Compulsive (Liar #1) (9 page)

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I pulled on a pair of light gray yoga pants and a black long-sleeved T-shirt,
ready to focus on someone else besides myself. My angst-ridden story was
getting old. A day helping Alyssa and Jessie with this fund-raiser was exactly
what I needed. The thought of possibly seeing Daniel in a setting other than
his office had nothing to do with springing from my bed full of energy at five AM.

The thick fog threatened early morning drizzle, but
nothing would deter my positive outlook. I zigzagged past scattered boxes of
useless crap I’d collected from some of my neighbors. I hoped the saying was
true, and that someone would see this junk as
treasures
.

Alyssa let herself in as I poured some juice. “Hey,
kiddo. Ready to make some money?”

She approached the counter, leaning over on her
elbows. “I guess.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Rita called me last night.” She stared at her
fingers, spinning the rings on one hand. “She wanted to prepare me.”

I stopped mid-sip and set my drink down.

“Jessica hasn’t been doing well. She caught an
infection and has been in the freaking hospital for two days.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” When was this poor kid going to catch
a break and have an easy relationship? I reached over and squeezed her forearm.
“What about today?”

“It’s still on. They brought her home last night, but
the doctor said she shouldn’t go outside.”

“Hey, at least she’s home.” I leaned down toward her
face, smiling.

“Yeah. I just pictured her staring out the window like
the freaking bubble boy or something.”

I stopped the chuckle before it came out. “She’s going
to be okay then. That’s great news.”

She looked up, still on the emotional fence. “I know.
I texted her saying we’d make it an awesome day! That we’d do this shit for
her.”

“You said that?”

She reached out and grabbed my juice, her face
returning to her normal expression—half-brat, half-sweetheart. “Well…I left out
shit
. You know, in case her mom saw it.” She stole a big drink, and we
both giggled. Teens are so resilient.

Her phone pinged, and as I watched her read the
message, I noticed a change in her.

“Jessie said she might make an appearance. She’s
fighting with Rita about it now.” Her smile could have powered the entire
building. “We’d better get going.”

Maybe it was because turning sixteen was just around
the corner, or it could have been this new friendship. Whatever the case,
something blossomed behind her eyes, beneath her expression. A newfound
maturity sprouting within her that made me both proud and sad.

* * *

As we pulled into the neighborhood, our mouths fell open. We were on
time, but the activity had already begun. Driveway after driveway was dotted
with people, boxes, blankets, and tables. A few early vultures lurked nearby, waiting
as items were being set up.

We parked on the street in front of Jessie’s house and
sprang from our seats to gather the boxes. Rita greeted us with a grin in the
driveway as we approached with the first load.

“So glad you both could make it,” she said, reaching
for Alyssa’s box. “Let’s set them all here, and I’ll find space for everything.
We all headed back for another run and another until they were all unloaded.

“We’re happy to help, “I said. “How’s Jessie doing?”

She made suggestive quote marks with her fingers.
“Sleeping…for now.”

“This is awesome,” Alyssa said.

It was quite a spectacle and a heartwarming sight to
take in, the street becoming more full and alive along with the rising sun. All
supporters of Jessie, her family, and concerned people looking to make a
difference in the fight against a merciless disease.

As Rita raved about the droves of volunteers offering
time and goods to sell, I faded out mentally. With a casual glance up and down
the street, I searched for a tall, dark-haired individual. Lots of women came
into view, kids, a hefty man with a cane, a couple of teenage boys pushing
bikes. I pulled my gaze back to Rita before she noticed. It was still early.

We scrambled to get everything out onto tables or
blankets, marking as we went. Alyssa had joined Rita at the information table
while I unloaded a final box of books and movies. They were handing out flyers
with information about the charity and future fund-raising events.

As I was about to join them, an adorably petite woman
tapped me on the shoulder and introduced herself as Rita’s neighbor. With her
fluffy white hair and sporting a seventies style sweat suit, Alice sweet-talked
me into helping her with some stuff she was unable to carry up the stairs of
her house.

