What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

1.14: hayes

"Seph?" I can't help the surprise in my voice when I answer the phone because I had assumed that Sephine would still be avoiding me much like she has since she practically ran from me in the library four days ago. I didn't even realize someone could move that fast in heels.

"Guess again," A cheery unfamiliar voice replies, and I pull the phone away from my ear to check and make sure that this is Sephine's number. The contact clearly says that it's hers, but she definitely doesn't sound like a guy. "Sorry, this is Ollie. We talked a few weeks ago by mistake when you stole her phone."

"The friend from Seattle?"

"The one and only," Ollie replies happily, and I can't say that I understand.

"Why do you have her phone?"

He exhales, "Basically she's in the shower, and I stole her phone because her passcode hasn't changed since middle school. And she told me what happened, and I also know Seph's too damn stubborn to apologize for the way she acted."

I'm curious to hear what he has to say because maybe I'll finally get some answers, "You know why she acted like that, don't you?"

There's a pause, and I almost expect him to hang up because he owes me nothing. "I do know, but it's not my story to tell. Just please cut her some slack, Sephine's been through more than you can imagine considering she said she hadn't told you anything."

"How much has she told you about us?" I can't imagine she would tell him about the real reason behind us, but I don't know her well enough to make an accurate guess.

"Enough that if you hurt Sephine, there's not anything that will keep me from inflicting pain on you too. Just know that she feels bad about what happened, but that girl won't apologize."

Coughing to stifle the laugh because I highly doubt that Sephine feels sorry, but I do believe that she's too stubborn to actually say anything if she were sorry. "I couldn't dream of hurting Sephine." It's the truth because hurting her would be like kicking an injured puppy. There's something in her pale eyes that tells the horrifying truth she can't bring herself to tell anyone.

"I'm serious. Wear a simple black suit-"

He pauses, and I hear the faint scolding of Seph through the line, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Ollie?"

It's kind of nice to hear her use that tone with someone else besides me, but the line clicks end before I can hear anymore. I feel kind of bad for Ollie, but if he's known her for as long as I think he has, Ollie knew precisely what he was doing when he took Sephine's phone.

Ollie had said something about a black suit, so maybe that was his clue to me that she's coming. But that might have been before he got caught talking to me.

She is a wild card, that's for sure. One minute I think everything is just fine, but then she completely bites my head off the next time I try to speak with her. The only thing to say at that point is there truly never is a dull moment with her in my life.

I guess I can't say I would blame her if she decided not to come, but if she doesn't, then Tessa will know it's not real. Then we're both screwed.

*********

"Have you heard from her?" My eyes are still on the entryway as Cam offers me a drink that I'm sure he got with no problems from the bar.

"By her, do you mean Sephine?" Cam retorts scoffing as he takes the drink back from my hand to down it in one go.

"Go get another one," I push his shoulder as he sets the empty glass on a table next to us.

He gives me a flat look, "No, because if I go get another one, then I'm going to drink that one too. I told you that if you fucked up, I wasn't going to get in the middle of this, so you need to figure it out."