Page 1 of Liar's Heart
It’samazing to me that the sun always rises. Every day. Even if you can’t see it or feel it. Even if all you want is for time to stop, if only for a few more stolen moments. I would stop tomorrow from coming through sheer force of will if I could. There’s still something transcendent about how it rises anyway, yesterday yielding to today in soft, peachy rays of light.
Dawn is where night and day can be together, even if it’s not for long enough.
The balcony door gently opens and closes behind me, followed by the quiet padding of Lennon’s bare feet coming closer. They stop, and quilt-wrapped arms encase me from behind as she bends over the chaise I’m curled up on. Her warm cheek presses into my cold one, and I gladly leech the warmth from her skin. “Kind of chilly out here.”
I scoot forward so my best friend can slide in behind me. “It’s not so bad. Well, it wasn’t when I still had hot coffee.”
Lennon assumes the position, quilt and all, and pulls me back into her, wrapping us both up like we’re kids again instead of grown women. “Did you even go to bed last night?” she asks.
“Mmmm… I tried?” I mean to keep my voice light, but even I can hear how weary I sound.
She sighs. “Figured as much. At least we don’t have to start getting ready until this afternoon. I can go scrounge up a bottle of something bubbly and see if I can knock your ass out for a nap.”
I burrow my way further into her arms, seeking both her warmth and comfort. “Not sure it’ll help, but damn if your tits aren’t comfy. Ugh.”
My best friend snickers, making her chest vibrate under my back. I love the sound of her laughter, but she’s ruining my newly established pillows. A vehicle pulls up in the drive below, tires crunching on concrete as it rolls to a stop, doors slamming shut as the occupants get out and begin to unload it. Len cranes her neck to look over the edge of the balcony as best she can without disturbing me. “Fuck. They’re starting early today.”
I don’t even bother to look. “Of course. Someone has to make sure this whole fucking thing is the dog and pony show they all came to see. The paperwork is already signed. If the Council didn’t have such a hard-on for tradition, I’d just as soon skip it and move on to the good part.”
She snorts. “Look at you. The blushing bride, eager for her wedding night.”
I turn my head to glare at her. “Not funny. You know what I mean.”
She clears her throat, sobering. “Yeah. I know what you mean.” I feel her inhale deeply under me, the air filling her lungs and lifting us both before she lets it out as a sigh. “Mer, I?—”
“I’m still sure, Len,” I say, cutting her off. “If I were going to change my mind, I would have done it a long time ago. We agreed this is the best way forward.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “It still should have been him though. Not…” I feel her head turn to the side, looking away even though we’re not facing each other. “I just keep thinking about what today should have been like. For you. For him. You deserve a happily ever after, not a means to an end.”
“I know,” I say, trying to will the emotion squeezing my chest tight to let go. We both know that’s not possible now, nor has it been possible for the past eight years. “But”—I nod toward the legal envelope sitting on the side table next to my empty coffee mug—“have you seen the groom? I’ve suffered more for less before.”
I smirk over my shoulder to find the smile’s found its way back to her face, even if her eyes are watery. “Merrick Lockwood, you little slut,” she teases. “I can’t believe you’re actually into the idea of sleeping with your husband!”
“Fuckingmy husband,” I amend, “not sleeping with him. He’ll be dead within the year, anyway. Might as well make it a good last hurrah for him.”
Lennon’s eyes are glittering now, the dawn sun and the mischievousness in her gaze both making her golden features shine. “Now that is something I can toast to.”
Just like we’ve done hundreds of times in the decades we’ve been friends, she extends a pinky finger out between us. I hook mine into hers, adding yet another link in the chain binding our lives together. I hold out the photograph I’ve been sitting with in my other hand, knowing it has to leave with her for now. It’s so creased and worn, wrinkled from all the times I’ve folded it up and put it in my pocket, then pulled it back out again. I’ve long since memorized the image, but I couldn’t deny myself one last sunrise with him. Itismy wedding day, after all. It’s only right I get to see his face, even if it isn’t where I want it to be—at the end of the aisle, waiting to finally make me his wife. “For Ox,” I whisper.
“For Ox,” she whispers back, accepting the photo. Then, with a wicked, toothy grin, “To the beautiful bride.”
“And her unfortunate groom,” I agree. “Till death do us part.”
“You looklike you’ve been poured into this thing in the best way possible,” Lennon croons while circling to my front, the seemingly endless column of tiny satin buttons running down the back of my wedding dress finally secured.
“I better,” I mutter, making adjustments in the full-length mirror I’ve been standing in front of for what feels like ages now. “Four fitting appointments. Four. For something I’m going to wear for what? A few hours?” Smoothing my hands down the cool satin, I add, “Shame this thing’s going to be trashed by the end of the night. It really is beautiful. And I look hot.”
Len snorts. “Okay, well, maybe you’ll get lucky, and a dry cleaner can get bloodstains out of satin.” She grabs a jar of silvery highlight powder and a makeup brush, then gestures to my left side. “Pop that leg out.”
I sigh and push my left leg forward, pointing my toes as best I can in the silver sandal stilettos I have on so my dress parts along the slit running the whole length of my leg. She bends down and starts adding shimmer. I know the highlighter is going to glow in the candlelight and make my skinlook amazing, but I’m still bitter about wasting the effort onhim.
My groom. My husband.
My prey.
When she’s about to dip the brush in for her third pass on my cleavage, I reach my limit. “I’m not a fucking vampire,” I snap, snatching the brush from her hand. “I think we’re good.”
Giggling, Len opens her mouth to quip back, but a knock at the door cuts her off. I’d asked her to run interference with her dad and convince him to not come today, but my heart still jumps into my throat at the possibility it’s him on the other side of that door.
