The Lies That We Tell

Chapter 21

Rhyann, completely nude, slowly walks down the stairs. Her hair is wet, and she looks like she just got out of the shower. The smile on her face has me thinking that she’s over whatever anger she had for me last night. God, I hope so. After the morning I had, and with this new disaster, the last thing I want is the only woman who has ever mattered to me giving me the cold shoulder.

“Here,” she says, holding out her hand. “Call your dad.” She drops the phone in my lap and walks over to the dining table full of food. I’m shocked silent by how calm she is, and how comfortable she is in her nudity right now.

When I look at her phone screen, it’s still unlocked and my dad’s contact information is up on the screen. I hit the little blue phone shaped button and my father picks up on the first ring.

“Why the hell haven’t any of you been answering?” he says after the second ring.

“It was a long night,” I sigh. “We had a lot to talk about, Sorry, we all slept in.”

My father is silent for a minute. “I need you guys to come down to the club.”

“Devon and Liam are on their way, I’m staying here with Rhyann. Do you have any details yet?”

My father lets out an audible breath. “No, not yet. The Fire Marshall suspects arson though. He just went in there to start the investigation.”

Arson. My thoughts go straight to Aubree and her threat about me regretting my decision to leave her. But that was this morning. “When did this happen?” I ask, worrying over her words.

“Late last night. From what the Fire Marshall said, it was a full on inferno. It took them hours to put out.” My fathers words clear up any ideas that I had about Aubree doing this. I can’t really picture her being that spiteful and vindictive anyway.

My father starts talking to someone in the background. I shift my focus from the call to Rhyann, who is sitting at the table popping pieces of fruit into her mouth, eyeing me with an expression I can’t make out. She looks almost predatory, confident and like a goddess holding court for her worshippers, or worshiper, as I’m the only one here.

“Tate, are you listening?” my father yells into the phone.

“Yeah, sorry. I was distracted for a minute.” I confess feeling the heat rising to my cheeks. Rhyann lets out a giggle from her place at the dining table. She’s doing this on purpose, she’s fucking with me.

“Anyway,” my father continues. “As soon as I have more information, I’ll come to the hotel. The detectives called this morning anyway, and want to meet with all of us.” I nod, forgetting for a second that he can’t see me.

“Okay,” I say instead. “Have the guys call me when they get there.”

My father says okay and hangs up. There was a twinge of sadness in his tone when he ended the call. A bad feeling that my mother wasn’t lying settles in the pit of my stomach.

“What did your father say?” Rhyann asks from across the room. Her voice carries through the quiet room with ease even though she speaks softly.

I let out a long breath, going back to my place at the piano. I don’t even know how to play the thing, but sitting here, in this small alcove makes me feel like I’m alone in my own little bubble within a bubble. “He said the Fire Marshall was just going in but based on how bad the fire was, but he was just starting the investigation while we were on the phone,” I tell her.

If she reacted in any way to the news, I can’t tell from here. Her disposition remains stoic as she finishes the plate of food she made for herself. I tap one of the pearly white keys on the piano. The soft sound reverberates through the small space. The hollowness of the alcove gives the single note an eerie, almost sad tone. I wish she would say something to me. I wish I had it in me to say something to her. There was so much left unsaid between us last night, so many things that need to be said between us, I just don’t know where to begin.

“Who puts a piano in a hotel room?” Rhyann asks, laughing. God, I love the sound of that laugh.

I turn and smile at her. “Liam asked the same thing when he came downstairs this morning.”

“Great minds,” she smirks, lifting a strawberry up in salute before biting into its sweet flesh. What I wouldn’t give to taste her sweet flesh, to bite into her skin and savor the taste of her, the same way she’s savoring the strawberry between her lips.

“You should get dressed,” I tell her looking down at the black and white keys. “My dad’s coming back with the guys. While I’m sure Dev and Liam won’t mind seeing you sitting there just as you are, I doubt my dad would like it.”

“What about you?” Rhyann asks.

