Twisted Lies 2 (8 page)

She glared at me. “Sin, where did you hide
it?”

I swallowed a large mouthful of wine. “Trunk
in my spare bedroom.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t give me that look. I
haven’t had many opportunities to wear it.” Well, that part was
true, but the most important reason was the bracelet surfaced too
many emotions—happy and sad.

She sighed heavily. “You can’t continue to
blame yourself for his death, Sin. You were young. You argued with
him, but you didn’t cause that reckless driver to slam into
him.”

I blinked back the tears and fought the
impending guilt. “He was driving around that night, looking for
me.” The memory of that morning and the shouting match I’d had with
Dad still made my heart heavy with emotion.

***

It was my birthday, and I was so excited
Kyle was going to take me out for lunch after school. I bounced
into the kitchen, intending to grab a yogurt before heading out,
only to stop at the sight of Dad flipping pancakes at the
stove.

“
Dad? What are you doing here?” I was
happy to see him.

Normally, he’d leave for work before I got
up in the morning, and he’d come in late at night after I was
already in bed.

He turned, grinning at me. “I’m going in
late. I couldn’t miss making a birthday breakfast for my little
girl.”

I rolled my eyes heavenward. “Not little.
I’m seventeen today,” I boasted before eyeing the small box wrapped
in pink-and-green paper on the table.

He smiled indulgently. “Yes, it’s for
you.”

Snatching up the box, I ripped off the
paper and then pulled off the top. Nestled inside was an
agate silver bracelet. “Oh, Dad, I love it.” Running over to
him, I hugged him. “Thank you so much.”

He kissed my forehead. “Give me your
wrist.”

I could barely stand still from excitement
as he clasped the unusual bracelet around my wrist.

He softly grabbed my face.
“Sin,
this bracelet is very special. It’s an heirloom, which
belonged to my Scottish great-grandmother. It’s the only piece
of our heritage that our family has left.” His eyes clouded over
with emotion. “Promise me you’ll cherish it.”

“
Always, Dad.”

“
Good.” He nodded before stepping back
and
picking up a plate stacked with pancakes. “Sit down. The
pancakes are getting cold,” he ordered before resting the plate on
the table.

Plopping down at the kitchen table, I gave
him a wobbly smile. Dad looked tired. Dark shadows were under his
eyes. His tall frame looked gaunt. My fists tightened, hating Mom
for forcing him to work longer hours so she could live the
lifestyle of the elite.

He sat down, and I tucked away my
pancakes.

“
You’re not eating?” I asked in between
bites.

He pointed to his cup of coffee. “This is
the breakfast of champions.” He frowned down at his cup, twirling
it around in a circle.

I arched a brow. “So what’s really going on,
Dad?”

He cleared his throat. “Sin, I found this
great job out in Arizona.” He smiled stiffly. “It’s a promotion
with more money. I can’t pass up this opportunity.”

Just like that, I lost my appetite. I
slammed my fork down before pushing away my plate.

“
I’m not moving again, Dad. When I
started high school, you promised we wouldn’t move again.”

His mouth tightened. “Things change.”

I crossed my arms. “Well, I’m not moving.
I’m happy here. For the first time in my life, I have a best friend
and a potential boyfriend.”

“
This is not debatable, Sin. I delayed
this as long as I could. We’re moving at the end of the
month.”

“
At the end of the month?” I swallowed
over the lump in my throat. “I like him, Dad, and he actually likes
me, too.”

He sighed. “Sin, don’t make this more
difficult than it already is. We’re moving.”

I flinched. “I’m going to be late for
school.” Stiffly standing, I grabbed my backpack and tossed it over
my shoulder.

“
This conversation isn’t over, young
lady.” He crossed his arms. “After school, you’ll come straight
home.”

My eyes widened. “No, I’m not. I’m going out
with Kyle for my birthday.”

He stood up. “Sin, you live in my house, so
you’ll abide by my rules.”

My fists clenched and unclenched. “I hate
you.”

The color drained from this face. “Like I
said, my house, my damn rules.”

“
Whatever,” I said before storming out of
the kitchen.

I didn’t give a shit about what he’d said or
what he wanted. And I was determined to show him I was no longer
his little girl.

