Dirty Little Lies by Cross Cassie

Author:Cross, Cassie [Cross, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2015-12-01T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

On the ride to Ben’s apartment, he held my hand and let me stare out the window. He didn’t press me for answers.

Now, we’re sitting across from each other at his dining room table, and I know the questions are going to be coming soon.

“I talked to the head of my security team,” he says quietly, even though I can hear the burning anger bleeding through his voice. “He’s coming over.”

I look up at him, and he must see the panic in my eyes.

“He’s going to be discreet, Marisa. We don’t have much time to nip this in the bud, but we’re going to, okay?”

I nod.

The envelope with the pictures sits on the table between us. I’ve been carrying it around with me, which I realize now wasn’t a smart move, but I didn’t want to leave them lying around where anyone could find them. I didn’t want to burn or shred them in case I decided to ask for some help with this; I figured there could be some identifying information on the envelope or photos.

Turns out that was the right decision.

“I was going to steal from you,” I blurt out.

I can actually hear the shocked intake of air as the reality of what I just said to Ben sinks in.

There’s a lump forming in my throat, and I have to look down at the table.

“I mean, I was going to try. I didn’t get very far, because what kind of person does that? What kind of person gets angry at someone for lying and cheating and all the things that you did to me back then, and then turns around and even considers doing the same things to you? Not the same things, obviously, but bad things. Things I stopped talking to my parents over.”

I hear Ben’s chair sliding across the wood floor before he stands up and walks over to my side of the table, taking the chair next to mine.

He puts his hand on my shoulder, and I shrug away from his touch so quickly, it’s almost as if he’s burned me.

“Don’t,” I say, my voice choked with emotion. “How can you even want to be near me?”

“Marisa-”

“I had lunch with Felicity today,” I begin, and Ben sits back, pressing his lips together. “I took her aside, and asked her how Corinne was doing. This whole thing with my parents has been hard on her at school, and I know she’s trying to protect me by keeping the worst of it to herself. Felicity went out there to visit her, and I just wanted to know how she was doing, you know? I thought Felicity would be comfortable telling me what Corinne isn’t.”

Ben’s looking at me with sympathetic eyes. “What did she say?”

“That she was fine, because she had someone setting a good example for her.” God, just replaying that conversation in my head makes my heart ache.

“You,” Ben says quietly.

“Yeah.” The tears are falling freely now, and when Ben slides his hand across my shoulders—back and forth—I take the comfort and don’t flinch from it.

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