All the Lies (Lies & Truths 1)

I swear some sort of battle erupts whenever we’re in the same place.

He says something. I don’t hear him, but I see him mouth ‘Stop’ as Jason kicks the truck into gear.

As we pass Asher, I roll down the window and flip him off. He freezes, a hand lying inert by his side. I soak in his surprised expression as Jason and I laugh.

“I’ve got to admit, I’m loving the new you,” Jason says.

“Why? What was the old me like?”

“Bitchy? Snobby? Silent, mostly.”

Ouch.

“And you would’ve never flipped Asher Carson the bird.”

I raise an imaginary cup. “To the new me, I guess.”

From today onward, no one is telling me how to live my life.

Blackwood is kind of what I expected from an elite college.

It’s four stories high and has ancient, European-ish architecture. Two huge towers stand tall on each end like a pair of massive guards.

The parking lot is filled with expensive cars, mostly German like Alex’s.

Jason parks the truck outside the college. It’s close enough so I won’t have to walk a long distance but far enough so no one can see him—or us.

I retrieve my bag. “You sure you don’t want to come in?”

His laughter echoes with genuine amusement like I just told the most entertaining joke of the century. “The only time I walk into the Black Devil’s compound is to whoop their asses on their own field.”

I roll my eyes. “Cocky much?”

“We might not have a lot of things going on, but we have ball. No snobby rich boys will take our championship away.”

I guess the rivalry between the Knights and the Black Devils is a real thing.

Still maneuvering my bag around my body, I open the door and slowly get my injured leg out.

“Do you want me to help?” Jason asks from beside me.

“Nope.” I mimic his earlier tone. “I might not remember anything, but I know how to take care of myself.”

He chuckles, the sound easy and cool on the ears.

I pause with my hand on the handle. “What were we exactly, Jason? You and I?”

His chuckle dies and silence hangs between us like a third presence for a moment too long. Finally, he sighs. “Friends.”

“Let me guess. We were only friends when my other friends weren’t around?”

“Something like that.” He grins. “But hey, it worked just fine.”

Well, not anymore.

The old Reina might have had her reason for hiding her friendship with Jason, but I can’t possibly find an excuse for it. True, I agreed not to disrupt my life, but I won’t stand still in front of stupid decisions—like hiding my friendship with Jason.

I’ll fix that part on Old Reina’s behalf.