Lie to Me (A Touched Trilogy) (5 page)

“Okay, so ask me some questions. Ones you don’t know the
answer to.”

I sighed in resignation. “What did you do this morning?”

That was the first in a string of questions I asked and it
proved just as useless as the next twenty. Not once did I hear or feel anything
telling me she was lying, no matter how ridiculous her responses got.

“I give up,” I said. Dropping my feet to the floor, I braced
my elbows on my knees and let my head drop to my hands. I was tired and
irritated. The whole thing was pointless.

Chloe huffed, scooting off the bed. “I don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“My vision showed you doing it. Using your gift.” Her words
brought my head popping up in time to see her eyes narrowed slightly as she
turned to the door and I wondered what she was thinking. I stared at her back
as she headed into the hall.

“So you’re wrong again. Does that bother you?”

She glanced back and smiled. “Not at all,” she said and then
left.

My stomach cramped. Liar.

I kept my mouth shut. Every impulse inside of me throbbed
with the desire to scream the word at her departing back, but I didn’t. Having
Chloe know she’d been right wasn’t something I wanted her holding over my head.
It was better to savor my knowledge that I’d actually caught her in a lie she
didn’t want me to know. So instead, I rose from my chair and swung the door
shut, enclosing myself in my sanctuary.

What was it about that lie that had made it get called out?
She’d lied about a bunch of stuff over the past half-hour, yet the one thing
she really didn’t want me to know about was the only thing that called to me. I
spun in a circle and let myself drop to the bed. Flinging my arms out to the
side, I squeezed my eyes closed and for once in my life prayed that I didn’t
really have this stupid gift. That it was all in my head.

My hand groped along the comforter until I found my iPod. I
snagged the headphones and dragged it to me, then flicked my finger across the
touch screen finding a song that fit my miserable mood. After putting in the
ear buds, I turned the volume up, trying to drown out the stupid voice still
echoing through my head.

I woke the next morning to the sound of little
pitter-pattering feet in the hall, followed by giggles as my door slowly
creaked open. I yanked the comforter over my head, hoping if I stayed still the
little brats would think I was gone.

“Fee-Fee? Fee-Fee? Are you awake?” Tiny hands smacked down
on my face and I grimaced, holding in my groan of pain as one made contact with
my nose.

“Emma, I don’t fink she’s here.”

“But Ella, her feet are still here.”

Icy fingers circled my toes and I involuntarily jerked my
feet away, exposing my legs. No use trying to hide now. At three years old, my
cousins Ella and Emma might have believed I left my feet in bed, but they’d
never believe I left my legs, too.

“Boo!” I flung the blanket off my head and sat up.

Matching green eyes widened into giant orbs before the two
of them turned tail and ran. The pounding going up the stairs reassured me of
some privacy to get up - for a little while.

 I climbed out of my warm bed and made a mad dash for the
shower just as those little feet started their way back down the stairs.
Locking the door behind me, I relished an extra minute of darkness, letting my
body believe I might be going back to bed, before flicking on the lights. I
needed to get ready to go shopping and those two rug rats would latch onto my
legs and make it impossible.

In a town as small as Beachgrove, going to Town Center was
about as exciting as going to school. It was really the only place to go and
everyone I knew would be there. I contemplated talking Tonya into driving to
San Diego, but since my job at the local golf course ended a few months back, I
was running short on gas money and, if I wanted to buy a new outfit, I’d need
the extra cash. Besides, Bianca would kill me if I ditched her with Karin.

Two hours and a game of hide-and-seek later, I pulled up to
Tonya’s house. She rushed the car before I even shifted to park and swung open
the door. She slid in and then slammed it shut.

“Girl, what took you so long?” she asked.

“The demon twins. They attacked me when I got out of the
shower and tied me up until I played hide-and-seek.”

She gave me a skeptical look.

“Okay, so I volunteered, but in my defense you know how cute
they are.”

“How much longer is your family staying for?”

“I think they’re leaving tomorrow, or the day after. It’ll
be nice to have things back to normal,” I said. That Nanna had already left had
been my one constant wish for the past week.

“I’m so tired of normal. I’ve been bored out of my mind.
Seeing Trevor has been the only thing keeping me sane.”

