Can't Help Falling

06| Lies

I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on, I can't believe you.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

-:-

Atlas and I have been exchanging a few conversations every now and then through the school. We barely had any classes together besides Social Studies.

Grant and I however had gotten closer, and we'd spend most of our time after school with each other when we didn't have work. Though today wasn't one of those days, the restaurant had been busy today since it was a Friday.

"Hey, Catie, could you call anyone if they're available to take an extra shift? We might need more hands." Catie nodded her head, stepping into the kitchen.

She soon came back after a few minutes, "Kingsley said he could take one."

I nodded my head. I realized I hadn't met Grant's brother yet. Clarke was the one in charge of assigning shifts and I guess he didn't let mine be with him.

The waiting area was packed tonight and we were short on staff with preparing the food. I was thankful when I caught a glimpse of car lights pulling up at the employee parking lot.

I looked back down at the list we had waiting, not checking who'd open the door.

"Hey, I'm here for my shift." An oh-so-familiar voice called out in heaving breaths.

I paled, looking up to see Atlas dressed in uniform,

"You're Grant's-" His eyes widened, and I shook my head, "Explain it to me afterward, just stay here and bring people to a clean table. The Moreau's have been here a while so seat them first." He nodded as I gave him the checkboard and rushed to the kitchen.

I tried to get my mind off of his presence the whole night, though every now and then I'd look back up and see his healing face help out.

The night moved by fast now, Catie managed to convince more people to take extra shifts, and soon, it was closing time.

I waved off everyone a goodbye, finishing the clean-up until the sound of footsteps walking toward me.

I already knew who it'd been, "When were you going to tell me you were a Kingsley?"

"Half. We share the same dad, and you know about my relationship with him."I looked up at him, keeping my mouth shut as he continued,

He always told me his dad was a deadbeat.

"I kept my Mom's last name because I didn't want to be associated with him. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to think of me differently."

My mind went blank, It felt as though everything I'd known had been a lie. I knew he kept things from me, but I never knew it would be like this. I wondered what else he kept from me. I had numerous questions lined up for him, so many that I'd piled up from the years before, though right now, only one seemed important.

"Why'd you leave?"

He stilled, causing me to continue, "You were evicted from your old house yet you could've stayed with your dad, stayed with me." I felt my eyes begin to water from my voice cracking at the last words.

"It's--"

"Complicated?" I interrupted him, "You don't have to tell me every waking detail of reasons, but the least you could've done was given me an explanation before. I was your fucking girlfriend, Atlas. That was the least you could've done."