Lie To Me

26. Trap

AVA STONE

"Who are you?" he asked again, taking slow strides towards me and Anna.

I swallowed the big lump on my throat, craning my neck up to look at him. He was tall, quite tall, and his muscular arms were covered in tattoos. His dark eyes, matching with his dark hair, were still watching me suspiciously.

"Reagan, honey," Anna's sweet voice, yet holding an edge, interrupted the staring contest, successfully shifting the young man's gaze to her. "This is Ava. She's Noah's friend."

Putting a fake smile on my face, I extended my hand for him to shake. "Nice to meet you."

With his eyes still squinted, he grabbed my hand, giving it a firm shake. "You're friends with Noah?"

"Something like that."

"I've never heard from you," he continued, almost as if it were a weird occurrence that Noah hadn't informed him about our friendship. That hinted me they must be closer than I thought, or at least Reagan believed so.

"We've only met recently. I've just started the same high school he assists and we share a few classes." And he can't stand me, just like I can't stand him. And we've shared a kiss, too.

"Ava," Anna caught my attention, smiling softly at me. "This is Reagan, my grandson."

"Grandson." It was impossible for me to hide the shock in my voice. Grandson? That was it?

"He occasionally helps me out in the coffee shop. That's how he and Noah met, and since their age gap is small, they became close friends," the woman explained with a fond smile.

I smiled back at them —well, Reagan wasn't smiling at all—, but my mind was in another headspace. If they're just friends, then why did Anna sound so surprised when she heard I knew Reagan's name? Was it because Noah didn't want to tell anyone about this place, about these people?

"How come you're here asking for me?" the man asked again, raising an eyebrow and earning himself a small slap on the shoulder from his grandmother.

"Be polite, young man! Ava isn't a threat," she scolded him. If only she knew.

"It's ok," I smiled at her and turned once again towards Reagan. "I didn't mean to overstep, I apologize for that. I was just having a conversation with your grandmother when your name came up and I remembered Noah mentioned it once, so out of curiosity I asked."

I kept my smile intact as Reagan studied my face, searching for any sign of deceit. Technically, the answer I gave wasn't a lie, that was what really happened. But what he didn't need to know is that I had come here specifically to ask about him.

"I should get going, my friend must be waiting for me," I smiled and took my wallet out to pay for my order. "It was good seeing you, Anna."

"Likewise, Ava. And it's on the house," she rejected the money I was giving her, but I placed it on the countertop anyway.

"I insist."

She smiled gratefully and I glanced at the grandmother-grandson duo one last time before grabbing my food and drinks and leaving the coffee shop, murmuring a small goodbye. Once I was back in Cole's car, I was immediately bombarded with questions.