***

After school, I disobeyed my dad and went
out with Kyle.

After hanging out with him all night and
coming in after curfew, I went home to find a cop car pulling away.
Racing up the front stairs, I slammed into the house to find Grace
sitting on the stairs with a drink in her hand, reeking of
alcohol.

“
Why were the cops here?” I asked, my
heart pounding.

“
Where the hell were you?” Grace slurred
as she wobbled to her feet.

“
Where’s Dad?”

Grace ignored me while she straightened her
disheveled clothing.

“
Grace?”

“
He went out looking for you.” Guzzling
her drink, she looked at me with bloodshot eyes that lacked focus.
“A car slammed into his, sending him off the bridge. He’s…
dead.”

Tears streamed down my face. Lurching
forward, I sought her comfort for once in my life. Grace sloshed
her drink, warding me off. With a flushed face, her mouth tightened
before she turned on her heel and staggered up the stairs.

***

Jade’s voice jerked me out of the past.
“Sin? Are you okay?”

“I miss him so damn much.” Tears filled my
eyes, making me feel like that broken girl once again. I wiped away
my teardrops, hating I was still racked with so much guilt and
self-loathing about that day.

Instead of telling him,
I hate you
, I
wished all I had said was,
I love you, Dad.

She walked toward me with her arms wide
open. “Come here.”

I swatted her arms, but she pulled me into a
hug anyway. I quickly hugged her before stepping back.

Her eyes softened. “Let it go. Forgive
yourself and remember how much he loved you.” She stepped forward,
smoothing my hair. “Honor his love for you and wear the
bracelet.”

It was time to let go of the guilt. I
couldn’t bring him back, and pretending I didn’t miss him almost
every day was disrespectful to his memory. “Yeah, you’re right,” I
said. “You know you’re the bestest friend ever?”

She sidled beside me, hip-checking me. “Yes,
I am, and don’t you forget it.”

I yanked her hair before strolling out of
the living room with her on my heels. Stopping in my guest bedroom,
I went to the pile of fabric stacked on top of the trunk. Pushing
aside the folded remnants, I stared at the old worn trunk that used
to be my father’s. Running my fingers along the worn leather, I
smiled. Dad had dragged the ratty old trunk around the country to
every place we moved. The scratched leather was so worn and dirty
that I couldn’t tell the original color.

Unlatching the lock, I lifted the top.
Pulling out a stack of photos and sorting through them, I blinked
when I saw one of Dad and me, taken on the beach. He was smiling
and I was sticking out my tongue at the camera. I missed him. I
fucking missed him every day. How abruptly I had lost him hurt. It
had changed me, leaving me vulnerable and scared to let any new
people into my life for fear of losing them.

“Sin?”

I cleared my throat. “God, I haven’t seen
this stuff in years,” I muttered, continuing to sift through the
photos. I stopped at a photo of a blond-haired version of myself
hugging Jade.

She snatched the photo. “Ew, it’s blond Sin.
Promise me you’ll never, ever dye your hair again.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” I
mumbled. I dug into the bottom of the trunk before pulling out the
small silk bundle containing the bracelet. Unwrapping the fabric, I
saw the impressive agate silver was still in excellent condition. I
ran my fingers against the stones set into the silver. Holding it
up, I examined each of the panels in between the stones,
hand-engraved with patterns from scrolls to flowers to
cross-hatching plaids. It was strange that this was the first time
I’d actually noticed the ingraining. After clasping the bracelet
around my wrist, I started to close the trunk, when something odd
caught my eye.

I blinked and then blinked again. “What’s
this?”

I yanked the piece of red leather peeking
out of the broken bottom of the trunk. No, it wasn’t broken. I hit
the bottom. With the thump of my palm, a secret compartment shifted
completely, and a plume of dust rose, revealing a well-worn leather
ledger.

“What is that?” Jade asked impatiently,
looking up from admiring the photos.

“Some weird journal was buried in the bottom
of my dad’s trunk.” I lifted the cover and flicked through the thin
paper. It crackled against my fingertips.

“What’s in it? Dirty secrets?” Jade
asked.

