my throat and glance back at him. He’s still watching me with narrowed eyes. His dark scruff casts shadows across his angular face, making it impossible for me to read him. When he disappears in the crowd, I lose sight of him.

  This was a mistake.

  I’m in way over my head. This will never work. I’m always going to be too familiar to them.

  “C’mon, let’s go find our table.”

  I nod and follow Baz as he expertly weaves through the people with his hand re-secured with mine. Along the way, he picks up a flute of champagne for me, and I take it with eager fingers, downing almost all of it in one go.

  I realize where our table is, and my gaze darts to Baz. “Wow, I didn’t realize they’d have people sitting so close.”

  “Only the top donors do. It’s easier for the speakers to give them an extra pat on the back if they’re closer, and quite frankly, they do it to show off.”

  I start to process his words, and my eyes widen as he pulls out my chair for me.

  “That would mean you would’ve had to donate a lot.” I lower myself into the seat, my eyes still glued to him.

  “The kids need it more than I do.”

  My heart does something strange at that moment. I can’t tell if it’s a lasting impression from our run-in with Vincent, but I swear, my heart skips a beat. I’m sure I probably look ridiculous, staring up at Baz with hearts and stars in my eyes. It makes me feel cheap. It makes me feel like what I’m doing is wrong. I know it’s wrong, but I’ve made excuses for my decisions and my deception where Baz is concerned, but as I look at him now, I wonder if I’m going about this the wrong way. What if he really is a good guy?

  I glance to my left at the table filled with kids and find a cute little girl watching me with wide eyes.

  My breath catches when I look at her because she’s a vision of Madison. A vision of myself, too, but when I see her, all I truly see is Madison. It makes my heart hurt. There’s a tight stitching in my side, and the space in my chest suddenly feels hollow. I feel hollow.

  With golden spun blond hair and curls that make me want to tug and watch them bounce back in place, she really is adorable. The rest of the kids at the table look a lot older than her. They are already well on their way to becoming preteens while she looks barely old enough to be nine. Some tables seem to have younger kids, some older, but this table, the one with the little girl who still has yet to take her eyes off me, doesn’t seem to follow any rules. It’s almost like they shoved the kids they didn’t have any room for at one table together. My heart hurts for all those kids. Because even though I’d change so many things about my past, I wouldn’t change having a family. Something none of them have anymore.

  Twisting in my chair, I give the little girl my profile and smile at her. My heart gallops when her mouth drops open, and her eyes widen even farther, as if she’s stunned someone has noticed her.

  Lifting my hand, I wave at her, and she darts her gaze down sheepishly, her cheeks turning the cutest shade of pink. With a grin, I shift back toward Baz and find him watching me with a crease between his brows. My mouth suddenly goes dry, and I worry I did the wrong thing.

  “Sorry. She kept staring, and she’s just so adorable, I couldn’t help myself.”

  That crease between his brows deepens even farther. “Don’t apologize. Those poor kids get ignored ninety-nine percent of the time.”

  Feeling much better about paying attention to the little girl, I smile, blowing out a relieved breath. And much to my surprise, Baz leans in, kissing me on the lips. I wasn’t sure how he’d react to PDA outside the resort, so the fact he’s initiating it in front of so many important people has my stomach roaring with the force of butterflies.

  “Dinner should be out soon. Did you want something to drink? I’ll get us something from the bar.”

  “A water is fine, thank you.”

  My gaze is fixed on his broad back and shoulders as he walks away. It’s obvious he’s well liked. Along the way, he gets stopped several times for conversations, handshakes, and back slaps. Women stop and stare—well, gawk is more appropriate. I try to ignore the way my belly flips when he glances at me over his shoulder. That crooked grin twists his lips smugly as if he knew I’d be watching.

  Christ. I’m in trouble.

  The empty chair next to me is sharply pulled out, and when I turn to see who it is, all the color drains from my face. I don’t mean for it to happen. Once I realize I’m staring in
horror, like a fool, I clear my face of any outward emotion. I swallow the fear that’s quickly rising up my throat.

  “Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing,” Zach just about purrs as his eyes trail up and down my body. Dressed in a tailored tux, his manbun is so at odds with everything else about him. “Baz is one lucky son of a bitch.” He whistles through his teeth. My gaze flits around us frantically as I search for Baz.

  Please hurry back. Please hurry back.

