Page 10 of Twisted Lies

“A pretty jerk,” he replies, smirking.

“You’re an ass.” I glare at him.

He smiles. “A handsome ass?”

I stare into his eyes under the golden streetlight as my anger loses its steam. I can remain angry with the rest of them, but not with Wyatt. He smiles softly, but his eyes show grave concern. No matter how I fuck up, he doesn’t give up on me. I move in a little closer, wanting him to hold me until I feel warm again. My lips part as Wyatt kisses me. His kisses aren’t like Bryce’s. Bryce would never be gentle, giving, or brave enough to express how much he might care. But Wyatt touches me with certainty as he holds my cheeks in his hands. Taking my lips as if he has to have more.

I sigh, my hands running down his exposed back, feeling the ink we share. I moan louder, kissing him harder—his strength against my trembling body. I hold onto Wyatt, wanting him to be the one.

“Astrid, I’m sorry,” he whispers, “It was wrong, and I should’ve done more for you.”

I shake my head. “You’re not my keeper. They fooled me. I just want to believe that you didn’t also.”

“Astrid, I’m holding onto my old life as hard as I can,” he replies, “I don’t have the patience for the petty bullshit. I don’t have the time to play with people like an asshole bored with his own life. I care for you. A lot more than is wise for both of us.”

I gaze into his eyes. “Why do you say that?”

Wyatt looks down. “Astrid, do the smart thing. You’re strong and beautiful, so use it.”

“You mean go find a Bryce Shelton to marry!” I almost shout. “Don’t you think I’m smart enough to earn my own money?”

He doesn’t answer me, and my heart sinks. I start to walk away, and Wyatt follows beside me, pulling on his jacket.

“I didn’t mean anything bad by it,” he explains, “Stonehaven is a good school if you’re majoring in STEM. Those smartass kids will start their own companies, and we’ll invest in them or be their CEOs.”

I grin despite being annoyed. “I’m still mad at you.”

“You know what the Stonehaven motto is?” he asks, smirking.

“No,” I reply quietly, watching a Weymouth police car pass through an intersection.

Wyatt catches my hand and holds it. “Marry well, but study like you have to work for a living.”

“You are bad.” I smile a little, but my forehead aches from crying. “I could start a business.”

Wyatt scoffs. “It takes a lot of capital. Those people you read about with the million-dollar start-ups? All of them started with a trust fund.”

The sound of a siren whoops in the distance and then stops as soon as it starts. The streets of Weymouth are eerily quiet when the temperature drops. But it’s not safe to walk around at night, and besides, who wants to freeze? I run my fingers along Wyatt’s, feeling his firm grip in mine. He squeezes my hand slightly, and I want to melt into him. I want to be his. I want to tell him everything I feel. But something stops me from saying too much.

Instead, I deflect. “I saw a girl give Pierce a blow job.”

“He’s a pig in a sty full of them,” Wyatt laughs scornfully.

“Why is he like that?” I watch his profile as we turn the corner.

“He wasn’t always an only child,” he replies, “He had an older brother. But after his brother died, Pierce ran off the trail and hasn’t been able to find his way back again.”

“It affected him that badly?” I ask, “I mean, it’s terrible, but he’s outdistanced the jerk herd.”

“His brother used to keep him in line,” Wyatt replies, “Oddly, Bryce filled that void, and Bryce would make a foster parent on booze and crack look like a patron saint of parenthood.” Wyatt shakes his head. “His family is the type you disown.”

We’re standing outside the warehouse in the parking lot, and I didn’t realize we had walked in a circle. Wyatt tries to take my other hand, but I don’t know what to do with his dirty T-shirt. He grabs it from me and shoves it into his pocket. He takes both my hands and holds them as he stares into my eyes. Patiently, I wait for a kiss that doesn’t come. His soft gaze goes somewhere distant, and I wonder if he’ll share his secret thoughts.

Wyatt stares sadly into my eyes as if the sight of me is crushing his heart.

“I’ll take you home, Astrid,” he says, “You need to think up a better plan because right now, everyone is dictating your life.”

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