Started With a Lie

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Four

"He's your what?"

          "My boyfriend." The words sound foreign coming out of my mouth.

         "Hey, I'd love introductions, but do you think you could these guys off of me first?" Daniel pitches in, giving a dirty look as he yanks his arm away from the guards.

          I turn and give a look to Lee, whose eyebrows are furrowed, trying to process my words as if they're impossible. Regardless, he gives a nod to the guards and they let Daniel go reluctantly. They talk into their ear pierce and shut the door behind them when they leave.

             As soon as the door shuts, I wish they hadn't. It's as if the air in the room gets sucked out.

           Daniel rubs his arms as if to shrug off the pain from the harsh grips. His gaze catches mine and he suddenly walks up to me, one arm slipping around my waist and the other holding my face. It's as if I'm the only person in the world and even if his idol is right there, I'm top priority. "Hey, is everything alright? What did the doctors say?"

             I see a movement in the corner of my eye as if Lee has flinched. I pretend I don't see it and press a hand on Daniel's chest to reassure him. "I just got here myself. I'm too scared to see. I don't know anything, yet."

           Now, Daniel looks confused. He looks from me to Lee, as if trying to connect the dots. But he'd never guess that Lee and I could possibly be together. Well, had been. "Why is the Lee Richardson in here?" he whispers to me. By his flickering eyes that go back and forth catching a glimpse at Lee, I can tell Daniel is trying very hard not to freak out...as if he is a seven year old little boy who has just ruin into his favorite superhero.

           "Uh...it's complicated," I respond. I take his hand from my cheek and walk him over to Lee. Out of all the things in the world when I got that phone call about my mother, this is the one situation I never would have guessed or imagined. "Lee, this is my boyfriend, Daniel. Daniel, this is...Lee...he's, er, he's friends with my brother."

            As soon as it's out of my mouth, I am close to punching myself in the face. Why can't I ever just tell the truth? Is it that hard? Now when Daniel finds out the truth, it'll just cause ripples in our relationship.

           "Brent?" Daniel asks. He's heard all about Brent, about my entire life between our frequent dates and late night phone calls. But, there's just one tiny fraction of my life that hasn't been exposed. Harmless. The articles and evidence from when I first told the media Lee was my boyfriend had all been taken down since I was a minor at the time and Lee's publicists had made sure no more articles of Lee and I existed since it would harm his company and his rumoured engagement with Penny. But that doesn't mean it'll never come out again.

        "Uh, yes. They met at some club or something in the city before my brother went off to college," I explain as the lies topple up. "Ever since, my brother's asked him to stand in place when he isn't here. That's why he's here. Nothing else."

      Lee's face is unreadable. One hand is gripping the table next to him so hard his knuckles turn white while his eyes seem darker than they were minutes ago. His jaw sticks out as he clenches his teeth. Is he angry I'm lying? I'm not ready to just tell my boyfriend so suddenly about him. Slowly, one day, yes. But now? Of all times? It's one less problem.

        "That is insane," Daniel says, rubbing the stubble on his chin as he thinks. His hair is a little messy from running and the jumping out of bed to come with me, but he still looks handsome. He grins suddenly and stretches out his hand. "It's honestly such an honor to meet you, Lee. I've always looked up to you since you single handedly ran your father's company. I hate that I'm meeting you under such dire conditions."