All the Truths (Lies & Truths 2)

Even though they’re bandaged, it’s clear they’re injured.

“Oh my God. What happened, Gray?”

Ari is the only one who calls me by my middle name. It started when we were young and she decided Asher was too hard. Besides, Mom named me Asher after our late grandfather, and Ari wasn’t a big fan of him.

“Practice.” I grin. “How was my favorite girl’s day?”

I don’t want to throw my shit on Ari. For her, I’m only supposed to be the brother she can rely on—unlike our father.

“Boring.” She sits opposite me. “And that can’t be from practice.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m worried about you.” She stares at her lap. “You’re the only one I have, and I feel like I’m losing you to your obsession with Reina.”

I freeze, my chest tightening with tension. Maybe I haven’t been discreet enough; maybe my moods are affecting Ari.

Fuck. Her therapist told us not to expose her to too much stress.

“It won’t happen anymore.” I soften my voice. “I’ll be cool.”

It’s a lie.

This thing won’t stop.

Call it an obsession, an addiction, or sheer insanity, but it just won’t stop.

It keeps pulsing under my skin like a fucking beast, destructive and deadly.

“I understand why you’re like that with her, you know.” She peeks at me before she focuses back on her nails, clinking them against one another.

It’s her nervous habit.

“Reina is special, but she doesn’t love anyone.” Her voice fills with sadness. “Not even you, Gray.”

My jaw tightens and I force it to loosen up.

Don’t affect Ari.

Don’t you dare affect Ari.

If she’s too stressed, she’ll just start doing stupid shit like walking in the night and crying out of nowhere.

We barely got her stabilized, with Reina’s help. We can’t go back to that phase.

“But you just can’t help it, right?” she asks slowly.

“I can.”

Her eyes light up. “You can?”

I would do anything to keep Ari happy. Fucking anything.

“Of course. I’m only with her because of Alexander and Gareth’s deal. Reina means fuck to me. I never even liked

her that much.”

“Really?”