Lying Hearts (Small Town Lies 1)

Verbally and physically.

The beatings couldn’t get much worse now, could they?

Chapter Nine

Luna

All I could think about were his eyes.

They were as blue as the ocean during the summer, crisp and clear, yet held a depth that no one had been able to swim to.

I had freaked when I saw the firefighter fall off the truck, and when I ran outside to make sure they were okay, I peered into the face that had haunted my dreams for far too many years. He was dazed, but when he saw me, the gloss in his eyes cleared, and his pupils dilated into fine pinpoints as he stared at me.

He had stolen my breath in that moment.

Easton had that habit. Stealing the air right from my lungs like a burst of cold wind or ice water drenching my skin. And then the torture of it all, he had the ability to make me breathe again.

And then I got angry.

Why did he have this power over me? Why could I not breathe? Then when he opened his mouth, and I heard his voice, I felt at home? Why? I couldn’t take it.

“Luna? Honey, you okay?” my mom asked, and then she came up and put her hand on my forehead to take my temperature like she did when I was a kid. “You’re all flushed, but you feel fine. Do you feel okay?”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s fine,” Oliver coughed from behind me, and I narrowed my eyes at him, which resorted in him giving me a snarky look in return.

“Fine, sorry. It must be this scarf.” It wasn’t, but I had to blame it on something other than Easton getting me all worked up. The man was fucking hot, beautiful, and sexy. Whatever, okay? Every woman had drooling tendencies when they were around a man like that. I’d be hot for any man that looked as good or was the same caliber as Easton.

He was nothing special.

And there I went, lying to myself again.

“We can reschedule the showing if you like,” Marely said. She had been a girl that was always nice and never judged me but kept to herself. It was refreshing that she was my agent. I didn’t want to deal with the snarky bitches from the past. “It’s really no problem if you’re feeling unwell.”

“No, that’s just silly. I’m fine. We are here now, and so far from what I see, I love it.” All of the walls were beautifully aged red brick with original hardwood floors. The space was large and open but still had the intimacy I craved for in my own boutique.

That I had officially named ‘Moons and Stars’. I wasn’t oblivious. I knew what the two words were, but I wanted something that meant something to me. My dad called me Star, and Easton called me Moon.

And yeah, I held a lot of resentment toward him, and more anger had held on to my soul when I thought I had ‘let go’ of it. But pushing all of that aside and digging down deep, Easton’s friendship left a mark on my soul just like his horrible actions did.

I wouldn’t tell anyone where the name came from. It was my secret to tell and over my dead body would I let anyone in on said secret.

“Wow, this place is beautiful.” There were huge glass cases on the floor, something about them was oddly familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It had been too long since I actually checked out the town besides my parent’s house when I visited.

“The glass cases can be removed. The person that owned this place before had to leave in a hurry, so he left them,” Marely said.

“That’s okay; I could probably use a few of them for my own things.” Oh, I could. That would save me a few thousand dollars. I just needed to clean them up. They were perfect for little knickknacks that people like to impulsively buy and obviously jewelry.

In front of the store, on either side of the door, were huge windows and there was a step that led to an area that would be perfect to set up a few plush couches and a coffee bar. Then the other side could be used to dress up a few mannequins to showcase the clothes. I loved the hanging lights too. They were rustic looking and would give the place the perfect glow. I was going to hang a large round lamp in the corner and then twinkling lights to resemble a moon and stars. I could picture it all right now.

“Where would I put the fitting rooms?” I walked toward the back, and I knew they would go here or along the side where the wall corners met. “I’d love to imitate the brick for the fitting rooms for the barrier so each customer can have their own privacy. Doors from the ceiling down too, I can’t stand it when people see my feet when I’m taking off my clothes. It’s weird.” Was that an odd quirk? Maybe.

“That’s fantastic, Luna. You know, a beautiful piece of art hanging above the register would be nice too. Maybe Camden? It would be homey and welcoming to the customers.” Oliver had a point, and he showcased the wall to the left with both of his arms, as if he were a model showing a new car.

“That’s a great idea, Oliver.” I suddenly got really excited. I couldn’t wait to start building my dream. “I’ll take it!” I said a bit too loudly, and th

e high frequency rang in the round glass containers of the hanging lights. “Sorry.” I rocked on my feet and smiled.

“It’s okay. I’m glad you love it so much. Let’s talk numbers.”