Heartfelt Lies

by Alexandra Christopher

  "I did. I returned home to your mom the next day. I never told her about any of it. She would've gone and drug Gwen home herself and I couldn't allow that. I had already destroyed her life enough, I couldn't ruin it further by disrespecting her wishes. I got reports on them from time to time. A few years later she had been settled in Texas several months and I flew down and checked in on her again myself. I was met with the same reception as the last time. They had very little, but Gwen refused all offers of help, ripped my check up and threw it in my face. Before I left, I met with the director of Ella's daycare and had a scholarship set up for her to attend a private school. I owned the construction company by then and we were doing well. It was the only way I could think to help provide a better life for Ryan's child. I never told Gwen, I knew she wouldn't accept if she knew the money came from me. After, I left Texas that day I decided to leave her be and let her live her life. I never checked in on her again after that. I didn't realize she had died until the night you told us in the kitchen."

  "I don't know what to say," I mumble.

  "There's not a lot you can say. What's done is done. I just wished I would've kept checking up on her throughout the years. I would've removed Ella from that situation at all costs."

  "I know you would have. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I know you better than that." I glance to my hands briefly before returning my eyes to my father. "I'm scared, Dad, all these secrets I'm hiding, they're starting to consume me. I don't know what to do. I know I need to be honest with Ella, but I'm terrified of losing her. What if she takes off like her mom did and I never see her again? I just can't take that risk, not right now. I'm not ready to let her go, I don't think I'll ever be."

  "There's no easy answer here, Kohl. I can try to talk to her if you want. But, no matter what happens, I won't make the same mistake I did with her mother, it's one I'll regret for the rest of my life. If she runs, we will find her and bring her home."

  15

  Ella

  "Gram, I'm outa here!" I say, sticking my head into the living room after seeing Kohl's truck pull into the drive.

  "Have fun, sweet pea."

  I grab my phone and wristlet off the entry table and rush for the front door. I'm greeted with the sight of Kohl pounding up the porch steps as I step outside.

  He's so freaking gorgeous. His brown hair is stylishly messy, worn faded jeans sit low on his hips, and a tight black t-shirt clings to his abs, showing off his sculpted body. His stark white smile draws me in, but it's his eyes, his brilliant green eyes, that pierce straight through my heart.

  "Hi, handsome," I greet.

  "Hey, beautiful. I was coming to the door."

  "No need," I wave the notion off. "I was watching for you."

  "Oh, yeah? You miss me?" he asks, giving me a cocky smile.

  "That and I may have been pacing the floor for the past hour, trying to calm my nerves," I admit.

  "Come here." Kohl takes my hand, pulling me into his arms. "There's no need to be nervous. They're going to love you. I'm pretty sure they already do, and they haven't even met you yet," he laughs.

  "I hope you're right. I have no clue what to say or how to act, I've never had to meet the parents before. I hope I don't embarrass myself," I confess, stepping off the porch.

  "Just be yourself, Ella. You don't have to act like anyone other than you. Everything's going to be fine, I promise."

  He opens the passenger door and helps me inside. The ride to Kohl’s house is different than usual, he's not said one word to me since leaving mine. It's not uncommon for us to share a comfortable silence between us, but something is different about this drive.

  The minute Kohl climbed into his truck his whole demeanor changed. Even the days we don't say much he at least holds my hand, connecting us in some way. Not today though. My hand rests on the console between us as usual, yet he hasn't reached for me once. Truth be told, he hasn't even glanced my way. He seems to be deep inside his own head. Maybe he's nervous about dinner too and just doesn't want to admit it.

  "Is everything alright?" I question.

  "Yeah, of course." He gives me a small smile, then reaches for my hand.

  "You're quieter than usual. Are you sure something's not wrong?"

  "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. I just have a lot on my mind. I've got a busy week ahead of me. I was actually at the office working before I came to get you. I was just thinking about some paperwork I ran across." He glances my way before returning his attention to the road. "It's nothing I can't handle though," he says, giving my hand a small squeeze. "Well, here we are."

