Page 25 of Lie for a Lie

When I get back to my apartment, it was after one a.m. Chris has been up late playing video games on the couch and pauses when he sees me enter the room. I stop humming, smiling widely at him, and walk into the kitchen to grab water.

“Late night?”

“Something like that,” I say, taking off my heels and plopping on the couch beside him.

I open my water and take a sip.

“I think I like both of your friends.”

I look up at him for some sort of guidance, and he just lets out a laugh.

“I know both of my friends like you,” he says, offering a sympathetic grin.

Then he looks down at my dress.

“Graham saw you looking like that?” Chris’s eyebrows rise.

“Yup,” I say sadly, resting my head on his shoulder.

Chris leans into the contact.

“Just give him time. And be careful when it comes to Seth. He tends to break everything he touches.”

I can’t help but smile because he sounds like an overly concerned brother, and I always wanted one of those.

“I like you.”

“I know,” he teases, so I elbow him in the stomach.

He immediately fakes that he is in pain, and I laugh at how absurd he looks.

“You are such a child,” I scoff before pushing off the couch and heading toward my room.

“Paige. Neither deserves you.”

Chris seems serious as I open my bedroom door. I turn and smile softly towards him before closing my door behind me.

Chapter 13

Graham

After dinner with Paige, I want more distance between Kat and myself. It is not hard to do, considering Kat has avoided me for months until Paige came around.

I was rather surprised this morning when I came home from my clinic hours and see Kat has come home early from Phoenix—four days early, to be exact. She has some half-ass excuse about a fight with her mom, but her makeup is ruined as if she has been crying. In all the years I have known her, she has never cried over her mother.

For the first time in almost a year wondered about my life and even asks about Chris and this new relationship with the stuck-up bitch nurse’s sister, Bre.

I fight back every bit of anger that enters my body at her apparent hatred for Paige. The woman who helped Kat despite her piss-poor attitude.

“What’s wrong?”

She is trying to play innocent, as always. I let out a laugh and grab a water from the fridge. Slamming it shut with my foot, Kat keeps her eyes focused on my every movement.

“Nothing,” I say with no interest.

I head towards the sink, desperate for something to do to avoid this conversation.

“Babe, come on. Please talk to me. Graham, I am ready to talk.”

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