Beneath The Lies (2 page)

My eyes unconsciously narrow at her question, but Tanner speaks up to answer her. “Because people aren’t nice unless they want something.”

Mandy’s eyes slowly drift shut. When they open again, I can see the fire in them. “Where I’m from, we’re nice to everyone because you treat others how you want to be treated. I’m nice to you because I expect you to treat me the same way.” Neither Tanner nor I say a word in return. That’s definitely not how life works here.

“Maybe next summer you boys can come spend time in Colorado and we can get to know you better.”

Mandy’s warm smile returns, and at this point I’m positive I will go anywhere this lady asks me to. “Let me go get you guys a snack and then we’ll go swimming. Can you boys watch Kate for me while I grab something from the kitchen?”

Mandy kisses the little green-eyed girl on the forehead before placing her in a chair across from us then walks off.

I look over at Tanner, but like normal, he’s staring off, lost somewhere in his own head while he avoids our surroundings. I sneak another look at the little girl only to find her closely watching me. My heart speeds up again while I draw in a deep breath of air. I’m doing my best to shake off the strange feeling I have as I tear my eyes away from hers. Looking at her is the same as looking directly at the sun. It’s hard to do for more than a few seconds. I lean my head against the back of the couch and close my eyes. While I’m doing everything in my power to avoid looking at this little girl, she hops down out of her chair and climbs up next to me. I didn’t know this until she slips her small hand into mine and gives mine a firm squeeze.

I want to pull back. I meant to pull back, but her touch is soothing in a way I didn’t know was possible. My heart continues to beat against my chest as my mind starts to relax. I’m sitting here staring down at our connected hands when I hear her start to hum the same tune her mother had just a few moments ago.

When I finally gain the courage to look up, I find those emerald eyes burning into mine, but it’s the way Kate is smiling at me that I know I’ll never forget. Like maybe...just maybe, I matter to someone.

“Are you okay with this room? If not, I’ll have my housekeeper move your things to one of the other bedrooms.”

I gasp as I slowly look around the room any normal person would love to call their own. A four corner, king size bed is the first thing my eyes spot, followed by a TV that’s at least fifty inches.

“Wow. Leeta, this is amazing.” I can’t keep the smile out of my voice as I wander over and open a door to my very own bathroom. I glance around before walking back out, still taking everything in. This room is to die for at any age, but at twenty, I feel almost unworthy of my surroundings. “Leeta, I hope you didn’t go to all this trouble just for me,” I say as I run my hand over a dresser that looks brand new.

Leeta smiles at me. “I didn’t go to any trouble, sweetheart. I couldn’t be happier that you agreed to stay with me. Since my boys moved out, this house has been quite lonely.”

I inhale a breath as her words cause a sudden pain in my chest. Like Leeta, I feel extremely lonely and I wonder—not for the first time—if this pain will ever get easier.

“Thank you, Leeta. I’m glad to be here.” My voice shakes slightly, but Leeta either doesn’t notice or is nice enough to pretend otherwise.

“Any time, my dear. You have my cell number if I’m not home. I don’t want you to hesitate to call me for anything. I’m your family now and family takes care of each other.”

To my surprise, I’m able to give Leeta a small smile. After the reminder of losing my parents, I wasn’t sure it was possible. Leeta walks over and wraps me up in a hug before she turns, and without another word, leaves me alone in my new room.

My parents were wealthy, but most people don’t know that. They were down to earth in every possible way, and that included the type of home I was raised in. The Lomans, or maybe it’s just Leeta, seem to flash their money. My bedroom is a prime example. My mother would hate this room, probably as much as she would hate the fact that I’m living here. Like it or not, Leeta appears to be all I have.

Four years ago, the world dealt me my first harsh blow when my mother was diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer then died a few months later. My second blow came six weeks ago when my father unexpectedly died from a stroke. Here I am, at the age of twenty, with no parents and no siblings. The only blood relative I have left is an aunt that lives in Maine that I’ve only seen a handful of times.