It hits me that this is the first time I’ve seen her naked, but I can’t bear to bring myself to look at her. Not after last night. Not after she found out I believed we were half siblings when I… I let the thought trail off, not wanting to go down that road, not wanting to think about the monster she clearly sees in me. She made things right between me and Dev last night, but that was mostly for him not me. I swallow the lump forming in my throat and sigh.

“What about you, Tate? Do you like me walking around this room naked?” Her voice is right in my ear, her strawberry sweet breath caresses the tender skin along my neck.

And, that lump is back. This time I can’t swallow it down and I still can’t bring myself to look her in the eyes. “Rhyann,” I moan as her sender fingers slide over mine. “Please.”

“Please what?” she asks, a hint of amusement in her voice. She’s toying with me, but for what? “Please show you how to play the piano?” Her hands tap one key, and then another, until a sad little version of Mary Had a Little Lamb plays.

That’s when I look up at her. “I didn’t know you play piano,” I say.

She laughs, and not a taunting boastful laugh. She laughs like I just said the silliest thing in the world. “I don’t,” she says with a big smile. “That’s all I know.”

“Oh.” I look back at the keys, her fingers resting alongside mine.

“Tate.”

“Rhyann, go get dressed, please.”

“Tate,” she says again. This time it’s more of a whisper.

When I look up, finding her beautiful green eyes filled with mirth, her lips crash into mine as she pushes herself into my lap. At first I’m too stunned to do anything, but when her ass settles over my cock—which has been rock hard since she came down the stairs— I’m back in charge of my own senses.

My hands slide from the piano keys and my arms wrap around her petite waist. Her lips stretch into a smile against mine as the tip of my tongue darts out tasting the remnants from her fruit filled breakfast. Her fingers tangle in my hair as our tongues tangle and wage a war of passion between us. My hands move to her full, perky breasts, making her moan into my mouth. I thought I wanted her that night in her kitchen, but I’ve never wanted my beautiful goddess as much as I want her now.

But this is all wrong. The things I did, the things I wanted to do to her when I thought she was my half sister were abhorrent. I’m a disgusting monster. Rhyann said as much herself last night.

I pull away, ignoring the tears welling up on my lashes. “Rhyann, stop.” I push her away, my hands still cupping her soft tits.

“Tate, what’s wrong?” she asks, nothing but compassion in her eyes.

“This,” I say, my voice cracking, betraying the steely look give her. “Us.”

Her head tilts as if she’s trying to find a flaw in my logic. Her hand reaches up, and I close my eyes waiting for the sting of her slap. But it doesn’t come. Warm, loving fingers caress the side of my face, wiping away errant tears that escaped the confines of my eyelids. “No.” She shakes her head. “It isn’t.”

Her emerald green eyes stare into the darkest depths of my soul, seeing me, seeing the monster, the vile creature that I am. But she doesn’t budge, she doesn’t flinch or cringe. She just smiles sadly.

“You said yourself—” she cuts me off by pressing the tip of her finger against my lips.

“I’m sorry for what I said last night.” She sighs as I look away. “Tate, please, look at me.” There’s a sadness in her voice, a sadness that I put there. Years of head games and torture. Hot and cold emotions all because I was in love with a girl I thought I could never have.

“I treated you like garbage for years, Rhyann. I made my best friends swear that you were off limits.” I let my tears fall now, not caring if she sees me as weak, because that’s what I am. A weak man. “You lost everyone who loved you, and I made sure you were isolated from your only friends. From the two boys you loved.”

“Three,” she whispers. It’s so soft, I almost miss it.

“What?” I ask, turning back to face her. The love in her eyes is almost unbearable. The love she’s directing at me in those green eyes is enough to shatter the heart of the coldest man.

“Three boys, Tate. You kept the only three boys I’ve ever loved from me.” Rhyann leans forward and kisses the tears staining my face. “You kept your distance after your mom left. You made me think you hated me. That was the first time you broke my heart,” she confesses. “I’d have rather had you in my life as my friend than not at all.”

