The Lies That Define Us (Us 2)

I found a soft sigh passing through my lips.

I couldn’t help but be slightly envious of their easy relationship. I hadn’t had that, and I feared I never would. When you’re surrounded by toxic people as long as I have you start to feel like you’re one of them.

I joined the happy duo and pulled out the chair across from them.

“How’d it go?” Talia asked, pressing her hand to the side of Ollie’s face and pushing him away so she could speak to me. He was undeterred and simply grabbed her hand in his before pressing his lips to her cheek.

“Good.” I smiled. “I start tomorrow. You guys are life savers.”

“We do what we can.” Ollie grinned. “You ready to head out?”

I nodded, rubbing my hands together nervously beneath the table. “Yeah, unless you guys want dinner or something.”

“Nope, we’re good.” He stood and held his hand out for Talia. She beamed up at him, and I wish I had a camera so I could’ve snapped a picture of the look that passed between them. Maybe if I ever got my hands on a sketchbook I could draw it.

They dropped me back off at Liam’s house, and I waved goodbye as I headed inside.

It was dark out by then, and the stars shimmered above like a thousand tiny little diamonds. I took a brief moment to look up and appreciate it before heading inside.

The house was mostly dark, save for a lone lamp glowing in the family room, bu

t Liam wasn’t in there.

I didn’t bother looking around for him; I figured the less he saw of me the better.

My hand glided against the railing, and my feet padded softly on the wooden steps. I was used to being quiet, of hiding in the shadows, and I figured it was a trait I’d never lose.

I headed down the darkened hallway and pushed open the door to the guestroom.

I stopped short, staring down at the floor and all the bags sitting on it.

“What the hell?” I muttered to myself.

Fear coated my veins, sticky and suffocating, but logic quickly overrode it. If Blaise were there, there wouldn’t be shopping bags on the ground. No. There’d be a gun held to the side of my head.

I bent, rifling through the plastic bag closest to me.

Clothes.

Women’s clothes.

In my exact size.

I picked up an ivory-colored crocheted-looking crop-top. It was beautiful, and the price tag still dangled from it. My eyes zeroed in on the numbers there, and I promptly dropped the top. That was a whole heck of a lot of money for a top.

I whipped around and pushed through the doorway.

“Liam.” My voice echoed off the high ceilings. “Liam. Where are you?”

I hadn’t even been there a day, and I already wanted to strangle my roommate. Well, I guess technically he was more like my landlord.

He was the last person on the planet I needed buying me clothes, and how the hell did he even know the right size?

“Liam,” I bellowed, my steps thundering off the steps.

I did a quick pass through the downstairs and didn’t find him, so I headed outside.

It too was empty, but I caught sight of the stairs and decided to head down them to the beach. Something told me I’d find him there.