  “I knew you looked familiar.”

  My shocked gaze swings back to his, and my mouth drops open as I try to defend myself, to tell him he’s mistaken. My stomach is knotting. My heart thrashes against my rib cage, threatening to break free of my thoracic cavity. I shake my head, unable to form words.

  This isn’t how they’re going to find out who I am. It can’t be. I look nothing like the old Mackenzie. I’m not even using the same name.

  “You and your friends were at the club opening. I’m good with faces but not so much with names. What was yours again?”

  Relief rolls through me in waves; so much so, I almost start crying because I thought that was it. I blow out a laugh and clear my throat.

  “It’s Scarlett. I was there with my friends Kat and Vera.”

  He grins wickedly. It transforms his handsome face. “That’s right. What a night to remember.”

  A blush flushes over my skin at what he’s insinuating. When he walked out and watched Baz fucking me against the glass. He’s probably remembering that in vivid detail as he looks at me. I drop my gaze down to my hands that are fidgeting nervously on my lap. I close my eyes, silently counting to five in my head. Much like it has been lately, I feel a warmth settle around me, and then I hear her.

  “This is your chance. You hold the cards. Don’t let them intimidate you. You’re not that girl anymore.” Madison’s voice rings in my ears, and when I open my eyes, glancing back up at Zach, who’s watching me like a hawk, I play the part.

  Slapping a slow smile on my face, I edge the darkness away and lean in, placing my elbow on the table and cupping my cheek with my hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you cordially this time. Sorry”—I laugh lightly—“you’ll have to forgive me. What was your name again?”

  His lips twist as if he’s holding back a smirk. His impossibly long lashes cast shadows across his face. “It’s Zach.”

  “Got it, Zach. So how long have you known Baz?”

  This time, he chuckles. “Too fucking long if you ask me. I’m intrigued, though, Scarlett. He doesn’t usually bring dates to these events. Why you?”

  If it weren’t for his heated gazes at my face and my body, I’d take his question as a slap in the face. I want to retort with, “Why wouldn’t he?” but that’s overkill. Instead, I smile, lazily looking over my shoulder to search the crowd for Baz, but I don’t find him.

  “I’ve been asking myself the same question all night.” I shrug as I turn back toward him. “He’s hard to read most of the time, but … I like him. Which might be dangerous for me and my heart since I haven’t known him long.”

  Zach scoffs. “I’ll say.” He shakes his head in disbelief as his gaze scours up and down my body, lingering on the see-through mesh of the dress. He can clearly see the outline of my breasts, but I thank my lucky stars he can’t see my nipples.

  Wren, you’re a godsend.

  “Is this the part where you ask me questions about my friend, hoping you’ll understand him better? Maybe even gather some dirt while you’re at it?” he asks dryly. As if he wasn’t the one who approached me.

  “Of course not. I think peeling back the layers on my own will be a lot more fun. Don’t you think?” There’s a bit more snark in my tone than I intend, and all it takes is a glance over his shoulder toward the children’s table to put me at ease. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I see someone I need to chat with.”

  Scooting my chair back, I gather my dress and slip past Zach without so much as another word or a second glance. My skin is crawling from being so close to him and sharing any kind of conversation with him. I feel his feverish gaze scorching the skin of my back, but once I find those cute blond curls, I forget about him entirely.

  Most of the kids who were sitting at the table are missing. Only one woman is there, watching the three remaining kids. But watching is a strong word. She’s been staring at her phone, completely unaware of anything happening around her. I take the empty seat next to the little girl, and the entire time she stares up at me, mouth dropped open in shock, her eyes wide with wonder.

  “Hi.” I shift in the seat, facing her. She swallows, and the smile that takes over my face is probably frightening, but I can’t help it. She reminds me so much of Madison, but her personality, her shyness—that’s me. She’s the embodiment of us both, and I can’t seem to look away from her. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

  “A-Ava,” she stutters, still staring at me in awe.

  “That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

  Her cheeks redden, but I see the stirrings of a smile on her face, and even though I have a list of things I should be doing, all I care about is making this little girl smile.

  “What’s your name?” Her question is uttered so quietly, I have to bend to hear her.

  “My name is Scarlett, but you know what? You can call me Mackenzie. Only the cool people get to call me by that name.” I shoot her a wink, and finally, that smile breaks free. The attendant at the table has finally noticed me but doesn’t seem to care that I’m talking with Ava, so I continue.

