All Mine {BOOK 2 OF THE LAURIE U SERIES}

2| liar liar, pants on fire

~Hali~

"Pose for me darling." Jacque the photographer said.

"What the fuck have I being doing this whole time?" I muttered. I hadn't intended on anyone hearing me but the other model, Annalise snickered.

"Ok ladies enough for today." Jacque said packing up his camera. I stepped off the platform and started walking to my "dressing room" if it could be even called a room. It was more like a closet, when Jessica the fashion designer stepped in front of me.

Jessica was... oh what's the word- a bit of a basket case. Her eyes wide, a creepy smile plastered on her lips. "Hey girlie." she laughed. "I'm so sorry to do this but Jacque just said you don't... well you just-"

"Spit it out Jessica." I said through clenched teeth.

"You're blonde and the rest of our models are brunette and it just doesn't look quite right." I wanted to smack the tight lipped smile off her face.

I reached for the ribbon and pulled on the dress. I slipped it off right there and handed it to her. As a woman standing there in her underwear and bra I had way too much confidence but I didn't care.

"I hope you and your brunette models have a lot of fun together." I shove the dress into her arms and grab a robe and my purse and storm out the front door.

I shuffle around looking for my phone to call a Uber. A whistle snaps my head up and I see Tucker leaning against his truck halfway across the parking lot.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I say once I've crossed the parking lot to him.

"I was bored. So I came to pick you up. Wanna eat?" He pulled the door open and I just stood there.

"Tucker- We can't..." I muttered. I didn't mean to start sleeping with him it just... happened. And trust me if I could I would end it but I just cant.

His face fell. "Can I at least drive you home?" he continued to hold the door open for me.

"I guess."

He drove me back to my dorm in silence. I hate constantly having to break his heart but I can't risk catching feelings and starting something which would eventually lead to me having to tell Alina all about my lies.

I'm too far in now. There's no turning back.

He pulls the car into a space outside my building. "Thanks." I mutter. I hop out of the car and watch him start to pull out of the space.

He pulls up beside me and rolls down the window. He opens his mouth to say something but quickly shuts it.

"Alina and Reece are going out tonight if you wanna come over." I step towards the window and watch his adam's apple bob.

"I uhhhh-" he clears his throat. "I can't. I have a date..." The pang in my heart blows me back a few steps.

I was the one who said we weren't exclusive. I was the one who said it was ok to see other people. I had no right to feel butt hurt.

"Ok." I force out. "Have fun." I plaster a fake smile on my face and walk to my building.

I collapse on the couch. Alina is at practice and the apartment is quiet.

I come to the realization that the universe hates me today. I loose the only good job I've gotten in a while and have no way to pay rent this month. I'm lying so much I can't keep my head straight.

I'm lying so much to Alina, the only person that genuinely cares about me, I don't think she would
consider me her friend.

I walk over to the counter, where a vase of roses sits. For Alina, most likely from Reece and I can't take it anymore. I shove the case off the counter and it shatters on the floor. Glass and water spill everywhere. The roses spread out on top of the glass.

Is it weird to think it's kinda pretty. It immediately dawns on me. "Shit." I mutter to myself. I reach down and start picking up the glass shards.

I gather the roses and lay them on the counter. I carefully, pick up the last big piece of glass and go to throw it away. It slips from my hand and cuts a jagged line on my palm. It falls at my feet and shatters into smaller pieces.

"Holy fuck!" I hold my palm in my hand and mutter a string of curses. The sailors would be proud.

I hear keys jangle outside the door and I know it's Alina. My eyes shoot from the door to the glass to my hand and back to the door. There's no way to cover this up.

I stand there frozen as she walks through the door and drops her bag. "Hal's! OMG what happened?" she slams the door shut and I think she's going to be mad but she walks over to me and inspects my hand.

She looks over my shoulder to the glass and the. back to my hand. "Hal's... talk to me." she sits me down at the table which we bought at a garage sale.

It's supposed to be patio furniture but we don't cook or eat at the table so we never actually use it. "I had a bad day and needed to break something..." I breathe.  "I'm sorry about you're flowers. I'll pay you back for them-"

"Hal's hush! You talking is shaking you're hand and I might prick you on accident." she finishes cleaning my hand and wrapping a bandage around it.

We sit on the couch watching Friends, neither of us talking. The episode ends and she turns to look at me.

"Now that you've calmed down you wanna tell me why you had such a bad day." her calmness within my storm makes me break down in sobs.

But not because I'm sad. Because I'm angry! Jacque and his stupid opinions. And the fact that I have no job and could possibly be homeless soon. I'm barely getting by with my half-ass lies and the fact that my best friend is literally the greatest person on the planet.

I continue to tell her about my awful day leaving out the part about Tucker. She listens like a good friend and I honestly wish she would tell me to suck it up and put my big girl pants on. Tell me to grow up and go find a new job. That way I wouldn't feel so guilty for being such a terrible person.