Started With a Lie

Chapter Twenty One

            “Ivory!” he shouts. “God damn it, are you even listening?”

            “Be gentle, Lee,” Madam Jin warns.

            Lee widens his eyes, like he forgot she was there. “Oh sorry, Madam Jin. Of course.” He chuckles. “We’re just playing around.” He throws his whisk in the bowl and wraps his empty hand around my shoulder. “Just a little couple game we play.”

            Madam Jin smiles. “Ah, young love.” She turns and goes to help Mark.

            Lee leans in – close enough to smell his filthy rich cologne – and whispers in my ear, “Thanks for ditching me with Mark. And you could at least listen when I’m talking to you. Rude.”

            “I’m rude?” I back away and glare at him, crossing my arms.

            “Yes, you—” he gets the whisk and points it at me, “—are rude.”

            “You’re getting the mix on my shoes, you prude!”

            “You were already messy anyways!”

            I hear footsteps and Madam Jin is back. “Is everything okay here?” she asks. She crosses her arms and I have to stifle a laugh because in all the pink attire she’s in, she looks like a circus clown.

            “Everything’s great!” Lee answers for the both of us. He wraps his arm around my shoulder again. I want to rip it off, despite the small tingles it’s creating. I feel something on my cheek. I gasp. Lee is kissing my cheek. “See? We’re just having a couple’s quarrel, Madam Jin.”

            She chuckles. “Okay, kids. Don’t have too much fun.” With that, she leaves again. I can hear her shuffling away in the pig slippers. Until I feel the distance is enough, I don’t speak. Lee stays still.

            I roughly shrug Lee’s hand off my shoulder and face him. “What the hell was that?” I ask. I seem to always be crossing my arms when I’m with Lee.

            “What?”

            “Oh don’t you act all dumb on me, you idiot!” I stab his chest with my index finger. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” His confused face makes me want to rip it off too and give it to a hungry zombie to eat. “You know….” I don’t want to say it out loud. It would be weird.

               But Lee’s face drives me off the edge.

                 “The kiss!” I yell. I shove his chest. “The kiss, damn you!”

               “What kiss?” he says, mixing his batch casually. I’m so close to throwing him out the window and into the cold night. “Oh! That kiss? That little peck? That’s barely a kiss. That was merely even two faces touching.”

                “Shut up!”

                “I mean we’ve kissed before. Now those were—”

                I give an aggravated groan before I march into the kitchen. I can’t stand even breathing the same oxygen as him. He drives me nuts but it’s so weird how much I feel for him – wait, not that I do or anything. Not anymore at least. In the kitchen, it’s a mess. Plates and dishes scattered everywhere.

                   “Mark!” He’s standing next to the stove, holding a bowl and whisk and slowly mixing it. He was wearing a floral apron and had flour all over his nose. Mark’s eyes were trained on a page in the cookbook Mom kept in case she ever wanted to make something different once in a while.

               “Yes, love?” he grins.

               Of course, him and Lee would act so frickin’ casual making such a big mess everywhere – when it isn’t even their own house!

             I rub my temples. I keep my voice calm. “What—what are you doing, Mark?” I ask, a sigh escaping my mouth. Lee steps back into the kitchen. I ignore his presence all together.

             “Making pancakes, of course!”

                 “Pancakes?” Just perfect.

                “His idea,” Lee says, an annoyed tone in his words.

                   “Mark,” I say slowly, “why are you making pancakes so late at night? What about dinner? Why are you making such a big mess for pancakes? And where is Madam Jin anyways?” In the entire mess, I had not seen her anywhere. I mean, she’s wearing pink – you couldn’t miss that.

               “The bathroom,” Mark answers as he returns reading the cookbook and mixing his batter. “I hope these taste good. I’m making them chocolate chip.” He puts his batter down on the counter and takes a bag of chocolate chips. Mark puts some in his hand and walks over to me.

               “What are you doing?” I ask, backing away slightly.

                 “Shh,” Mark cuts me off. He brings his finger to my lips – a single chocolate chip lay perfectly on it. “Try it.”

                   “It’s fine.” No way in hell when Lee's just standing there drilling a hole in my head. 

                  “Open your mouth.”

                    “No.”

                        “Do it.”

             “No—” He shoves the chocolate chip in my mouth and I “accidentally” bite his finger. My cheeks are red from Mark’s proximity. The chocolate melts on my tongue and I don’t know how hungry I am until I find my stomach growling for more.

               “How is it?” Mark smirks.

                    I look away. “It’s alright.”

                I feel my wrist being grabbed. Looking up, I find Lee holding it. “We need to talk.” Mark gives a suspicious look before Lee drags me to the living room. He looks around, like it’s not the right place. Suddenly, we’re off again as he drags me off to a door – Mom’s studio – and pulls me inside. I have a bad feeling about what he wants to talk about for many reasons.

        First, it’s dark. Second, we’re alone. Third, Lee is Lee. Did I mention I’m alone with him?

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Oh my god. This has to be the longest I've ever not uploaded. I'm sorry. I just finished all my exams. Finals, included. I don't think I did good, considering I got a C in English and Spanish. . . Yeah that's not good. But it's okay. At least I got to whip up this chapter. I know you've been waiting forever. And thank you so much for the endless support and messages. They really make my bad days (which are, like, everyday). 

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 -- I also want to thank TeeSheer for the lovely banner.