Tell Me Lies

by Michelle Lindo-Rice

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t the man for you,” Lance said. “It’s going to sound cliché, but it wasn’t you, it was me. I wasn’t good enough for you, Sydney.”

  Sydney cocked an eyebrow. “All right, I’ll take that.”

  Lance exhaled sharply. “I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

  “You don’t want forgiveness. I know you. You want something else.” She stood, determined to make her expression unreadable. “I don’t care enough to figure out your ulterior motive. I think it’s time for you to leave.”

  “Regardless of what you think, I do want to make amends.” Lance looked like he wanted to say more, but he headed toward the door. Before he left, he said, “Your heart won’t always be broken. Time heals all wounds.”

  Sydney thought of Noah and agreed. But she wasn’t about to give Lance that satisfaction. She lifted her chin. “My heart is no longer your concern. It’s still beating, no thanks to you.”

  Lance turned the doorknob, took one more longing look at her and left the office.

  Sydney raised a hand to her racing heart. That conversation was way overdue and now she was glad it was done. She could move on.

  17

  “Gramps, you’re giving the mosquitoes serious competition.”

  It was Monday evening and the second week in August. Noah had had a grueling day with the church board. He’d welcomed the respite of home until he entered and found his grandfather waiting. Seeing his grandfather’s steel gaze, Noah knew there was no escaping this conversation.

  “I know I need to tell Sydney. Now is not the time,” he said.

  “I know it appears as if I’m pestering you, but you owe her the whole ugly truth. You’re going to hurt her if you don’t open up.”

  Noah backed up a step. The truth of his grandfather’s words hit him. “Gramps, I’ll lose her. I’ll lose the best thing to happen to me besides salvation. How can I risk that?”

  “You’re a Charleston and a Charleston doesn’t back down. Ever,” Gramps growled. “If you never went through all that mess, you would never have found God. You would never have been in the courtroom. You would never have met Sydney. A woman you’re ready to spend your life with after such a short time.”

  Noah conceded. “You’re right. God has been preparing me for Sydney.” His voice softened. “I’m so glad you have my back.”

  Gramps’ eyes misted over. “No matter what happens, I’ll stand by you. She will, too, if she’s worthy of you.”

  Noah looked him in the eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you, but you were the best parent anyone could ask for. You sacrificed your career to take care of me. Thank you for that.”

  “You’re not going to reduce me to tears and get me boo-hooing in here,” Gramps said, drawing a deep breath. “I’m sorry your parents aren’t here to see the wonderful man you’ve become.”

  “When Mom and Dad died, I thought I’d die along with them. But you rescued me. You became my rock. And besides you, I have God, my Super Daddy looking out for me.”

  “That’s right. God will help you figure out how to tell Sydney the ugly truth.”

  He lowered his voice. “I’m ashamed to tell her. I’m afraid she won’t want to see my face once she knows.”

  “Then she wasn’t meant for you. It’s that simple.”

  It wasn’t that simple. The thought of not seeing her again made Noah’s heart sink. “I don’t want to see her grimace with disgust. I don’t want her to look at me and see this horrible person.”

  “Lots of boys act out when they’re in pain. You were grieving. Sydney will understand. If she cares anything for you, she’ll accept you.” Gramps held up a hand. “Now I know your story is a tough one, but it might draw you both closer. You’ll never know if you don’t tell her.”

  “I will.”

  Gramps folded his arms. “I know you will. It’s the when I’m trying to hurry.”

  ***

  “I knew it. You’re a natural,” Ace said. He pounded Noah on the back. They were alone in the bunk area.

  “Taylor’s eyes were the size of basketballs.” Roger said.

  Noah released an awkward laugh. He couldn’t admit to the other boys, that he hated fighting. He wanted family, but he wasn’t sure this was the way to get one. But what other choice did he have?

  “I’m glad you showed him not to mess with you,” Wylie chimed in. “Taylor has been picking at you for weeks. Roger and I would’ve handled him if you hadn’t stopped us.”

