The Lies That We Tell

Chapter 18

I have no fucking clue went on between the three of them while I slept, but when there was a loud thud against the wall, I flew out of bed. My first thought was that the person who attacked Tate, and tried to kidnap Rhyann came back to finish the job. My second was that my brother was going to kill Tate, or vice versa. Either way, I knew it was bad.

But what I found was a drunk, half naked Tate throwing whiskey glasses against the wall. When I finally got him to stop throwing glass in my direction, he told me that he fought with Rhyann, then Devon, and then my brother stormed out and Rhyann chased after him.

The police stationed outside our hotel room were no help. When I asked where they went, one officer gave me a sarcastic “Where do you think they went?” before looking at the elevator.

So, here we stand, Tate and I looking in on what I’m certain was a private emotional moment between my brother and Rhyann. “Sorry, we’ll leave you two to whatever you were doing,” I say, grabbing Tate”s arm.

“No, don’t,” Rhyann says. Her voice is hoarse, cracking as though she’d just been yelling and crying. Judging from the wetness of her rosy cheeks, she most likely was.

“It’s fine, princess. I’m sure you guys need a moment.” I can’t explain why the scene cuts as deeply as it does. I always knew she loved my brother, and I was just a consolation prize for her. But after last night, after telling her and showing her how much I love her, I had hopes that she would love me back. I turn away from the scene and begin to walk back to the room. In the morning, I plan to find another hotel room, maybe even a different hotel altogether. Hell, I might even go to my parents house until things settle.

“I love you Liam,” Rhyann”s voice rings through the entire hall. “I love you and need you as much as I do Tate and Devon.”

When I turn around to face her, she’s standing proudly outside the elevator, my brother by her side looking at Tate with the eyes of a man whose heart has been ripped from his chest. What the fuck happened while I was sleeping?

“You two, please,” Rhyann looks between Devon and Tate, “Give me a minute or two with Liam?”

“No,” Tate says, yanking Rhyann from Devon and throwing her over his shoulder like a caveman.

“What the fuck, Tate?” I say, shock washing over me.

“We aren’t doing this shit out here,” he says as he stalks back into the hotel room. Devon and I silently follow suit.

Once we are all inside the privacy of our shared suite, Tate, very inelegantly, drops Rhyann on the couch.

“What the fuck is your damage, Tate?” Rhyann almost screams.

“What did you say out there?” he responds.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Rhyann spits back. I can’t help the twitch at the corners of my mouth watching her tiny frame stand and try to go toe to toe with my well over six foot tall best friend. My brother stands silently watching the same scene, but I catch the small smile on his face. He finds it as amusing as I do.

“Tell me what you said to Liam out there,” Tate towers over her. Staring her down as though she were his equal in size.

“Fuck you, Tate.” Rhyann pushes at Tate”s bare chest, he’s taken up all the space between them.

“That’s not what you said.” He smiles wickedly. “You said you love us.”

“You thought we were siblings and you still wanted to fuck me.” Rhyann snaps, folding her arms, refusing to look Tate in the eyes.

“But we’re not siblings, and you love me as much as I love you.” Tate”s tone is gentler now.

“I kinda hate you right now,” she says, looking back at me and Devon. The two of them lock eyes and I see the tears rolling down her cheeks. I look over at my brother, so fucking lost in the whole situation, and he’s got tears in the corners of his eyes too.

Tate looks in our direction, looks right at Devon and that’s when things click.

“Fuuuck,” I hiss through my teeth. Always the last to know things.

“Yeah, I fucked up. I fucked up bad.” Tate says. He reaches down and pulls Rhyann into his arms, kissing her forehead and whispering something only she can hear.

“Umm, what am I missing?” I finally find the voice to speak.

“Liam,” Rhyann says through her sniffles. “I want to take a bath, will you help me?”

“Fuck yeah, I will!” I exclaim, reading the tension in the room. I put my hand on my brother’s shoulder giving him a supportive squeeze. Devon stands there, stiff and unmoving. I’m almost certain he’s been holding his breath since we came back inside too.

Rhyann walks up slowly, leaving Tate standing in the sunken-in living space. She takes my hand with a sad smile and stands on her toes, planting a soft, slow kiss on Devon”s lips before leading me into my room.

Fear overrides every nerve in my body. Rhyann and Liam left me standing here, exposed and raw. No one but Devon remains.

“I— I uh, I’m just gonna go. Tell Rhyann I’ll be back in the morning.” Devon turns to leave and my heart races. Panic controls every muscle in my body.

“You,” I blurt out. Devon”s hand stops on the door handle but he remains silent. “It’s you who owns the other half of my heart.”

He turns and looks at me. Years of anger and hurt in his eyes. Years of pain and betrayal and lies written in the features of his face. I knew I fucked up, I fucked up with him and Rhyann. I don’t know if what she said in the hall will give me a chance to fix things with her, but she is giving me a chance to fix things with Dev, and if I fuck it up here and now, I know I won’t get another chance.

“What?”

I take a step closer to Devon. “I’m sorry. I fucked up. I lied to you a long time ago. I lied when I said I didn’t remember that night. I never forgot that night. I lied to myself when I tried to convince myself I didn’t have feelings for you, because I do,” I confess. “Once, I even went into a gay bar and tried to sleep with another guy. I tried to fuck you out of my system.”

Devon takes two slow steps toward me, his pain and sorrow shifting into something dark, something like rage. “How did that go for you?” he laughs darkly.

“It went terribly. It was sloppy and uncomfortable and I didn’t enjoy it at all,” I admit. “I thought I wasn’t gay, that I’m not into men. But then, every time I pictured you fucking Rhyann, I’d get jealous.” I look down at my hands. “Of her, of you. of the both of you.”

The second I look up to meet Devon”s eyes, I see stars as his fist collides with my face. The tangy, metallic taste of blood hits my tongue. “Fuck, I deserved that.”

“You’re a real dick, you know that?” Devon says, the rage wiped from his face, and he smiles at me before pulling me in for a kiss. “You’re in love with me. Admit it.”

I laugh against his wet lips. They taste like Rhyann and Devon; they taste like home. “Yeah, I fucking love you.”