One Tiny Lie (#W.S Awards 2016)

Chapter Eight

Man Whore

I've given up on talking by this point. I know that whatever comes out of my mouth will be idiotic gibberish because I tend to speak that way when I'm nervous or shocked or upset. Right now, standing here, watching Ashton and his girlfriend kissing, the perfect storm of all three brews inside me.

Dana pulls away from Ashton at the sound of her name. "Hi, Reagan! Hi . . ."

"This is Livie," Connor says.

She offers me a warm smile. "Hi, Livie. It's nice to meet you."

I try to smile back. I think that I succeed. I'm not sure; it could have looked more like the sneer of a rabid animal. I'm too busy trying to calm the screaming inside of my head.

That ass**le cheated on her. With me!

My eyes dart to his face, to see that he's staring at me with a strange expression. It's not his usual arrogance. It's not guilt, which it should be. No, I know exactly what it is. Desperation. He's pleading with me not to say anything. He doesn't want his girlfriend to find out. It all makes sense now. This is why he wants to keep what happened between us quiet. But then . . .why would I be famous?

I sneak a peek at Connor to see him smiling at me. It's a warm smile, not the amused smile of a guy who knows that I messed around with his roommate and am now being introduced to said roommate's unsuspecting girlfriend. Either he doesn't think there's anything wrong with what happened—making him a complete ass and so not the nice guy that I thought he was—or he doesn't know.

I don't get it. But everyone is staring at me, waiting for me to respond to Dana. I swallow and then do my best to force out a pleasant, "Hi, Dana. Nice to meet you too." It must have sounded passable, because she smiles and nods before she grabs hold of Ashton's arm and yanks at it. "'Kay, seriously, Ash. Get that gorgeous butt up so we can go or I'll be late."

He complies, sliding out of his chair with ease to tower over her. Her loose curls spill back as she tilts her head back to gaze at him. The way that her eyes sparkle—like Kacey's do when Trent is in the room—I can tell that Dana is head-over-heels in love with him.

I want to be anywhere but in this room with this sweet, unsuspecting girl and her lecherous boyfriend right now. "Connor, where's your bathroom?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

With a nod to the left, he says, "There's one through that doorway, around the corner. First right."

"Oh, I'd give that one an hour," Grant warns from behind us. "Ty was in there. It's not suitable for ladies. Or most humans."

"It's that damn chili your mama made!" Ty bellows from the kitchen.

Shaking his head at his roommate, Connor says, "Third door to the right, upstairs. You want me to show you?"

"No, I'll find it, thanks." I pat his arm as I turn to dash out of there.

"It was nice to meet you, Livie," Dana calls out.

"You too," I throw back with a smile, rushing to the stairs. I hope that wasn't too rude but I can't help it. She's super-nice and that's making me want to scream.

I hear Ashton behind me say, "I'll meet you out by my car in five. I've got to change and grab my wallet."

He's following me.

Blood rushes to my ears. I speed up, taking the steps two at a time, determined to get behind a locked door before I have to face him. And I would have made it if my toe hadn't snagged the lip of the top step, sending me sprawling out onto the hardwood floor, flat on my stomach.