“You could have come over,” I said. She gave me a nasty look
and I grimaced. “Right. Sorry.”

“That’s okay. You can buy me a venti hot chocolate to make
up for being so mean to me.”

“Hey, you admitted you lied.”

“Well...Damn.” We laughed and it felt good to have things
right between us again. Something that, despite our call last night, I hadn’t
been too sure of.

“Are we picking up Bianca and the thing?” she asked.

“No, they’re meeting us there.”

I stepped on the gas and made a u-turn for the center of
town, driving slowly to take in the massive houses. Tonya lived in the
damn-you’re-rich area of town and every time I drove through I liked to pretend
I actually lived there. Maybe the one on the corner with the huge palm trees
perfectly arranged in the yard.

My dad was a lawyer and made decent money, but I wasn’t
holding out hope that we’d be moving here. It always seemed strange to think
that Tonya lived in a mansion while her mom served time for selling drugs and
theft, but her grandpa had been a successful artist until he’d died and her
gran had been a university professor.

We turned out of her neighborhood and the home sizes shrunk.
Five minutes later, we were surrounded by the masses. I found a parking spot
and zipped in, cutting off another car which had its blinker flashing. I gave a
careless wave and parked.

Getting out of the car, I caught a glimpse of the car I’d
stolen my spot from parking a row over. The driver’s side door opened and a
tall guy stepped out. He turned around, glaring at me and I nearly choked on my
own spit. Nathan.

Why the hell did I have such crappy luck with him?

“You okay?” Tonya asked, coming around to my side of the
car.

“What? Yeah, why?” I was barely able to pull my eyes away
from Nathan to look at Tonya.

“You look totally spaced out.”

“No, I’m fine. Let’s go.” Before she could see Nathan, I
grabbed her hand and dragged her in the opposite direction. Not because it had
been him. No, I always avoided the people I cut in front of.

Somehow, in the two weeks since our fight, I’d forgotten how
much fun shopping with Tonya was. Bianca and Karin met us outside The Gap and
we went in, furiously trying on anything that looked even remotely decent
before heading to the next place. By lunch, we were exhausted.

“Let’s grab something to eat,” I suggested as we left what
seemed like the hundredth shop we’d been in.

“Definitely! I’m starving,” Karin said.

Tonya opened her mouth, to make some snide comment I’m sure,
and I managed to stomp on her foot just in time. Karin was stick-thin despite
constantly stuffing her face. Any complaints she made about eating and weight
pretty much pissed off every female around her, especially Tonya who was a bit
on the bootylicious side even if she did love her curves.

“Let’s dump our bags in the car first,” Bianca said to Karin,
then turned to us. “We’ll meet you guys at the food court.”

The two of them took off for Karin’s car while Tonya and I
followed the scent of food to the food court. Tonya and I had yet to buy
anything, while Bianca had nearly bought out the last three shops we’d gone
into. With my tighter budget, I wasn’t so willing to jump on the first thing I
found.

“Oh! Wait a minute. I want to look in here.” She started
toward the shoe store.

“I’ll meet you by the tables,” I said, knowing that if I
went in with her I’d leave with another pair of shoes I didn’t need and
couldn’t afford. She threw her hand up behind her and I took it for an
agreement.

The beautiful weather had drawn nearly everyone in town
outside to the courtyard and the tables were crowded. I searched for an empty
spot, deliberately passing over that table holding Chloe and her friends. They
had room, but spending quality time with her after last night held no appeal.
Then again, it never appealed to me.

Wandering through the maze of tables, I spotted an elderly
couple rising and I rushed forward, reaching for a chair just as someone slid
in on the opposite side. Nathan.

Great. My eyes flew up to stare at the sky in disbelief.
What the hell?

“Are you stalking me or something?” I asked, unwilling to believe
these meetings were just coincidence and not wanting him to think I was the one
doing the following.

“I could ask you the same thing. You’re the one with an
interest in my love life.”

My lips pursed and I tried to think of some kind of witty
come back. “Whatever. This is my table.” Oh, I could be so brilliant sometimes.

