What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

2.11: sephine

I step into my place next to Hayes, looping my arm through his, much to Mr. Benson's displeasure. "I think it would be best if you go."

His eyebrows raise surprised that I would say something back to him, but he folds his jacket over his arm and purses his lips. "Everyone has their price, Ms. Montgomery. Please call me when you decide upon yours. I'll see you at the gala next week, and please mind the company you keep."

Hayes is as tense as a snake ready to strike but nods and steps out of the doorway to let his dad leave. Even after his dad is gone, he still doesn't relax, and I feel as if I'm intruding on an incredibly personal moment.

"Are you alright?" He asks, pulling away from me to walk into the living room where I had been sitting trying to concentrate on the book in my hands.

He disappears for a few minutes and I sit back on the couch to wait for Hayes to come back. He's changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, but he still wears a gloomy look across his face.

"Yeah? I'm fine," I say, and he nods, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"How much did he offer you?" Hayes bluntly asks, staring at me.

I shrug, "It doesn't matter, I wasn't going to take it. I'm not in this for the money. I'm just trying to help a friend out."

"I don't know if I've said it, but I'm glad that we're friends. I appreciate everything you're doing a lot, especially after what happened between us." He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, and I smile faintly.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but your dad is kind of an asshole."

Hayes throws his head back, laughing, "God, you have no idea."

I chuckle before I glance down at my hand and see his mom's ring. "Uh here, you should probably keep this. I don't want to lose it or mess it up or something," I slip the ring off my finger and offer it to him, but Hayes shakes his head, refusing to take it.

"You're not going to lose it, besides you need a ring to make this believable."

I huff still holding the ring out to him, "It's your mother's Hayes. I can't take it. You should save it for someone you're actually going to marry."

Hayes rolls his eyes, "Just keep the ring Sephine," He gets up off the chair but then looks back at me, "do you want to get pizza with me?"

I smile at him, "Is it the same place we went to last time."

He scoffs, "As if I can go anywhere else after eating it for so long."

*********

"You look absolutely nothing like how I pictured you," Grayson blurts out in between pieces of pizza.

"How so?"

He tilts his head to the side to get a different angle, "I'm not sure. I guess I just didn't expect someone so pretty to date Hayes," He teases, and Hayes rolls his eyes, continuing to eat his slice. "How did your dad take it?" Grayson asks Hayes who tenses.

"Just about as well as you probably think he took it."

Grayson grimaces, "Like are we talking not speaking angry or trying to buy the problem and make them disappear." He then realizes the error in what he said and glances at me, "I mean not that you're a problem Sephine."

"Grayson, you're fine. It was the second one," I say right before taking a bite of my breadstick.

He whistles, "Damn, and you're still here? You're already better than Hayes last ex!" He offers a high five over the food, and I tentatively hit his hand confused, but he shrugs me off. "We have time to work on that, but his last girlfriend took the money. Yet, I don't think she was offered quite as much as what I can picture was offered to you."

"Hello? I'm right here," Hayes reminds us, and I try to hide my laugh by taking a drink.

"Don't even try to pretend that she wasn't a bitch after your money." Grayson throws out, and I have to say that I think Grayson and I will get along quite well. I think Hayes is starting to realize the same thing, and that it was a bad idea to introduce us.

"If you think that girl was bad, you have no idea how bad Tessa was," I snort, and Grayson nods.

"I've never had the pleasure of meeting her, but I've certainly heard stories; when Hayes told me what happened in high school, I first thought he was just screwing with me. God, I'm so glad I never lived in DC. People from there are terrible." He grimaces, and I agree with him because it's quite funny to see Hayes's demeanor change out of the corner of my eye.

"You have no idea. They're complete and total nightmares." I continue, and Hayes just ignores us.

There's a gleam in Grayson's eye that I catch onto and do the subtlest of nods telling him to continue. "I think you forgot arrogant, selfish, needy, and downright ugly."

"You two are terrible. I should never have introduced you guys until I had to," Hayes cracks, trying to keep the smile from showing on his face.

"Teamwork makes the dreamwork," Grayson smirks, offering up his hand for another high five, but I make no movement to meet him fifty-fifty.

"That was so lame that I'm going to have to leave you hanging." I tease, and his jaw drops.

"But why not?"

Grayson frowns, and Hayes sighs, "Bud, just let it go and eat your pizza."

"I've eaten more pizza than you; I just hope you know that you're buying," he cheekily smiles, stuffing his face with more pizza.

"When do I not buy?" Hayes questions sarcastically, and I can't help but snort at that because I can see him getting stuck with the bill every time.

His phone buzzes on the table, and I can see the name Sutton on the screen. Hayes sighs tiredly, "Sorry, I have to take this."

Five minutes later, I was unsubtly watching him stand in the corner of the restaurant talking on the phone to Sutton, and Grayson reclines in his chair. "Nothing is going on between them. They ended a few years ago," I look at him with surprise, "If you were wondering that is."

I tuck my hair behind my ear and force myself not to look at him, "I wasn't."

"Can I ask you a question?"

I watch Grayson's face trying to read it, but either I've gotten horrible at doing it, or people have gotten a lot better at hiding their emotions. "I think you just did," I point out.

"Why are you helping Hayes? I mean, yeah, you get to live in the penthouse, and ride in the fancy cars. But you don't seem to care about any of that."

It feels as if the words have gotten stuck in my throat, but it allows me to think before my words come out when I can't help but look at Hayes. "Because he's a good person in a shitty situation, and I know how it feels not to have any help. It's not like I have anything else going on right now."

He nods, seeming to like my answer, "Do you mind if I ask another one? You don't have to answer this; I just figured that since you're here, I might as well ask."

"Go for it," I have no idea what he's going to ask.

"Do you regret leaving him?"

I look away from Hayes, who looks over to where Grayson and I sit smiling faintly at me. I smile back before looking at Grayson. "No matter how much it hurt, I don't regret leaving. I wasn't in any shape to be in a relationship with anyone. We both needed time to heal. It was the right thing to do."