  “You look like a princess, Mackenzie. I wish I could look like you.”

  My heart flutters, and it takes all my willpower not to pull this little girl into my arms. Because it’s like a reflection of myself. She’s me.

  “Why would you want that, Ava? You want to know what I think?” I whisper, leaning in as if I need to share a secret with her. She looks around to make sure no one is listening in before leaning into me. “I think you’re the prettiest one in the room tonight. But shhh, don’t tell anyone I said that. It might make the others sad.”

  Ava looks down at herself in her blue dress that matches her eyes. Her long lashes cast shadows across her cherubic face, and her cute little face twists. “You really think so?”

  When she looks back up at me, her nose wrinkles with distaste, and I can’t help but laugh.

  “Oh, yeah. You’re absolutely glowing tonight, Ava. You’re the first one I noticed when I walked in.”

  Those eyes widen again, but the smile that takes over her face is blinding.

  “Are you having fun tonight?” As soon as I ask the question, the smile on her face dims. She looks down at the table, then toward the attendant who is still looking at her phone. Ava fidgets and looks back at me as though she’s afraid to say what she really wants to. I purse my lips, making a sudden decision. “Give me one second, sweetie.”

  I push away from the table and walk around toward the attendant. She barely glances up at me, and when she does, she looks bored. She’d clearly rather be anywhere else than here, watching children.

  “Would you mind if I take a walk with Ava? I promise we’ll come right back. I’m sitting right there at that table with my date.”

  She shrugs. “Yeah.”

  A frown mars my features, but I don’t say anything. I turn back toward Ava, rounding the table as I go. I stop in front of her and reach my hand out for her to take.

  “Want to go for a walk with me, sweet Ava?”

  She grins, eyes sparkling, and takes my hand. Her palm is tiny. Her small fingers tickle and curl around my hand, and I smile down at her as I weave through the tables and the patrons standing around chatting. When we first got here, I noticed outside the Beverly was a tree-lined view with twinkling lights and a fountain. As I suspected, the second we step foot outside, Ava gasps, her wide sparkling eyes taking everything in with a smile. I bet the poor girl doesn’t get out much.

  “It’s so pretty,” she
whispers.

  We walk toward one of the benches surrounded by rosebushes and sit in front of a fountain.

  “So you never answered me earlier. Are you having fun?”

  Ava glances at me out of the corner of her eye and shrugs. It makes my heart hurt. She doesn’t act like a normal kid. She’s shy and reserved. It’s like she knows the people around her don’t care about her, and it breaks my heart.

  “Not really,” she mumbles, swinging her legs on the bench. “Some of the older kids are mean. And this dress really itches.” She winces as she says it, and I bark out a laugh.

  “I’m really sorry some of the other kids are mean, but want to know what I think? They’re bullies. Sometimes people bully others because they’re sad and unhappy, but don’t ever let it change who you are, because you, Ava, are as sweet as they come.”

  “Did you ever get bullied?” she inquires, looking up at me with her blue doe eyes. I scoff, unable to help myself.

  “All the time. All the time, sweet girl.” I tuck some of her soft curls behind her ear, and her smile comes back.

  “Do you have kids?”

  When I look at the expression on her face and light in her eyes, I already know why she’s asking.

  My heart drops, and I shake my head. “No, I don’t, sweetie.”

  “Do you want some?”

  See what I mean? These aren’t questions a kid her age would normally ask.

  “One day. When I meet the right person, I’d like to.”

  Her smile drops, and she looks down at her lap. “Oh.”

  “Hey,” I whisper, scooting closer. I gently place my hand under her chin, lifting her face back to mine. “Don’t do that. The family that chooses you is going to be lucky. The luckiest family in the world.”

  Instead of the smile I was hoping for, tears glimmer in her eyes, and her tiny chin wobbles. “Bethany says I probably won’t find a family who will want me.”

  My heart shatters. I trap my bottom lip between my teeth, trying to hold it together, so I don’t cry in front of this sweet little girl. I rapidly blink my eyes, keeping my tears at bay, and I slide off the bench. Gathering my dress, I shift, giving myself enough room to squat comfortably in front of her so our eyes are level. Taking her small hand in mine, I squeeze, and with the other hand, I caress the side of her face, brushing my fingers through her curls.