Page 77 of House of Deceit

The sound of the sliding glass door opening and shutting behind me breaks the silence, but I try to ignore the person. Rebel settles into the patio chair next to me, mimicking how I’m seated.

“Rain is one of my favorite sounds. I’m a water sign. It’s the song of my soul,” she says, watching the water pound the pool. The pool where I almost died today.

“Back when I was younger,” I start, “my dad would open the front door of the house to let the moisture in the house. He would sit out on the front porch. We had these rocking chairs with chipping paint and the porch would creak as you rocked. But every time it rained, he’d sit outside and rock. Slow and steady.

“Then one day, I was maybe four or five, he realized I was afraid of the storms. And he said ‘Lottie Lou, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Everyone cries, Mother Nature included. You can’t be afraid of someone letting sadness out. Keeping it in rots but letting it out cleanses.’

“He pulled me up on his knee out in that creaking rocking chair and we rocked for hours. The screen door would slap against the door frame sometimes when the wind would pick up, but I never felt safer and more loved than I did sitting on the porch. Eventually, my dad got me my own rocking chair.”

“I love that he sees it as her having a healing cry instead of anger.”

We sit there and let the moment wash over us. The memory of my dad holding me close is so vivid, I can almost feel my body rocking. Eventually the sky darkens enough we can no longer see. Without saying a word, Rebel stands and reaches out her hand, pulling me to my feet. We walk back into the house, share a smile, and go our separate ways.

The kitchen is beautiful. Dark, timeless cabinets. A white stone countertop. The appliances gleam beneath the overhead lights. My feet itch to go in there and open the refrigerator, looking for a snack.

“Do you think the food will float out of there and push itself into your waiting hands?” Parker asks.

Ever since Molly left, I’ve been sleeping in his bed. Not for any sexual reason, but because I just need to know I’m not completely alone in the house. No one has brought up the arrangement. Not even Alec, but I hope he knows we never cross any lines.

Plus, I’m sure the audience will be happy to see our relationship progressing as the weeks move on, especially now that I can’t bring myself to kiss Parker in deference to Alec.

“I’m trying to use my mind powers to summon it, but you’re distracting me.”

“I’m the reason you can’t levitate food?”

“Yes. Duh.” I bump my arm against him. “I miss food already,” I sigh.

“It’s not even been a day,” he tells me.

“Shush, you. You don’t understand our relationship. Any time apart is hard.”

“It’s not like you can never eat. You just can only have what production gives you.”

I cross my arms over my chest and look at him.

“Did you taste the bologna sandwich we were given for dinner? The other team had freaking filet! They were rubbing it in our faces. I bet it was Keith’s suggestion. He’s a brat. He knows what it would do to me,” I mumble more to myself than Parker.

His fingers are warm as he gently grabs my chin, turning my head toward him.

“Trying to get your attention away from food is quite the task,” he jokes, his hand dropping away. “Do you want to hang out? I feel like I haven’t gotten you alone in a long time.”

I shift my focus wholly to him.

“I’d love that, but—”

“Price to the interview room,” floats from the speakers, interrupting me.

I try not to let my giddiness show, but Parker must see it on my face no matter how hard I try to stifle my excitement for my date with Alec.

“I’ll come find you later?”

“Sure,” he says, smiling softly. “Have fun.” He gives me a soft kiss on the cheek.

Trying not to draw attention to myself, I make my way to the interview room, trying to guess what Alec could have planned for me.

Vanilla and honey intermingle in the air as I cross the threshold into the interview room. Candles warm the air and throw a gentle glow on the walls. Alec stands in the middle of a checkered blanket. His black slacks hug his thick thighs while his black shirt shows his smooth chest behind the open buttons.

The men I dated were never this gorgeous. They were always attractive, but Alec is a man that turns heads. They never smiled at me the way Alec does. They never really cared about who I was as a person, but more so what I could give them.

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