“Oh, Rhyann. I’m a weak man. If I hadn’t done all that, I can’t promise I wouldn’t have done worse than I did in your kitchen.” I offer my own confession of dark, twisted guilt. “I’d have taken your virginity if you would have let me. I’d make sure no one else ever touched you because you’d have been mine, and I wouldn’t have cared about the consequences.”

“And I’d have loved you. Just as much as I love you now,” she admits. “But we are not siblings, Tate. We can be together without all that guilt and darkness hovering over us.”

Her words sink in and I’m about to kiss her again when my phone rings. The. Worst. Timing. Ever. We both glance at the screen to see Liam”s grinning face light it up. “Fucker,” I grumble picking my phone up off the top of the piano.

“This isn”t over, Mister Crawford.” Rhyann blanches as she slides off my lap. “Ew, I am never calling you that again.”

I lift my brow unsure of what’s so gross about my last name, but I just smile. “I’m going to fuck you on this piano before the night is over,” I tell her as I answer the call. “What?”

Rhyann laughs and walks up the stairs. “I’m holding you to that.” she winks at me before disappearing into the main bedroom.

“Yo, Tate. You there?” Liam”s voice calls from the other end of the call.

“You better have some new information about the club. Rhyann and I were talking through our issues.”

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” he snickers. “I have some issues I’d like to talk out with her too.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re an asshole.”

“Your second favorite asshole. I bet my brother’s is your favorite,” Liam laughs, but before I can tell him to fuck off, theres a muffled thump. “Ouch, fucker.” Liam grumbles and I can’t help the laugh that comes out of me.

“Thanks Dev,” I say into the speaker. “Seriously, what the hell went down?”

There’s a deep sigh and a long pause before Liam speaks again. “Well, there’s nothing left. The entire building has been stripped to the I beams.”

“Fuck,” I say, raking my fingers through my hair.

“Yeah,” Liam breathes out. “The worst part is, it wasn’t arson.”

“And how is that the worst part?”

There’s a rustling and then Devon gets on the phone. “The Fire Marshall is saying that it started from an electrical shortage, and because of the kerosine lamps in storage, the fire burned hotter than it should have. And our insurance is saying that because it wasn’t a natural disaster or arson, we aren’t covered.”

Mother fuck. “Shit,” I breathe out.

“Yeah, shit is right. A literal giant sized pile of burning shit.” Devon says darkly. “But, for real man, when did we get a hundred and twenty kerosine lamps?”

I think back to when we ordered everything for the club. I remember wanting to have the place look as authentic as possible, but also wanting to be eco friendly. So, the guys and I agreed on electrical faux flame lamps that would imitate the old kerosine ones. “I don’t remember buying them,” I say.

“Liam doesn’t remember us ordering them either. He told the Fire Marshall as much, but he says that without proof that we never brought them into the club, that’s his ruling.” Devon says and I can tell by the gruff tone in his voice, he’s talking to me now because if he wasn’t he’d be looking for someone to beat right now.

“Calm your jets, Dev. You guys head back here with my dad. He said he has some shit to discuss with us.” I tell him, hoping he will listen.

“I know man,” he says. “I’m just feeling an emotional overload right now.”

Dev never talks about his emotions with me. I don’t know that he talks about them with Liam either. So, I’m taken aback with his admission. It must be a sign that he’s actually good with what happened between us last night. My face falls flat when the other possibility runs through my mind. He may not be okay with it all, and in that case… I try not to go there. Not right now, not when I just had Rhyann in my lap telling me she loves me. I hang onto the high of serotonin I got from her.

“Yeah, we’ll be there as soon as we can. Your dad called Rhyann”s lawyer and the insurance company. He wants the lawyer to help us look into this. I guess they’re coming up to the hotel too,” Devon says before the line goes dead. It’s obvious his head is fucked five ways from friday right now I hate that I’m helpless to do anything about it.

Hashtag Happy Saturday.