Page 15 of Lie for a Lie

“I’m finishing now!” I yell back, slightly annoyed, and quickly finish my light makeup. I opt for a hint of neutral eyeshadows and a deep brown liner to make my green eyes pop.

Then, just some flavored ChapStick before a quick spray of my favorite perfume. Opening my bedroom door, I walk past them, talking amongst themselves on the couch.

“That was worth the wait,” Seth says smoothly from behind me.

We stare briefly at each other before Seth smiles, rising from the couch. It is then I take in the full sight of him. As he comes around the couch, I can tell he is slightly over six feet tall, wearing a well-fitted dark gray t-shirt and medium-wash jeans with brown boots. His shaggy blond hair is almost chin-length and messy.

As we leave the apartment, I linger in the doorway, and Chris stops to wait for me. He looks relaxed in light-wash jeans and a grunt-style t-shirt.

“You good?”

Focusing his attention on me, his question is confusing, and I know it shows all over my face.

He lets out a small laugh.

“You seemed a bit overwhelmed earlier. I just want to ensure you felt okay before we left and didn’t need more time.” His words are so unexpected and sincere. I can’t help the broad smile that dances across my lips. I wrap my arms around Chris and kiss his cheek.

“God, it is a shame you don’t have a brother.”

He laughs in response and returns my affection. We both pull away a moment later before heading to Seth’s truck.

The car ride to the bar is uneventful, even though I notice Seth attempting to look back at me occasionally. I pretend not to notice and scroll through social media on my phone.

Bre rambles about nothing important on the whole car ride. She can talk for hours non-stop, never really leaving room for silence. Unlike me, I live in silence. Ever since my overdose, Bre has been like this. Sometimes, I wonder if she is afraid to stop.

I close my eyes and lean against the headrest when Seth parks his truck. I let out a small sigh and open the door. Halfway out, Seth appears from around the corner to help me.

Through the window, I see Chris helping Bre out of the truck. She is talking about nothing and adjusting her skirt while he watches, completely lost in her rambling—there is so much love between them.

“He has never looked at any girl like that.”

Seth smiles, standing beside me and closing the truck door. He offers me his arm, and I take it without hesitation.

“Looks like we will be seeing a lot of each other,” I respond with a flirty smile.

“It looks like it,” he says as he holds open the bar door.

The space is small and comfortable. I have driven past it a few times here and there but never really paid attention to it. It looks as I expect—a large wooden bar to one side with black bar stools, a few pool tables scattered about, and a wall of booths.

“Let me guess, you’re a beer girl?”

His smile is sinful. I flirt back.

“Sure.”

His eyes linger on me before he turns towards the bar with Chris. I watch the boy walk away from earshot before turning towards my sister and taking a seat at a booth.

“Remember a few days ago when I called you about that weird encounter with the hot guy at the coffee shop?”

Bre blinks in confusion, and realization dawns in her emerald eyes as she turns her attention toward the two beautiful men at the bar.

“You are joking with me.”

Bre is clearly shocked.

“He is even better looking than I remember. This whole gentleman act, is it real?”

“As far as I know, yes, it is real,” Bre says. “They have lived together for years and have been best friends since college. Just in case you wanted to know, Graham and Chris have known each other since they were teens. Six years ago, Graham started dating Katherine. She has always been a mess, though something happened when they were deployed a few years ago, and it’s been rocky ever since.” Bre continues, “Chris thinks she cheated on him, but Graham never confirmed anything. I guess he never denied anything either.”

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