Page 38 of King of Liars

“Yes, we are,” but as he said it, he was looking right at me.

I avoided his gaze, hoping he would never see the battle scars, the reasons that led to my being there—trying to pry Dad off Mom. Trying to fight him back, but never being strong enough and just getting my ass kicked. Lying to the doctor yet again about how I’d broken my arm.

“Shit, I guess this is really kicking in already,” I said to bring myself back to the present. I took another hit.

“Oh, is that a cousin? A brother?” I was surprised by Aiden’s comment, but then followed his gaze to the nightstand, where I kept a framed picture of Taylor and me at Disney World.

I wanted to jump up and pull it away, hide it in a fucking drawer. Kind of wished I’d thought about that before inviting Aiden over, but I wasn’t used to having company, especially not in my room.

“Sore subject?” Aiden asked, his eyes wide.

“Am I that fucking transparent?”

He didn’t respond. Maybe he was trying to gauge how comfortable I was with talking more about it.

“On the right, that’s my brother.Was.We lost him in a car crash when he was seventeen.”

“I’m so sorry.”

I bit my tongue as pressure swelled in my chest. “All good. It’s been years since that happened. He was everything to me, and to my parents.”

“Meaning…?”

Goddamn Aiden for pushing, yet some part of me wanted to share it—not just with anyone, but with him specifically.

“Meaning, Dad wasn’t exactly thrilled to be left with the dumb queer.”

“You got a scholarship here.”

“Yeah, and if I’d been Taylor, I’d have gotten one to MIT, like he did. Guy was a fucking genius. Compared to him, nothing I ever did was all that impressive to either of my parents.”

“You seem plenty impressive,” Aiden said. “Now that I know this…Stupid Two, is that because…”

“No, King didn’t know any of that before he gave me the name. Just that good at reading people, I guess.”

“Well, you’re far from stupid. Although, first impression, I have to confess, you came across as kind of a blockhead.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Damn, he was fucking charming.

“I like you, Aiden. You’ve got a lot of something in you…fight…stubbornness.”

“You don’t seem to lack any of that yourself.”

“Wish I had a little more. Feel like you held out a little longer. Maybe that’s why you’re the boss. Kind of crazy that I can laugh about that now, because when King first said your nickname, I was pissed. Of course I’d be the one who ended up Stupid Two.”

“If you don’t like it—”

“But that’s just it. I do like it. A lot. There’s something about it when he calls me that, the way he says it and wants me so bad, it’s like I’m choosing it. Reclaiming it, even? Some sort of fucked-up therapy for me, maybe?”

“Yeah, I get that. Feel kind of the same. But for me, no one’s ever really treated me like a boss before. Kind of just been…whatever, in life. Worked to blend in and stay out of the way. No one tries to hurt you if you blend in.”

Aiden was confused if he thought a hot, intriguing motherfucker like him blended in anywhere.

He added, “He has a way of making a guy feel special.”

“Yes, he does. But youarespecial, Aiden.”

I’d clearly caught him by surprise as his brows tugged closer. I shook my head. “Sorry, high and saying stupid shit.”

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