I followed her over, and the heat engulfed me the
moment I stepped into her sauna of a house. Alice appeared unaffected and
didn’t seem to register my discomfort. “This way, dear.” As I watched her
bouncy step down the staircase, I couldn’t help but question whether she required
assistance at all. The air cooled a bit as we entered the lower-level room,
which resembled a mini boutique.

“Wow, you’re getting rid of all this stuff?” Dresses
on racks paralleled one wall, crystal tableware of all kinds on a round wooden
table, and shoes on the floor. Upon a closer look, I noticed some of the items
looked vintage.

“No, not all of it. Only the things on this side of
the room.” She gestured to her left as she walked past me and into the middle.

My eyes swept across the elegant dresses, wondering if
I’d ever wear something so beautiful.

“You’d look stunning in one of those,” she said.

I shrugged, shaking my head.

“Truth be told, I couldn’t bear to let those go at a
garage sale.”

I turned to face her, interested rather than
judgmental.

“I know…it’s a wonderful cause. Believe me. In fact,
I’ve got a check all made out upstairs to ease my mind.” She walked over to the
rack. “But these beauties…these can’t go to just anyone shaking a couple of
crumpled dollars at me.”

“They’re all so gorgeous.”

“Thank you. I designed many of them myself.”

This retro grandma in the polyester jogging duds left
me speechless, and my mouth gaped.

“Hard to believe? I was once a hot little number like
you who wore plenty of dresses like that.” She held her arms out to the side.
“Now, I like to be comfortable…and have quick access to the plumbing, if you
know what I mean.” Her wink left me wondering how serious she was.

I giggled and turned back around, ready to get to
work. “Where should I start? Some of this stuff isn’t in boxes yet?”

“I’m sorry about that. Got a little distracted playing
online poker. First things first. You’re going to pick one of these dresses for
yourself. Try a few on while I get back to my game.” I opened my mouth to
protest, but her words shot out too quick for me. “Then, you can take those
boxes over there and start loading all this stuff inside. I’ll let the others
know you’ll be back in a bit.”

“Alice…that’s so generous of you, but I…I couldn’t
take one of these. I…well…”
What the hell was happening here
? I couldn’t
remember the last time a lie was that difficult to drum up. The old broad
somehow left me dumbfounded. My hands clasped and wrung each other as I looked
around, attempting to hide my awkwardness.

“Nonsense, missy. Don’t offend me, now. That body of
yours was made to wear dresses like those. You can change in that bathroom over
there. Pick any one you like. I’ll be back in a bit.” She padded to the stairs
and grabbed the railing before turning back. “Then, get cracking on that
packing. You’ve got sales to make.”

I sifted through the rack with hesitation at first. Gradually,
my hands became eager, yet gentle, as my eyes feasted on the beautiful material
before me. It didn’t matter that I’d probably never have anything to wear one
of these to. I pulled a burgundy knee-length, a black knee-length, and a cream-colored
full-length gown adorned with some sort of beads or sequins. The cramped
bathroom included a mirror over the sink. The first two dresses looked better
on the hanger, like ninety percent of the clothes I’d ever tried. The cream-colored
dress, the simplest of the three, portrayed old school Hollywood. I slipped it
on, feeling immediately glamorous. I managed the zipper on my own, making it
almost to the top. It hugged my body in all the best spots, with a scoop neck
slightly off the shoulders.

I flung the door open, remembering a full-length
mirror against the wall and desperate to see myself from head to toe. I gasped
at the tall figure stopping me in my tracks and staring down at me.

“Daniel.”

I almost didn’t recognize him in dark blue jeans and a
snug red T-shirt. Our eyes caught each other, setting off a series of flutters
deep in my belly. His gaze drifted down and up my body, landing back where it
started. That look of desire I’d seen many times before on other men and tossed
aside as meaningless sent chills down my spine and a thrill through my veins.

“Wow. You look…breathtaking.”

I’m sure I blushed like a shy teen on prom night.
“Thank you.” I smiled, and we stared at each other a moment longer. He blinked
away from our connection, filling me with trepidation.
One guarded therapist
coming up
. I headed him off at the pass. “What are you doing here?”

