The Lies That Define Us (Us 2)

That was one strange guy. Then again, maybe he only seemed odd because I’d basically crashed into his life. Although, dumped would be a more apt word.

I’d taken a leap of faith with Ollie and Talia, and I was forced to do it again with that guy.

Liam.

I was desperate to know more about him. He looked young, not much older than me, but there was this hardened look in his eyes that made him appear older. He had to be rich too, to own a place like this. Maybe he was an actor or something. Although, he didn’t strike me as the type.

I set my pathetic belongings down on the bed. The room was painted white and there were three large windows that you could see the ocean from. The bed had an upholstered, teal headboard, and the bedding was white and different shades of blue. The rest of the furniture was a mix of white and blue.

A guy hadn’t decorated the room, that much was obvious, and I wondered if Liam had a girlfriend. Or had one as in the past tense because I didn’t get the impression there was a woman around then.

I sat my butt on the end of the bed and took a deep breath before blowing it out.

Forty-eight hours ago I’d been running for my life.

And now I am hiding.

I was so desperate to stay out of his clutches that I was entrusting my wellbeing to strangers. I was a survivor, though, and I’d do what I had to do. As much as the situation sucked, I knew I was safest in his house. I didn’t even know Liam, but something told me not many people crossed him. He didn’t know it, but he’d become my unofficial protector and his house my sanctuary. The fact that his neighborhood was gated was an added bonus. I wouldn’t be there long if I had any say in the matter. Once I got a job and saved enough money, I’d disappear, because staying in one place for too long wouldn’t be safe. I knew when I fled I’d probably spend the rest of my life on the run, but that option was better than staying with him.

Blaise.

Even his name made goosebumps break out across my skin, and I shivered from the memories alone.

I wished I could banish his name and face from my memories. I wanted to forget that the last few years of my life existed.

I wanted to bury Scarlett and resurrect Ari.

With a sigh, I stood from the bed and padded over to the dresser. Above it hung a large round mirror. The girl reflected there was a stranger.

Well, actually she wasn’t.

It was the old me that stared back, not Scarlett, and the fact that my own appearance seemed alien spoke volumes.

Blaise had made me dye my hair red, and I was forced to wear brown contacts in order to hide my naturally vibrant-blue eyes.

Before I fled Oregon, I’d dyed my hair back to its natural dark-brown-nearly-black color and shed the contacts. I wondered if Blaise saw me if he’d even recognize me. I hoped I’d never get the answer to that.

I turned away from the mirror and instead studied the photographs framed on the walls. All of them were in black and white. Most of the pictures were of the ocean and various surfers. One picture, in particular, caught my eye. The guy’s back was turned away from the camera, and he stood staring at the ocean, one hand braced on his brow to shield the sun from his eyes, and a surfboard clasped in his other hand. His hair was a wild curly mess, and I felt certain that the guy was Ollie. If the guy was Ollie, I wondered if that meant Liam had taken the photos. I had a hard time picturing him with a camera in hand, but the fact of the matter was I didn’t know him.

It was still early in the morning, and it sounded like Liam had gone back to bed, but I knew there was no chance of me getting any more sleep.

I didn’t feel like creeping around Liam’s house, either, so I turned on the TV mounted on the wall.

I jumped when the sound kicked on. It wasn’t even that loud, but it’d been so long since I’d watched TV that it startled me.

I took a deep breath and pressed a hand to my racing heart.

“It’s only a TV,” I scolded myself.

Shaking my head at my own stupidity, I settled on the bed and figured I’d watch TV until Liam got up and then I could make breakfast for the both of us. Maybe if I show him I am useful and intend to help out he’ll feel better about me crashing here.

Then again, something told me nothing impressed that guy.

***

It was after noon when Liam finally got up. I’d long since ceased waiting for him and made my own breakfast.

I’d felt weird creeping through his kitchen, using his things and eating his food, but he had said he didn’t care if I ate his food as long as I kept his kitchen clean.