  I look up, seeing one of four garage doors rising as we pull into Kohl's drive. He hops out, waiting for me at the front of his truck, before taking my hand and leading me to the door. We're greeted by his mother as soon as we step inside.

  "Oh, my goodness. Come here and let me see you!" she gushes. She brings me to her with a hand on each shoulder. "You're absolutely stunning, Ella." Before I can reply, I'm pulled into a warm hug. I meet Kohl's eyes, and he mouths an, "I'm sorry" behind her back. I shake my head subtly, letting him know there's no need to apologize.

  "Oh, wow! Look at me. I promised Kohl I wouldn't scare you off," she chuckles. "I apologize. I didn't mean to attack. I'm just so excited to finally meet you."

  "Don't apologize, you're fine. You have a very beautiful home, Mrs. Kingsley."

  "Thank you, dear. But, please, call me Beth."

  "Okay." I laugh.

  "I'm entirely too young for the whole Mrs. bit," she laughs. "Forty is just around the corner for me, so I'm trying to hold onto every last piece of youth I have left."

  His mom is gorgeous. I knew she was on the younger side because Kohl mentioned she got pregnant with him right out of high school, but she looks even younger than I anticipated. She could pass for thirty a lot easier than she could forty. She's about my height, her dark brown hair is shiny, perfectly straight, and falls just past her shoulders. Her friendly smile lights up her hazel eyes and eases my nerves. She's dressed casually in frayed cropped jeans and a cute V-neck top. They complement her easy-going personality and show off her trim frame.

  "Come on, let me introduce you to Kohl's dad," she says, taking my hand. "Kohl, bring us some drinks into the living room please."

  "Um…" Kohl hesitates.

  "Do you like iced tea, Ella?" Beth asks.

  "Uh, yeah. I mean yes, I do."

  "Great! Four iced teas, Kohl," she orders, before turning and leading me from the kitchen.

  Beth points out different rooms and pictures along the way. I don't dare mention I've been here before or that I've already seen all of it. Kohl obviously didn't tell them and I'm sure not going to.

  What would I say? Oh, yeah, this isn't the first time I've been inside your house. Kohl gave me the grand tour a few days ago. He also gave me an up close and personal look at his bed. Yeah, I don't think so. That's not exactly the kind of first impression I want to give. I need to figure out a way to tell Kohl to keep his mouth shut, too. I'll be mortified if he lets it slip.

  Entering into the living room, I see an older version of Kohl sitting on the couch, immersed in a movie playing on the flat screen.

  "Honey," Beth calls, drawing his attention.

  "Oh, hey!" he says, rising from his seated position.

  He never moves his eyes from mine as he walks our way, staring at me so intently I almost want to turn and run. A huge smile takes over his face as he approaches but he resembles his son so much in that moment, it sets my nerves at ease.

  He comes to a stop before us. "Hi, I'm Jack. You must be, Ella. Kohl was right, you have your grandmother's eyes," he remarks, with an out stretched hand. "The genes in that family run strong. I'm so glad you're here."

  I place my small hand in his large one for a brief shake. "Thank you for having me. It's really nice to meet you."

  "You're welcome here anytime. No need to wait around for an invitation from that knucklehead son of mine. Stop
by whenever you like."

  "Wow, I can feel the love from here. Thanks, Dad." We all turn, as Kohl walks through the door. A tea in each hand and one under each arm.

  "Oh, Kohl. Be careful," Beth says, rushing to his side, taking the two glasses of tea from his arms. "We have trays for this sort of thing you know."

  "Mom, guys don't carry trays." Kohl huffs.

  "He's right, sweetie. We don’t carry trays." Jack kisses her forehead as she hands him a glass. An eye roll is her only response.

  Kohl hands me a glass of tea before taking my hand in his. "Come on, let's sit down."

