All the Little Lies (English Prep 1)

I glanced over at her in her lavender, floral pjs, and my stomach took a nosedive. Ugh, she so wants to go!

She looked at me once and squeaked out. “No.”

“Lie,” Ollie mused as he threw an arm over her shoulder. She shrugged it off, but a small smile was ghosting her lips.

Be a good friend, Hayley. She wants to go. Eric answered a call on his phone while I contemplated. I grabbed Piper’s arm and pulled her into the dining room. We were standing beside a large, crystal-glass dining room table with a huge vase atop full of lilies. By the smell of the room, the flowers were real. “Do you want to go?”

Piper teetered her lip back and forth. “No.”

I placed my hands on her shoulders. “We’re friends; you can tell me the truth.”

Her pale face turned pink again, the few freckles on her nose even more prominent. “I mean, I’ve never been to one of Eric’s parties. They’re kind of an English Prep staple, ya know? Even if I’m only being invited because of Christian’s infatuation with you, I still kind of want to see the hype.”

Ugh. I knew this was a bad idea even before I agreed, but nonetheless, I did it anyway.

“Fine.” I turned around and began walking bac

k to the kitchen. “But I need something to wear,” I called over my shoulder.

She squealed as she followed me.

“Fine. We will go.” I glared at Christian’s smug expression. “But don’t let me stand in your way from getting laid. I’m not going for you. I’m going for Piper.”

Ollie’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, can we watch?”

I smacked him in the shoulder on my way past him, Piper hot on my heels.

“Hurry up!” Christian yelled, and I flipped him off.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Christian

My fingers tapped on the steering wheel of my Charger as we waited for Hayley and Piper to come out of the house. Eric was still on the phone, tucked away in the backseat, directing someone to grab a keg on the way to his cabin. Ollie was looking out the window into the darkness surrounding Piper’s yard.

“So, what exactly is your plan? I thought I heard you telling Kayla you’re hers tonight after the game.” Ollie shook his hair out, his leg tapping up and down. “I mean, I can’t blame you. She’s pretty fuckin’ hot in her cheerleading uniform, but”—he sliced his eyes to me—“I know you have someone else on your mind at all times.”

I played it off. “You heard Hayley; she’s not there for me.”

He held back a grin. “Oh, but you’re there for her.”

Yes, I fucking am, and I’ll prove to her she’s there for me, too. I kept silent, listening to Parkway Drive play through the speakers of my car.

Yesterday in the stairwell was a minor dip in my cool facade. My hands around Hayley’s waist, the heat I felt fly through my body, the thoughts of the night prior, the exhilaration of her face being so close again—I was ready to kiss her until she begged for more. My dick still throbbed, and my body was in overdrive the rest of the day. I barely slept a wink in her room, even after making the pit stop. I surely thought pounding flesh with my bare hands would be a great outlet for everything that was built up inside of me, but I was wrong.

I didn’t sleep, played one hell of a football game, and still, I was fucking hyped, wound tight like a rubber band ready to snap.

Hayley was under my skin, nestled right inside my ribcage. I wanted to poke her until she felt what I felt. Jealousy. Desire. She wanted to act like I didn’t affect her, and we both knew that wasn’t the case. And, not to mention, I could keep a closer eye on her at the party. For the entire game, every time I’d let my mind wander from Hayley, it felt like a dark cloud resting over my head. I worried when I wasn’t near her. Thoughts of Jim’s words pierced my mind like sharp, misshapen pieces of rock at every turn; images of her scratches and tears blurred my vision. I felt out of control when I didn’t have my eyes on her.

“Fuckin’ finally,” Eric muttered under his breath as Hayley and Piper descended from her porch. I flicked my car lights on, and it felt like a punch to my gut.

“Oh, hell no,” I said under my breath. I quickly climbed out of the driver’s seat and stomped my way over to her and Piper as they trotted over to Piper’s BMW.

“Go change,” I demanded, my eyes burning a hole in her exposed stomach.

She laughed. Hayley laughed right in my face. What was I thinking? Telling Hayley to change was only going to make her want to wear the outfit even more. My plan backfired. I was wearing my emotions on my sleeve, and I never did that.

“She looks hot.” Piper unlocked her car, not looking at me.