My Aunt Leeta isn’t really my aunt. Leeta married James Loman, my father’s childhood best friend. From what I have been told, my dad and James were inseparable from the time they were little boys until sixteen years ago when James died in a car accident.

The two grew up in a wealthy suburb of San Francisco, but they both crossed the bay and graduated college from The University of California, Berkeley. That’s where my parents met, and where my father and James’s friendship began to change.

Uncle James and my dad started a company together straight out of college. My dad was the brains of the operation, and James provided the deep pockets they needed to get it up and running. During this time, my dad fell head over heels in love with my mother, who was a few years younger than him. When my mom graduated, she planned to move back to her hometown of Littleton, Colorado, and my dad left everyone behind to follow her, moving the company to Colorado as well. By that time, he was able to buy James out, which later became a sore subject anytime Leeta was around because my dad’s company skyrocketed and less than five years later my parents were millionaires.

Life can be a tricky bitch sometimes.

Where money is concerned, I’m set for life, and the only thing I really want is something money can’t buy: my parents. Instead, I’m here in Berkeley Hills living with a woman I barely know because she did a wonderful job convincing me she is all I have left. I don’t really know at what point in my life my parents and Leeta stopped communicating, but I assume it was after Uncle James died. What I do know is Leeta hasn’t been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but now...she is.

****

“We’re not taking no for an answer this time. You’re going with us, Kate. Besides, what else do you have going on?” My head slightly jerks with the knowledge that I can’t hide my lacking social skills for long.

I’m in my second week at Berkeley and my second week of friendship with Alyssa Green and Gabby Moss. Alyssa and Gabby have been best friends since high school, and for whatever reason they claimed me as their third amigo the moment they saw me.

If I had family to call and talk to about my new friends, I’m sure their first concern would stem from whether or not these girls are using me for my money, but no one here has any idea that I’m only a few years away from becoming a millionaire, and I’m not about to tell anyone.

Last weekend they tried hard to get me to go
clubbing
with them, but I turned them down flat. I don’t have the foggiest idea what to do at a nightclub thanks to my sheltered upbringing. Instead of going out with my friends, I spend my nights held up in my room at Leeta’s watching old movies, because sadly that is more my speed.

My mom once told me she was put on this earth to be a mother. She always knew that was her destiny, but when she was unable to conceive a child she panicked for a few years until my parents adopted me. That was when she knew her destiny wasn’t to be a mother but to be
my mother
.

I don’t know if it was my parents company, money, or the fact that I was the center of their lives, but either way, I ended up living a very sheltered existence. I went out on a few dates, and even had a boyfriend for almost two years, but nightclubs never factored in.

I say through a sigh, “I don’t know...”

Alyssa’s eyes narrow at my answer. “We’re going to a house party. No clubs, and
yes
you are going!” she states in a demanding voice. My body instantly relaxes. While I’ve only attended a couple of parties, I’ve gone to enough to have an idea of what to expect.

“Okay. I’ll go.”

“Great. Why don’t you come home with me and I’ll find you a spicy little outfit to wear.” Gabby is already nodding her head, agreeing with Alyssa’s idea. I have plenty of clothing in my closet, but I’m positive none of it will be considered
spicy
by Alyssa and Gabby’s standards.

I shrug. “Sure, why not.” Alyssa lets out a squeal of excitement, which has me already regretting my answer. If she’s this happy at the idea of playing dress up, I can only imagine what else she has in store.

****

The party they drag me to isn’t any different than I was expecting: loud music, alcohol everywhere, mass amounts of slutty looking girls, and couples going in and out of bedrooms together probably swapping STDs. I don’t hate being here, but it’s just not my thing and probably never will be.

As soon as we walk in, Gabby ditches us to go find her boyfriend Noah, who texted her he was somewhere in this hell. “Want a drink?” Alyssa asks. Without meaning to, I scrunch up my nose at the idea of drinking whatever this place is offering. “I’ll take that as a no.”

