Believing lies

chapter 16

"have you told mum and dad?" Callahan yells from across from me as the loud club music surrounded us. I nod as I sip on my drink, which was now empty.

"what did they say?" my older brother asks.

"I mean I gave them the letter, they read it and I told them I love them," I shrug.

"Mom must've felt so weird at the fact she was reading your biological mom's letter," Mason yells back and I lift a shoulder, "do you know if she passed away?" he asks.

"I'm not sure, I mean I would like to know but," I shrug.

"We can probably figure something out, she didn't seem crazy in her letter," Callahan shrugs. I laugh.

"From her letter, I'm just finally glad she won't have to live unhappy because it seemed like after my bio dad died and her parents gave me away, she just seemed so broken,"

"I don't think I would handle it so calmly if my biological parents sent me a letter," Mason shrugs.

"Personally I think I needed it, I mean there was always a small voice in the back of my head that wanted to know why she gave me up, but I never wanted it to be such a tragic story,"

"I mean, it is what it is now so," Callahan shrugs and I nod, our conversation of the letter trails off as Celeste and River come back, bickering as always.

"Celeste, fine, I agree to disagree," River says as he sits down beside me after handing me my drink and Mason's.

"Oh you absolute wimp," Celeste mocks him.

"What was the topic that Celeste got you two bickering?" Callahan asks River. The male beside me surpasses his groan before propping his arm on the table in front of us.

"I'm not even gonna say because we're just gonna continue this argument," He shakes his head.

The table laughs, "you are a smart man," Celeste nods at me and he shrugs.

"no it's just no argument against you can be won," River says and Celeste winks at him. Celeste then turns to Mason, targeting her next victim. I remember when I got the call from Callahan an hour ago that Celeste and I should join the three of them at the club, I wasn't surprised when he invited us two, I was surprised when he told me they were with River.

When we walked into the club, all three men had ditched their suit jackets, their ties and rolled up their white shirt sleeves. I watch as River fiddles with the silver ring, something that both he and Stanley wore and I assumed it was a family thing.

"Don't you agree Bells?" Celeste asks me and I blink at my best friend, asking her what she was talking about. During my conversation with both Celeste and Mason, River throws his arm around my chair and pulls my seat closer to him and I lean into him.

Celeste has pointed out that despite whatever River and I were, whenever we were in the same place, we couldn't keep our hands off of each other. It was kinda bad.

I place my hands underneath my thighs, leaning forward towards the table, "are you okay?" River whispers into my ear. I turn to him a bit and nod. "no lying right?" he confirms.

"I'm okay," I say turning to him and smiling. He considers my statement and nods.

"Okay, I'm only asking because you look zoned out," He points out softly tilting his head down at me.

I shrug lightly, "I'm okay," I confirm.

"you'd tell me when you aren't right?" he asks, I nod.

"what would you do then?" I joke, shifting in my chair to face him now. I watch even under the dark lighting how his green eyes glance around my face before glancing at my lips, which I slowly roll my bottom lip underneath my teeth.