  We all make our way over to the couches and sit. I'm at a loss for words, so I just politely sip from my glass. My eyes scan the family pictures that sit along the mantle. A few framed candid shots are placed along the bottom of the hearth as well. Everyone seems so content, so happy in them, the perfect representation of family. Their love for one another is unmistakable. I can't hide the smile that overtakes my face when I see a young Kohl sitting atop his dad's shoulders. I continue scanning along the years of captured memories, one particular photo catches my attention, turning my smile into a confused frown.

  It's a picture of Kohl. He's just a toddler, three years old at most. He's sitting in his dad's lap, light green eyes barely visible under the brim of the adult size cap placed on his head, a perfect replica of the one Jack is wearing. Jones' Construction is displayed in bright white letters across the top.

  Is that the name of their construction business? That's a little odd. Why would they have my last name instead of their own as the name of their company?

  "What's the name of your construction company?" I ask Kohl. His eyes immediately dart to his parents before returning to mine.

  "It's um… Jones' Construction," he mumbles.

  "Really? That's odd. Why does your business have my last name instead of yours?" I question. Kohl watches his dad like he's waiting for an explanation himself.

  Jack clears his throat. "Actually, Ella, it used to belong to your grandfather, Bill Jones. I purchased the company from Mrs. Ann a few months after he passed away from a heart attack. It was just too much for her to handle, but she didn't want to shut it down. I knew the business well, like the back of my hand really. I had worked for Mr. Bill since I was big enough to grip a hammer. It was his dream to run it with his son one day. After I bought it, I asked your grandmother if I could keep the name. Changing it just felt wrong, like destroying his dream."

  "So, you knew my Dad then?"

  "I did." He nods his head. "I knew him well. We were best friends, we grew up together. My mother was a single mom. She worked two jobs to keep the lights on, so I spent more time at Ryan's house than I did my own. Your grandparents were good to me. They made sure I never missed a meal or wanted for anything. Treated me like I was their own. Bill took me under his wing just like he did your dad. They were all family to me. Ryan was more brother than friend."

  "Did you know my mom?"

  "We did," Beth speaks up. "We were all really close."

  "Was she… was she happy when you knew her?" I ask with hesitation.

  "She was very happy, always smiling. I used to envy how perfect she and your dad were together."

  "I wish I could've witnessed that side of her. I can't imagine…" I trail off.

  "Ella, when Gwen left here, she left us all. If we had known where she was, the shape she was in, please believe me when I tell you that we would've helped her, helped you both. We never even knew she was pregnant. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that she's gone, but we're so happy to have you here," Beth finishes with a warm smile.

  "Thank you." I return her smile. "And thank you," I say to Kohl's dad. "I bet it means a lot to my Gram to know you're keeping the memory of her husband and son alive. I'm sure it makes her happy to know the dream of father and son running that business lives on through you and Kohl. I’m sure she must be proud of you."

  "Yeah," Jack clears his throat. "Please, excuse me," he chokes out, quickly leaving the room.

  I turn my attention to Beth. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset him."

  "No, Ella. You didn't do anything wrong. Jack has regrets of his own he's dealing with. Kohl, why don't you give your girl a tour of the house. Maybe show her the game room. Dinner will be ready in an hour."

  "Actually, she's already—"

  "That sounds great!" I cut him off mid-sentence.

  After Beth leaves the room Kohl regards me with raised brows.

  "What was that about?" he asks.

  "Don't you dare tell them I've already been here!"

  "Why?" he questions with a smirk on his handsome face. "Afraid they may find out things got a little…personal?"

  "Yes! That's exactly what I'm afraid of!" I whisper shout.

  Kohl's full out laughing now, loud and carefree. I throw my hand over his mouth and glance toward the door, paranoid that Beth will return and ask what's so funny.

  "Shh! Will you keep it down? Your mom's going to come back in here to see what has you cackling like a loon."

  "Come on you worry wart." He stands, turning his back to me. "Hop on and I'll teach you how to play some pool."

  I hop on Kohl's back, my legs wrapping around his waist, my arms around his neck. Strong hands squeeze my thighs and pull me tightly against him. I rest my chin on his shoulder, enjoying the hard curves of his muscular back as he carries me to the basement door and down the steps.