  Noah lifted a chin. “His taunts didn’t bother me. But for him to pick at my parents … I wasn’t going to let that pass.”

  “And you shouldn’t,” Ace said. “I can see the regret on your face, but the only way to deal with a bully is to be an even bigger bully.” He sat on his bed next to Noah. Ace had persuaded the boy assigned there to switch beds. Lamont knew better than to object.

  “I’ve taken care of everything,” Matthew said, coming into the room. He’d erased Noah’s altercation from the surveillance video. He puffed on his inhaler.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Of course he is,” Ace answered.

  Matthew nodded. He squared his shoulders and took out a jawbreaker. Ace didn’t tolerate any sign of weakness.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m good.”

  Noah shrugged. He’d still keep an eye on him, but at the moment Noah had a greater concern. “Taylor might talk.”

  Roger snarled. “He won’t. Me and Wylie already seen to that.”

  “Now for real business. I heard a rumor that Jaquaan is dating an Italian girl. She’s been visiting.”

  “Oh, no. We can’t have that.” Wylie rubbed his hands together.

  “You’re jealous he has a girlfriend,” Noah taunted. “No girl would tolerate your ugly face.”

  Wylie spoke through his teeth. “I’m not jealous of that snot-faced twit.”

  “We need to have a chat with Jacquaan,” Ace said. “Shadow, can you arrange a meeting?”

  Noah clenched his jaw. A meeting usually left someone bloodied and hurt. Noah’s new family was cold and brutal.

  Matthew nodded. Suddenly, he clutched his throat.

  Noah’s brows furrowed. He rushed to Matthew’s side. “Are you all right?”

  Matthew gasped for breath. His eyes rolled back in his head and Matthew crumbled to the floor. His body convulsed as he grasped for air. Noah tore open his shirt.

  “He’s having a seizure!” Wylie said.

  “He’s dying!”

  “He’s a punk,” Ace tossed out. He kicked Matthew on the hip. “Get up. The Avengers are strong and brave. Not simpering weaklings.”

  “What’s the matter with you?” Noah shouted. “He’s choking on that jawbreaker.”

  Ace’s eyes widened. “I thought he …” He dropped to the floor.

  Matthew’s skin was purple and blotchy.

  Roger and Wylie tripped over their feet as they raced out the room.

  “Buffoons!”

  Noah snatched him to his feet. He put fist underneath the ribcage and moved up two fingers. Then he performed the Heimlich maneuver. The jawbreaker popped out of Matthew’s mouth and rolled across the floor.

  Noah sunk to the tile floor. It had worked. Matthew was alive.

  Roger and Wylie returned with a couple guards in tow.

  One of the guards slapped Noah on the back. “Congrats, son! You just saved a life.”

  “How did you know what to do?” Ace asked.

  “I, uh, my father …”

  Noah sprang awake. He wiped his brow. He’d forgotten that day. The day he saved Matthew’s life. He wished Matthew was as concerned about saving his.

  18

  Lance entered the penthouse suite and slung his overnight bags on the king-sized bed. He’d asked for a nonsmoking room overlooking the water and had been fortunate to snag the last room.

  Too tired to get on the I-75 to drive the hour to his home in Sarasota, he che
cked into the Wyvern Hotel in Punta Gorda. The Wyvern was a fairly new hotel built on the water during the surge of private redevelopment projects after Hurricane Charley. Charlotte County had faced major devastation in 2006 when the hurricane hit. Lance was glad to see the new and improved waterfront area. The city needed the economic boost and people like him needed nice hotels.

  He opened the blinds to view Charlotte Harbor and the bridge. The view was as spectacular as the brochure promised. The stars twinkled and the sea sparkled. He remembered how he and Sydney would walk along Gilchrist Park or the mile-long bridge. They used to feed dolphins by the pier. Their relationship held so much promise, but he was glad it was in his rear-view mirror. As glad as he was that he had pushed for the talk today. It was a good first step.

  Lance plopped on the bed and rubbed his eyes. He could really use a massage.

