Lying Hearts (Small Town Lies 1)

I was so scared.

So many years my life I spent angry at Easton. I never wanted anything to do with him, not after he ruined my name and gave me severe trust issues, but I never wanted anything to happen to him. I wanted to be blissfully unaware of him living his life, being happy, and when I died, maybe he’d die too, so I wouldn’t have to be blissfully unaware anymore.

And it wasn’t just Easton.

It was Ethan too.

God, if anything happened to them, I wasn’t sure what I’d do. I loved them both so much, for different reasons and in different ways. I stepped through the automatic doors, the burst of heat drenched over my skin, which only made me hotter because I was sweating from running and panicking.

I saw Easton and Ethan’s parents sitting in the tan leather chairs. Noah and Brooke Moore were the staples of good parents, just like mine. Noah had brown hair and Brooke had blonde, nearly white, just like Ethan. There were uniforms everywhere, firefighters and police officers alike. It was like a swarm of them as they waited to hear about their fallen brothers. The cops were here for Zeke, which brought a wave of support and comfort for him.

Hell for me too.

Seeing all these people here for people they cared about was overwhelming.

Evan, Zeke, and Ezra stood around their parents. Evan and Zeke were pacing, and Ezra had a hold of his mom’s hands, probably saying something sweet to her. I couldn’t make it out, but knowing him, he was telling her everything was going to be okay.

“Have you heard anything?” I asked, raising my voice over the hum of people talking through the entire waiting room. My question came out as a choked sob, and Zeke turned from Evan. When he saw me, he ran toward me and engulfed me in a hug.

His silver police badge dug into my shoulder, and my forehead found his chest. I clutched onto him for dear life, his shirt drying my tears. “What happened? What’s going on, Zeke?” My mouth sounded clogged with water as I spoke through emotion, and I tried to swallow the spit that gathered, but the more I cried, the more spit filled my mouth.

A cold breeze hit my back

, and when I turned around, I saw my parents and my friends standing in the doorway. My friends came to me, and my mom and dad bolted for the Moore parents.

Zeke straightened and peered down at me with bright green eyes. His pale skin was red, his eyes watered, and he shook his head to clear his thoughts. He tried to speak, but nothing was coming out of his mouth.

Evan, the oldest, strolled over to us, his badge clipped his waistband, and he slapped his hand on Zeke’s shoulder, squeezing the muscle to show support, that Evan was there, and that he had control.

“Glad you’re here,” he said, the low baritone oddly brought comfort to me.

“Where else would I be, Evan?” I spewed, feeling defensive. I felt like he was accusing me of not wanting to be here. Like he was surprised I showed.

I might not trust Easton any further than I could throw him, but that didn’t mean I didn’t care. I loved that man more anything in this world. And Ethan? He was a good friend. I loved him too, and the last place I wanted either of them to be was here, fighting for their lives.

He dipped his head and stared at me with the same green eyes Zeke had, only more intensely. Evan guided me out of the middle of the walkway to the side where a random picture of a clown hung in the middle of a beam, but it was a bit crooked. Dust coated it like a thick layer of sickness from other people that visited here.

I crossed my arms under my breasts, suddenly cold and wishing I had Easton’s warmth. I never thought anything like this would happen in Camden. Finding myself wishing to be by Easton’s side instead of wishing myself away from it.

“You heard about the fire on Fern St, right?” he asked.

I nodded. Everyone had heard about it. It was the biggest fire that had happened since the Hampton Mansion.

“Easton went in there to follow Ethan. He wasn’t supposed to be there. He was off duty, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and saying Vincent, the guy with a black eye, has that because Easton punched him and stripped him of his gear. When he got into the house, the fire had pretty much taken over, but he— uh—” He cleared his throat. I had never heard Evan get emotional, but he was now, and it was a rarity to witness. “He didn’t want to leave without Ethan. The house became unstable, and Easton covered Ethan with his body as the floor gave way. They were buried under debris for a while before they got the fire put out.”

I gasped, lifting a hand to my mouth as my chin wobbled with a fresh wave of fear, sickness, and worry. The heaviness of the situation settled in my bones. London and Oliver cursed behind me, and Oliver took my free hand, clutching it with all his might.

“It’s been hours since they were pulled free, but we haven’t heard anything yet,” he said.

I shook my head. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t. Denial washed over me like a hot shower. Everything was going to be fine. Easton would be okay. Ethan would be okay. And then we could all get back to our lives. I needed to see Easton’s eyes again. He had to be okay. My stomach turned, and I doubled over when nausea hit me out of nowhere. “I think I’m going to be sick,” I grumbled, fighting wave after wave of bile pushing through my throat.

Evan grabbed a chair and pushed it under me, then made me sit down. He shoved a small trashcan between my feet, and it only made me sicker when I saw a piece of chewed-up gum sticking to the plastic. I glanced away, legs shaking uncontrollably as I tried to look at the door that blocked us from the doctors.

Evan’s hand rubbed circles over my spine, trying to soothe me. “It’s going to be okay. They are strong. They will make it.”

“How can you be so sure?” I asked, bringing my watery gaze to Evan, wells of steady teardrops dribble down my cheek.

He smiled at me sadly, brought his thumb up to wipe either side of my face clean, and exhaled. “It’s going to take more than death to keep Easton away from you, Luna. If he’s dying, he’ll fight it if it means getting back to you.”