The first several pages were a collection of
names. This was not my father’s handwriting. The initials G.L.C.
were scrawled in red ink at the bottom of every page. Next came
numbers and phone numbers. All the pages had codes running along
the margins.

“Nothing I understand.”

The ledger had been deliberately concealed
in the false bottom.
Why did Dad hide this?

My dad had been the most transparent person
I knew, and if he’d hidden it, there had to be a good reason.

I pushed the journal back into the false
bottom, banged the base back into place, and then dumped everything
I’d pulled out back on top of it, promising myself to further
investigate the ledger over the weekend.

Jade and I walked out of my townhouse and
down the stairs toward Kirby, Jade’s chauffeur.

He was leaning against the expensive luxury
SUV. He pushed away, tilting his head toward us. “You look lovely,
Miss Michaels.”

“Thank you, Kirby.” I smiled impishly at
him. “How’s my favorite man?”

He smiled. “Still way too old for you.”

I winked at him. “Age is nothing but a
number.”

I loved messing with Kirby. He was an older
version of James Bond—gray but still hot and dangerous.

Jade rolled her eyes. “Will you get in?”

He chuckled while opening the door, and then
he helped us maneuver our gowns into the SUV. He strolled around to
the driver’s side and slid in while we fastened our seatbelts.

Kirby fastened his seatbelt before turning
the key and revving the engine. He smoothly pulled into the
Manhattan traffic before
zipping in and out
of
the snarl of taxicabs and buses
.

Jade pulled out her cell, pressing her cheek
against mine. “Selfie time,” she chirped. “Smile, Sin.” She pouted
prettily.

I scowled. “Nothing to smile about,” I
responded dryly.

“Got it.” She took the photo. “And posted.”
She kissed my cheek. “And next time, you’d better smile because I
assure you that grimace will be torn apart by my followers.” She
threw the cell in her clutch.

“Nice. More critics. That’s exactly what I
need right now.” I rubbed my temple, feeling a wicked headache
approaching. “Why am I doing this again?” I mumbled under my breath
while frowning at the New York City gridlocked traffic.

She leaned her head on my shoulder. “Because
there’s a special place in hell for people who don’t support their
besties.”

“I hate these types of events with rich
people parading down the red carpet like racehorses.”

“Hey”—she gave me a fake pout—“rich person
here.”

I petted her silky black hair like a horse’s
mane. “And you’re my favorite rich person,” I cooed.

“So rude.” Jade swatted my hand.

I laughed. “Come on. You know what I mean. I
hate these things. Red carpets are so fucking intimidating,” I
explained. “Not that the paparazzi will be remotely interested in
me, but I do have to walk down the thing in order to get into the
gala.” I winked at her. “And more importantly, the open bar.”

“The red carpet is scary, even for me, but
you can do this.” She reassuringly squeezed my hand. “I’ve seen you
give a lecture on fashion design in front of hundreds of sarcastic,
know-it-all young fashion students. You can do this.” She leaned
forward and tapped on Kirby’s shoulder. “Don’t you agree?”

“Miss Michaels is tough as nails.” Kirby
winked at me in the rearview mirror.

All too soon, we slowed, and I could see
flickers of light up the road. We were in line to be dropped off.
Kirby pulled up to the venue and stopped.

I stared at the flashing cameras in shock.
“Why the hell do you do this?”

I sat there, stuck, trying to get mentally
prepared to step out in front of the paparazzi’s cameras. It was
sensory overload. The bright side of this whole fiasco was the
media coverage I would get from the Bellisarios wearing my couture
gowns tonight.

Kirby got out of the SUV, opened the door,
and helped Jade out.

“Jade! Jade!” the paparazzi screamed.

Jade was undoubtedly one of Hollywood’s most
beautiful actresses, and the media was obsessed with her glam style
and beauty. But I knew she was more than just good looks. She was
genuine and smart.

Kirby reached for me.

I took a deep breath and hesitated. “Well,
all righty, time to make tonight my bitch,” I grumbled.

Kirby smiled at me, and I grabbed his hand.
I put on my I-don’t-give-a-shit face as I stepped out of the SUV. I
wasn’t as comfortable as Jade standing in front of hundreds of
photographers, so I had to go somewhere else in my mind and pretend
I was a confident person in front of a horde of people.