I grab Alyssa’s arm before she’s able to walk off. “Wait, I’m sorry. I’m...I’m not really a big drinker, but if you’re going to have one then I will too.” Her face softens with a half-smile. We lace our hands together and forge through the partygoers until we arrive at a keg of beer that’s surrounded by guys who look pleased to see us. I’m positive that has everything to do with the outfits Alyssa has us dressed in. I’m wearing a tight and very short skirt, paired with a low cut and equally tight tank top. I refused the five-inch heels Alyssa was trying to force on me. Without a doubt, I would have broken my neck if I tried to walk more than a foot in them. Heels or no heels, right now my boobs are pushed together and clearly on display. And Alyssa is somehow showing even more skin than I am.

“Hey, Lis, who’s your new friend?” An evil smirk crosses Alyssa’s face before she answers.

“Oh, Craig, this is Kate. Kate, this is Craig. Berkeley’s Mr. One and Done. Keep that in mind if you decide to spread your legs for him, because no matter how amazing he claims it was, he...will...not...call you.” Everyone standing within hearing distance goes silent except for Craig.

“Alyssa, I wasn’t lying. You were an amazing fuck, but you’re too high maintenance to be anything more than a good time.” Craig laughs with all of his friends while Alyssa glares at him. Once the laughter dies down, it’s clear that she’s out for blood.

“Oh, no worries, Craig. I wasn’t looking to start a relationship with a man who has a three-inch penis. It just pissed me off that you said you’d call and you didn’t. But now that I think about it, that’s probably why you don’t call a chick afterwards. You’re worried that she’ll tell you the truth, that you wouldn’t know how to get a girl off even if you had an instruction manual and the best vibrator money can buy.” Muffled laughs come from every direction except from Craig, who seems beyond angry.

“Come on, Alyssa. We’ll find a drink somewhere else.” I tug on her hand until she finally turns and the two of us walk away from the cackling group of guys that obviously found her comment hilarious. I’m really shocked that Alyssa would even give Craig the time of day. He appeared a little too unkept for her taste, but I haven’t known her that long.

After wandering for a while, she finally stops us in front of a bathroom and that’s when I give her my best what-the-hell look. “Ugh. I screwed him freshmen year. I had one too many drinks and he said all the right things. Before I knew it, I was naked and allowing him to do whatever he wanted. However, I wasn’t kidding. The guy doesn’t have a small dick, but it’s not huge either, and at least with me he didn’t seem the least bit concerned if I got off. That was two years ago so who knows...maybe he’s figured out his way around a clit, but he made a lot of promises. Promises a guy shouldn’t make if all he wants is to get in a girls panties. For a few brief moments, he reminded me of a different time in my life and that made me...happy. Until the next day when it was clear he had no plans to ever call or see me again. I felt cheap and used, but I have no one to blame but myself.”

Whatever happened between them apparently marked her, which makes me instantly dislike Craig. While I haven’t known Alyssa that long, I’ve known her long enough to believe she’s a good person.

“There you two are.” Alyssa looks over my shoulder and I turn to see Gabby. “Kyler just got a call from his brother. Everyone is going to The Hill tonight.” I have no idea what Gabby is talking about, but the information clearly excites Alyssa. “Yay. I’ve been dying to go back. Let me use the restroom really quick then we can get out of here.”

After the bathroom door closes, I turn toward Gabby again with a questioning look. “The Hill is an old building in east Oakland that some guys use as an underground fight club. Usually by the time Lis and I hear about the fight it’s too late for us to get down there.”

The bathroom door opens and I see the excitement dancing in Alyssa’s eyes. Whatever funk she was in moments ago appears to be gone. “Thank God we were with Noah and Kyler. Seems like forever since I’ve been to The Hill,” Alyssa says, clapping her hands together.