  He had gotten paged that Marie Johnson had been admitted to the ICU. When he went in to consult, she’d been unrecognizable. Damaged. He squeezed his eyes shut to push the image from his mind. The question tortured him. Should he have done something?

  Lance looked at his watch. He was so tired his bones hurt. Still, he’d welcome a call from Belinda. She’d be a much-needed distraction.

  On cue, his cell phone vibrated. Lance reached into his jeans pocket and answered.

  “Have you told her yet how you feel?” Andre Lewis asked without saying hello.

  “No,” Lance replied. He didn’t have the energy to handle Andre’s probing questions.

  Andre was the resident therapist and his close friend at Sarasota Memorial. Lance had sought counsel to help him through some issues. Growing up with an abusive father had him all messed up. He probably should have shared that with Sydney when he’d confronted her at her office.

  “We agreed you would use this opportunity to make amends.” Andre’s voice was calm, but Lance sensed he was disappointed. After a year of therapy, Andre felt strongly the next step, repentance, was necessary.

  “I haven’t been able to get close enough for her to trust me.”

  “Try harder,” Andre urged. “I don’t want to see you fail after all the effort you’ve put into becoming a better man.”

  “I know her,” Lance confessed. “There’s no way she’ll forgive me.”

  “Well, be prepared to face the what ifs, the I should’ve and could’ve.”

  Andre’s sentiments hit home. Lance didn’t want to live with any more regrets. He already had plenty and leaving her behind was the biggest one. A loud clap of thunder sounded.

  “You’re right. I’m going to call her. That will put me in the right direction.”

  “There you go. Go get yours. I’m hanging up now.” Lance didn’t get to say goodbye because Andre disconnected the call. Sometimes having a friend who was a therapist was a pain. But when Lance had accepted the position at Sarasota Memorial, Andre befriended him. He’d been stalwart through the entire Monica fiasco and it wasn’t long before Lance opened up about his past and hurting Sydney.

  Fortunately, he still had breath in his body and he could make things right. Belinda was the key to everything he held dear.

  Lance swiped his phone for her number. She answered on the second ring. He could tell from her tone he was the last person that she wanted to hear from.

  “Come see me,” he insisted.

  “It’s raining and I have no desire to see your face.”

  “Which is it, the rain or my face?” he asked. She was silent. He could tell Belinda was doing everything in her power to fight him, but Lance had serious motivation and wouldn’t accept any excuses. “I insist, Bells. I’m at the Wyvern, Harbor suite. I’ll wait up.”

  The phone call ended. If she weren’t coming she would have told him so one more time. It was in her nature to fight with words. He intended to fight with something much stronger than that.

  19

  Sydney knew her face glowed. Her happiness burst from within like a rainbow across the sky. She had a bounce in her step and her saccharine pleasantness annoyed everyone, even her. Portia made a gagging sign as she walked past her. When Noah had left for two days to return to Texas for the luncheon in his honor, she’d been bereft. Even though it was like he never left, with as much time as they spent on the phone.

  Sydney wished she was not like the typical cliché, but she floated on air. Take today, she felt like a ray of sunshine though it rained outside.

  When it rained in Florida, it poured. The downpour had you soaked in less than a minute. But just as quickly the sun would come out and you would be dry in five minutes. Sydney rarely carried an umbrella for that very reason. It would bend or break under the heavy rain. She kept a parka stashed in her SUV instead.

  Sydney entered the firm and stepped out of her wet rain boots. She walked to her office in stocking-clad feet. Ever the shoe-aholic, she had a spare pair inside her office. Dressed in a black suit with coral pinstripes, and a coordinated, coral colored, round-collared blouse, Sydney was ready for the weather.

  “Don’t forget you and Belinda have lunch plans for the Carmela’s Closet launch.”

  Sydney looked at her watch. “Oh, yes. We’re meeting at Panera. Then, we’re going to look at some possible warehouse sites. When you get a chance, can you call the event center to see what dates they have open in the spring?”

  Portia nodded. “I’ll get on it.” She held out several messages.