  An impressive game room is displayed before me. I decide to play along and let him teach me how to play for a game or two. Then, all bets are off. He can figure out for himself that there's nothing he can show me that I don't already know and have perfected. I'll confess later that Reed and I passed the time many nights playing pool out in his garage.

  "This is nice. I can see why all your friends like to hang out at your house."

  "Yeah, Mom made Dad fix the basement up with anything I wanted. They always had a house full of kids while I was growing up, never complained though. Mom always said having a house full of kids meant she knew exactly where I was and what I was doing, said she'd take that piece of mind over dirty floors and an empty pantry any day of the week."

  "Smart woman." I'll tuck that little piece of genius away for another day.

  I spend the next thirty minutes or so letting Kohl teach me the basics of pool. I've shown enough potential he thinks I'm ready for a real game now.

  "Let me rack the balls and then you can try to break them this time."

  I give him an agreeable nod in response. When he finishes gathering the balls and has them racked tightly together, he makes his way behind me.

  "Remember how I showed you to hold your cue stick?"

  "Um, I think so. Like this?" I ask, leaning over the table, placing the cue stick between the crease of my thumb and pointer finger. Without waiting further instruction, I send the cue ball barreling down the black felt to crash into the perfect triangle of balls, sending in two solids and one stripe.

  "I'm solids." I claim, walking around the table, sinking three more balls before I miss. "Your turn," I smile, lifting my eyes to Kohl.

  He's staring at me, a serious expression covering his face. "You're laughing on the inside, aren't you?" he asks, through pursed lips.

  "Why, what do you mean?" I feign innocence, placing my hand across my chest.

  "Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean," he warns, placing his cue stick down on the table and slowly stalking toward me, a predator after his prey.

  "Now, Kohl. You never asked if I knew how to play pool," I defend, steadily walking backwards.

  When he dashes towards me, I turn and run. I'm caught and thrown over his shoulder before I make it two steps. The hard smack to my ass has me squealing loudly. He turns, laying me out across the table, before sliding his hard body between my legs. His firm chest presses snug against my breasts as he bends over me.

  "Hmm, what am I going to do with you?" he grumbles, his eyes roaming my f
ace, my eyes, lips, neck…

  "Kiss me," I command, reaching up, burying my fingers in his hair.

  He takes my lips with a harsh kiss, his hands grip my hips roughly as he grinds against my core. I release a tortured moan as he sucks my tongue into his mouth.

  "Kohl, dinner is ready!" Beth shouts from the top of the basement steps.

  Kohl groans, dropping his forehead to mine. "Saved by the bell." He sighs. "We'll be right up!" he shouts back toward the stairs.

  Standing straight, he reaches for my hand and helps me from the table. We walk hand in hand to the stairs. Right before my foot hits the first step, Kohl leans over and whispers, "we'll continue this later," into my ear.

  "Yeah, I don't think so. Not with your parents here."

  "What? They don't ever come down here. There are certain things a parent doesn't need to see. They learned that lesson the hard way. Why do you think Mom shouted from the top of the stairs?" He chuckles.

  "Kohl?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Shut up!"

  "Shit. Sorry!" He winces.

  Dinner is going well. Conversation flows easily and I'm learning a lot about the Kingsley family. Like, how smart Kohl is.

  "He'll have obtained his bachelor's in business in just under three years. Kohl completed all his required college basics before he even graduated high school. He could've attended any college he wanted but he chose to stay here and work beside his dad while he earns his degree," Beth brags.

  "It was a good choice. There's a lot of hands on experience he'll learn about the business during the time he would've been away at college. A lot can be learned working those two days a week he doesn't have class," Jack states proudly.

  "Isn't that hard?" I ask Kohl. "Keeping up with school and work."

  "Not really. School has always come easy for me. I've never really had to work hard at it," he shrugs. "Plus, I only work eight-hour days while I'm in school. And only two days each week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, when I don't have any classes," he adds.

  "Do you have plans for college, Ella?" Jack asks.

  "I actually start cosmetology school this fall. It's something I've been saving up for over the past few years."