He squinted as he glanced around. “Rita sent me over
to carry up some boxes, but… What are you doing here?”

“Same. Alice asked me. She’s not quite ready, so it
looks like we both got suckered.”

“I don’t mind,” he said, walking toward a table full
of old-fashioned looking perfume bottles. Under the table were flattened boxes.
He knelt down to sift through the stack. “I’d rather do manual labor than sit
out there bartering over tarnished candlesticks and mismatched socks.”

“Me, too.” His back was to me now, and I couldn’t help
but think he was avoiding looking at me. I took slow steps back toward the
bathroom, my excitement over the dress calmed. “I’ll change quickly and help
you.”

“Are you keeping that?” He glanced at me with the
sentence, but then turned his focus back to the boxes. He slid one out and began
folding it into its 3D shape.

“Maybe. But only because Alice insisted.”

His movements froze for a beat. “I think you should…I
mean, you wouldn’t want to offend her.”

“Right.” I stepped into the bathroom, leaving the door
ajar. With one arm behind my back, I reached for the zipper, straining to get
the proper leverage.
Why even struggle with it
? Instead, I struggled to
keep a grin from my face and my breathing under control. “Daniel?”

In the mirror, I saw him rise. “Yeah?”

“Could you…give me a hand, please? I’m having
some…trouble.”

He stalled, then took a few measured steps in my
direction. His midnight blue eyes found mine in the reflection. They said words
he couldn’t say out loud, I was sure of it. They also held things I didn’t want
to see. Caution. Fear. A warning perhaps. Selfishly, none of that mattered to
me then. For once, I wanted to feel him near me. Without the barriers of the
office setting, the obvious professional and emotional walls that kept us from
any kind of intimate connection. If I’d imagined Daniel felt the same
attraction or would continue to deny it, I’d risk the humiliation for a moment
of his body close to mine. So close I could feel the heat generating from him. Yeah,
it was worth the risk.

He pushed the door open farther and came up behind me,
never leaving my gaze. “The zipper?” His deep, sexy tone buzzed in my ear, a
breeze of his warm breath danced across my neck, sending my stomach off to
flutter again.

I swept my hair over one shoulder and nodded. His
hooded eyes left mine. Two fingertips brushed my back as he slipped them over
the top of the dress, one hand easing down the zipper, warmth traveling to my
needy places with every inch lower. My exposed back screamed for him to run his
hand along it. I turned my head to the side, calling his eyes to mine. When
they met, my breath hitched and then quickened, working in time with Daniel’s.

I don’t know how long we stayed locked in that
position, but when I felt Daniel’s other hand smooth down my hip, my lips
parted with the small gasp of air I took in. His eyes fell to my mouth and
appeared a shade darker, like he was discovering this part of me for the first
time. The muscles on his strong jaw clenched. I leaned into his firm chest,
placed my hand over his, and felt his grip tighten on my hip. My lids
involuntarily fell closed as my head rested back against his shoulder.

“Gray,” he whispered.

My insides melted at hearing my name in that heady
tone. My eyes opened and went straight to his mouth. I’d never desired anything
so badly in my life as being kissed in that instant by Daniel Harrison. I
wanted to beg for it. I would have, but his head dipped in my direction. The
breath from our mouths mingled in the tiny space between our parted lips. My
back arched with impatience, and our lips caressed each other. Nothing had ever
felt so frightening and electrifying all at the same time. I hooked my arm
around his neck to pull him closer, but instead, his head turned, and my heart tightened.
He paused for a second before pulling back, as if awakened from a paralyzing
trance. “I…don’t know what to say.” His hands dropped to his sides. I turned,
holding up the dress from the front. “I’m sorry, Gray. That was wrong…on so
many levels.” He backed out of the bathroom, running his hand over the back of
his neck.

“Well,” I said to his back as he spun to walk farther
away from me. “My thoughts are quite the opposite.” I attempted to keep the
woman
scorned
from my tone.

“Gray…” He turned and took two tentative steps in my
direction. “It’s important you listen to what I’m about to say. If you think
that there’s something—”