  Sydney accepted them and counted a total of seven, three of which were from her mother. She took those messages and ordered, “Shred these.”

  Sydney hated being angry. It interfered with her prayer life. But that still didn’t give her impetus to call her mother. The longer she waited, the harder the phone call was to make. Sydney knew God was the answer to move past her mother’s deceit. However, she wore her grudge like a second skin, donned it like a backpack over her heart.

  There was a message from Noah. She looked at her watch, “I’ll call him back soon.”

  Since she locked her mother out, she devoted her energies to Belinda and Noah. They would never fail her. Sydney thought Noah was perfect—the perfect gentleman—the perfect boyfriend—perfect. He met every criterion on her mental checklist of what she sought in a man.

  There was the one sore point between them. Janine. But Sydney understood that. He was a pastor and couldn’t encourage her animosity.

  Though Noah disagreed with her actions, he was still attentive and thoughtful. Needing to connect with him, Sydney sent him a text message.

  Thinking of you.

  Same here. How was your day? He texted back.

  It’ll be better if I see you.

  Lately, they had mostly texted or spoke on the telephone. She’d been really busy prepping for the Burns case. Sydney suspected Noah was staying away from her. There was a heady feeling that Noah had to keep his distance because he was fearful of his emotions. It made her feel desirable, but she wanted to see him.

  While she waited for Noah’s response, she reviewed her notes.

  Her cell phone dinged.

  I’ll come by this evening.

  Excitement filled her. Noah hadn’t been inside her condo yet. A vision of dust and glasses in the sink sprang into her mind. Sydney pressed her intercom.

  “Hey. Do you need me?”

  “Can you call a cleaning service for me? For this evening?”

  “Okay, consider it done,” Portia said.

  “Thanks so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Lucky for you, you don’t have to.”

  As soon as she disconnected, she thought of something else. Sydney pressed the intercom again. “I’m a nuisance.” She laughed. “But can you order some Chinese takeout for me? Get me a couple orders of my usual.”

  “Okay. Did you say a couple?” Portia asked.

  “Get on it,” Sydney said. “I’m not telling you anything.”

  Sydney threaded her fingers through her hair. Clean place. Check. Food. Check. What should
she wear? She ran through a mental image of her wardrobe. Sydney wanted to look sexy. Her dress could be a little racy, but leave something to the imagination. She scrunched her nose.

  “The black cocktail dress,” she said aloud. “That should be perfect.” She’d worn it to the law firm’s end-of-year party. It hung above her knee with a fitted bodice and a plunging back. It was understated but elegant and suitable for a private dinner date at home.

  “Portia,” Sydney pressed the intercom, again.

  “Yes?”

  “Take a long lunch. On me.”

  “What do you need? I know a bribe when I hear one.” Portia laughed good-naturedly.

  “Can you stop at Bed, Bath and Beyond and get me some citrus scented candles? Some stuff to make my condo have a nice feel?”

  “You mean romantic,” Portia supplied. “I can do that. In fact, I’ll use your key and set things up for you.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I want to. Besides you know you don’t have my knack. I can make it nice for you.”

  Portia was right.

  “Okay, but if you’re going to do this then take the rest of the day.”

  “I plan to,” Portia said, before disconnecting.

  Sydney smiled. It’d been ages since Sydney had entertained a man in her home. Though she knew they had spiritual boundaries, Sydney wanted to give Noah a pleasant evening. Since she wouldn’t have to wonder about Noah trying any crazy moves, Sydney could relax and concentrate on having a good time. She could already see them cuddled in each other’s arms.

  Dress semi-formal. She texted Noah.

  Will do. See you soon. He replied.

  Then Sydney finished her notes for her case. On each page, she itemized her arguments using post-it notes. Then she prepared her statement, detailing her points like she would a to-do list.

  Sydney was confident when she left for home that night she’d win the case. Sydney closed up her office and left the manila folder on her desk. She’d grab it in the morning. If she took it home, she’d be tempted to work. And tonight would be all about play.

  By five p.m. that evening, everything was in order.