All the Little Lies (English Prep 1)

l that stole her clothes?”

Headmaster Walton sighed. “I haven’t heard anything but good things about Miss Smith. Her teachers rave about her. She’s quiet, focused, and receives the best of the best grades. She’s soaring here. I’d hate to see you take her out of her current placement and take her somewhere else farther away, making it impossible for her to get here in the mornings, given she doesn’t have transportation.”

My face felt hot. Maybe Christian was right. Maybe Headmaster Walton truly needed me in his school. Whatever. It didn’t matter. He was right. I agreed with him, and what he said basically came directly from my own brain. If she took me out of Pete and Jill’s and put me into a group home, it would be a domino effect in ruining my already shitty life.

“I have a witness,” I blurted. “Christian saw me fall. He helped me up.”

Headmaster Walton eyed me suspiciously, his bushy, graying brows gathering together. “Christian was on the field, playing football, my dear.”

Shaking my head quickly, I said, “No, it was right after. Piper was in her car, waiting for me. I had to use the restroom and fell while walking to the parking lot. He was going to the locker room.” Please believe me—or at least play along. I shot him a look behind Ann’s back. Come on.

“Well, fine. I want to ask Christian myself.”

I almost growled at Ann. “Why are you being so difficult?”

The planes of her face softened. “Because I care about you.”

My heart grew. Why do those words always affect me so much? Headmaster Walton called Ms. Boyd on the phone and asked if she could locate Christian; he told her he’d likely be on the field for football practice.

Silence coated the room as we waited for him. Awkward didn’t even come close to what we were all feeling. It probably took five minutes max, but it felt like five hours with Ann staring at my face and Headmaster Walton pretending he was reading something at his desk.

As soon as the door opened and Christian’s face appeared, I felt my body relax. His angular jaw was the first thing I saw, then his gray eyes which immediately found me. At first, his brows drew together, and then he noted Ann, and he put on his cool, blank face that drove me insane because I could never tell what he was thinking.

“Christian, please come in.” Headmaster Walton stood up from his desk and ushered Christian inside, shutting the door behind him.

He was no longer in his school uniform, but instead in workout shorts and a tight, white T-shirt. His hair was a little mussed on top, and I found myself swearing under my breath as I peeked at his arms. I was instantly brought back to the time in the stairwell when he found me half-naked. He was dressed the same, ready for football practice. And he looked just as casually sexy today as he did then. The only difference was his eyes weren’t full of loathing anger. Today, they were a blank canvas: cool, calm, and collected.

Once Christian took his seat in front of Headmaster Walton, dipping his head in Ann’s direction, Headmaster Walton opened his mouth to ask the question, but Ann interrupted.

“Christian?” He turned his head in her direction and raised his brows. I stood back along the books, praying that Christian would corroborate my story. Once again, saving my ass. Ann put her hand out and shook his. “I’m Ann, Hayley’s social worker. I have a quick question for you.”

“Okay,” he said, his face still cool as a cucumber. Meanwhile, I had sweat dripping down my back.

“Did you see Hayley on Friday night?”

He didn’t miss a beat. There wasn’t even a twitch of a muscle on his face. “Yes.”

My heart began beating frantically in my chest.

“And did anything out of the ordinary happen?”

His lips turned upward just a fraction, and suddenly, I could feel my hope falling rapidly. He was going to throw me under the bus. And what did I expect? I had been giving him the cold shoulder since he told me he read my file. I’d been pushing him away, hoping he’d stop saving me and feeling sorry for me.

Now, I wanted to get down on my hands and knees and beg for him to save me. To keep my secret safe so I could have a chance at a normal life, far away from this city.

“Nothing is ordinary with Hayley.” A soft chuckle left his throat.

Ann wasn’t impressed with Christian’s beat-around-the-bush response, and the only thing it did was confuse me. Where was he going with this?

“Where did you see her Friday?”

Suddenly, I felt like Christian should have been in an interrogation room, under a swaying spotlight, with Ann pacing back and forth, making threats.

Christian leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his tight chest. “I saw her at the game, right after it ended.”

My hope started to climb, and I wasn’t going to wait for him to ruin the half-truth I’d given.

“See!” I threw my hands out, looking at Ann. “I told you, he was there when I fell. He helped me up.”