It All Started with a Lie

Chapter 10.1

Oh gods, I hate him...how could I possibly hate her brother? The man she looks up to, the person most important in her life. He is her everything, how could I hate him?

"Of course I didn't know! I would have never—" he stumbled on his words, letting out an aggravated sigh. "I never would have gone near you if I'd known."

If Richard found out what happened, what we did, it would break her heart. Forget her brother hating me ending our friendship, this would end it. "This is all your fault!" I cried. First he ruined my chance at the sorority, then he ruined my friendship with Richard. He had destroyed my life.

His eyebrows drew in a tight line. "My fault? You kissed me. This is all your fault!" His voice cracked, in anger—no in fear. He was practically panting trying to breath properly, his cheeks flushed a deep crimson as he looked anywhere but my eyes.

"It is not!"

"Is too!"

I threw my hands up. "Is not!"

"Is too!" He broke eye contact. "We sound like we're five."

"Well, I wouldn't have to resort to playground tactics if you'd just admit your wrongdoings." I paused, trying to catch my rapid breath. "We can never tell Richard." If he was just as scared as I was, then maybe he'd keep our secret. Richard never has to know, and we will never happen again. No harm done.

He did not hesitate. "Agreed. She doesn't need to know, and it can never happen again."

That much was obvious. As if I'd ever want to be with him again. But man, was the sex good. But man is he such an asshole. "Agreed."

The more I stared at him, and thought about everything he'd done, the more confused I became about his reason why. "Why would you stab me back like that?" How could the sweet and loving man Richard raved about do such a cruel thing?

He sighed, running his hands through his curls once more, his muscles, his glistening biceps, tensing. I looked away, pushing down all my indecent thoughts. "I did it for Beatrice. I had to."

For Beatrice? How could my downfall possibly benefit her? Before I could interrogate him more, a knock sounded from the door. "Claudia?" Richard's soft voice called.

I let out an involuntary gasp at the sound of her potentially catching me in the bathroom with her naked brother. The door was not locked. She could have come in at any moment. I was not forced to answer though, instead, my mouth was shut by his large, wet, hand. The force of his movement pushed me back against the wall, and I was pinned between his bare chest and the wall. "No, it's just me, Bea," he responds calmly, so calm I wonder if he'd done this before.

I can hear the disappointment in her voice. "Do you know where Claudia went? She said she was going to use the bathroom."

His eyes meet mine in a panic. And I wish I could have thought about the fact that my best friend was about to catch me in my lie and our friendship would end, but all I could think of was how close he was, how warm his hand was. "Maybe she went to your room to wait." His deep blue eyes never left mine. He had the same eyes as Richard, almost. There was something different about them that I could not place.

"I'll go look." Richard excused herself and when she was safely gone, I was released from his hold.

"What do we do when she doesn't find me in her room?" How was I supposed to get out of that very confined bathroom without her noticing?

"She'll get distracted by the new book I put on her bed. Just run downstairs and say you used that one since someone was in this one." He readjusted his towel, which had begun to come undone, much like composure. Who was I kidding? My composure was nonexistent.