“Since I’m the one sitting, it looks like it’s mine,” he
said, a little smirk tipping up his lips.

It was a side of him I rarely saw. He always seemed so
passive. Like I could push him around if I really wanted. He let Vivian do just
that for almost a year.

I sat, refusing to give up my table. The staring contest
started. He had gorgeous eyes, a deep grey, like rolling rain clouds drifting
in from over the ocean. And they twinkled, like there was some private joke
going on that only he knew and he was laughing inside. Laughing at me.

“Look, Phoebe, I don’t know what your problem is with me.”
He paused and then blushed. “Okay, well maybe I do. But still, that was a year
ago. Do you want me to apologize or something?”

“No.” I did, but what would be the point?

“So...”

An awkward pause slid between us.

“I shouldn’t have taken the note,” I admitted reluctantly.

He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now. I shouldn’t have written
it, but she was bugging the hell out of me.”

“So you didn’t break up with her?” Hopefully I didn’t sound
as disappointed as I felt.

“I did, just not in a note.” He gave me a half smile.

“Wait. Are you admitting I was right?” God, how could my
heart be beating so fast?

“That I needed to man up? Yeah, guess I am, but that was a
low blow. God, you sounded just like my dad whenever I try to get out of doing
anything.” He shook his head, and gave me a lopsided smile. “You going to
Nadine’s party tomorrow?”

“Yeah, you?”

He nodded and then glanced behind me before standing.

“I thought you were ready to fight for your table?” I said,
wanting him to stay.

“I’ve seen you play dirty, and I’m not sure I wanna do that
in public with you. Now privately...”

I couldn’t help the stupid grin that caused my cheeks to
strain. He was definitely flirting. There was no way he wasn’t. He turned to
leave, but I needed to make sure, to know if what he’d said about me being
right was really the truth.

“Was I right about the rest? Was it because of...?”

“You? Us?” His brows arched and this time it was my turn to
blush. “No, it had nothing to do with you.”

Liar. I clutched at my stomach, trying to control the sudden
cramps. I didn’t call him on it. This was one lie I could happily live with
knowing.

I stared after him as he walked away, my entire body buzzing
with something unnamable.

“Hello?” A hand flashed in front of my face.

“Hey,” I said. My eyes focused on Tonya. She sat next to me,
while Bianca and Karin were arriving at the table.

“Girl, you have it bad.” Tonya picked up a fry from her
plate and pointed it at me. “You know Vivian will kill you, right?”

“Nothing happened, and nothing will. Remember? He had his
chance and he chose her.”

“Phoebe Matlin, do we look that dumb? You were practically
drooling all over him.”

“I was not! Okay, so maybe a little. But you have to admit,
he’s looking fine.”

She rolled her eyes, and stuck the fry in her mouth.

“He’s okay, I guess,” Karin said and took a sip from her
soda. “I prefer a leaner body, someone who looks more intelligent than
beefcake.”

“Owen,” Bianca coughed into her hand. Tonya and I laughed at
Karin’s blush.

“You have to admit that Nathan is getting a bit big,” she
said in her defense.

“Yeah, muscle big. Strong, powerful, hot,” Bianca wiggled
her eyebrows and sighed. “Too bad he’s got a thing for Phoebe. Otherwise I’d be
jumping him every chance I got.”

“He doesn’t have a thing for me.” That came out sounding way
too hopeful.

“Sure Phoebs, you keep telling yourself that and maybe
Vivian won’t kill you,” Tonya said.

“Well, I expect you guys to have my back if she comes after
me.” I glanced between their faces.

“Cat fights are beneath me,” Karin said, shaking her head.

Bianca was grinning away. “My parents would officially
disown me if I got caught fighting. Unless of course it was some kind of
ancient art form that would honor my ancestors.”

“Uh, you know I don’t fight anymore. Not after Melanie tore
my weave out.” Tonya rubbed her scalp at the painful memory from freshman year.

I just shook my head. Melanie was an entirely different
crazy than Vivian, although Tonya always said you can’t judge a girl by her
talk. And Tonya had been involved in four girl fights, which was exactly four
more than me.

“I’m going to grab some food.” I stood and headed to the
Chinese food counter.