Page 24 of Devious Temptation
There. It’s not the whole truth, but it’s definitely not a lie.
“Where was Lawson during all of this?” Her tone isn’t accusatory, but it holds an edge I don’t really understand. She’s never been much of a fan of Charlotte’s, but my parents have always gotten along with Lawson.
“I don’t know, Mom. Maybe in his room?” I turn and slump against the doorframe, rubbing my forehead exasperatedly.
I am—not with her, but with the situation in general. A question about where Lawson was that night is the last thing I need to field right now.
Her eyes narrow slightly, lips pursing to the side as she studies me. It’s the same look she gives Liam when she’s trying to figure out if he’s lying about something.
“I thought you liked Lawson? Why are you being all weird about him now?”
“I do like him, but I also know what you wore when you went to that house. It wasn’t exactly appropriate attire to be wearing in the same room as a grown man.”
Oh, Mom. If you only knew.
“Mom! Where are my headphones?” My gaze snaps to where Lorraine stands in the doorway of her room across the hall, just out of Mom’s line of sight, pulling her headphones from around her neck and tossing them on her bed.
Thank you,I mouth.
She mouths back,I got you.
“Did you seriously lose those already, Lore? We just bought them.” Mom forgets about her interrogation and goes to help my sister without another word.
I know she’ll ask about it again later, but at least for now, I have a reprieve.
The playhouse is massive—nearly as big as the Morgans’ pool house—and was built when my siblings and I were younger, but it’s still used as a hangout spot. Now, it’ll be the final resting place of Rhys’ and my relationship.
Rhys is sitting on a picnic table, and to say he looks likeshit would be putting it nicely. His pallor is gray, and there are dark purple circles under his eyes. There’s so much grease in his hair that it looks like he hasn’t showered in days, and I briefly wonder if that means he’s still got Allison’s body fluids on him.
Gross.
But then he lifts his head when he hears my footsteps, and his beautiful blue eyes fill with tears, his face crumpling. It sends every negative feeling I’ve been harboring over these last two days flying out the window.
“I’m sorry, Lucy. So fucking sorry,” he sobs, never breaking eye contact.
Part of me wants to embrace him, to comfort the boy I’ve been in love with for years. Yet, the other part of me screams that it shouldn’t bemewho comfortshimin this scenario.
Rhys sniffs, attempting to get himself under control, when he sees that I’m not going to just jump into his arms and tell him everything will be alright. “I know there’s no excuse for what I did.”
A snort leaves my mouth as I cross my arms. “You got that right.”
“I know I fucked up. I’m sorry,” he repeats, sounding frustrated.
“What do you want me to say, Rhys? That I forgive you? Because I don’t. We’re betterthanthis.” I swing a hand between us. “At least we were. I mean… what the actual fuck?” I angrily pull at my hair in an attempt to keep my hands busy, so I don’t punch him in the face.
“I know, Luce! I know! I’ve just been so fucking…angryat you!” He clutches the edge of the picnic table so hard theorange plastic gives under his strength, turning a creamsicle color as it warps. “We had plans, and you just went and ruined them and expected me to be okay with it!”
“Then you should have talked to me! How many times did I try to get you to tell me how you were feeling? This isn’t on me, Rhys!”
“I know it’s not. I… fuck!” He jumps off the table and begins to pace. “Allison was just there. And you… you weren’t. It’s almost like as soon as you made up your mind about Berkeley you’ve been intentionally pulling away.”
My mouth falls open as I stare at him, completely dumbstruck. “We spend nearly every waking moment together. I eat dinner at your house more than I do my own. Spend more time with you and River than with Liam and Lorraine. What more do you want from me?”
“I want you to stick to our plan and come to Ole Miss with me,” he says, dead serious. His jaw tenses as he fixes me with a dry-eyed stare.
“You’re pathetic.” Angrily, I spin around and head for the door. “I’vealwaysbeen there for you. And the moment I choose to do something formyself, you throw a fit.”
“Oh, come on, Lucy! It’s not like it wouldn’t have happened anyway, right? One of us would have cracked. We never would have lasted long distance.”
