cover by @JaelynnMoore
𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥
It's so much easier to spread lies about people than it is to spread the truth. That's what Gabriel knows to be true, at least. According to everyone in his town, he's a monster. He doesn't deserve to be walkin...
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The bar we meet Kiara at is on the waterfront. It's a Friday night, so it's decently full. The TVs placed at convenient viewing points on the walls are all playing the Seattle Mariners game.
Kiara flags us down from a table by the window.
She's absolutely beaming, and I can't help but return her infectious smile. "Ly!" She wraps me in a warm hug.
My best friend is a bombshell. Freckles dot her olive skin, concentrating most on her nose and cheeks. Her spiral-like curls are free and bouncy tonight. She usually has her hair up and out of her face.
"Hi, Ki," I laugh a little, because she's squeezing the breath out of me.
We giggle and jump and hug again. We haven't seen each other in person since her wedding, which was two years ago. We've talked to each other every day, multiple times a day since then, but it's good to see her in the flesh.
We met in college. She was my roommate. I always had trouble making friends, but it was easy with Kiara. She was friends with everyone. I was lucky enough to call her my best friend.
"How was your trip?" She leads me back over to the table, where her husband, Michael is waiting.
Michael makes all his money streaming himself playing video games, but you'd never know it. He looks more like a surfer instead of a raging geek. Wind-swept blond hair, a jawline sculpted from the Gods – he's handsome for all intents and purposes.
"It was good – hey, Michael," He gives me a hug as well, squeezing my shoulders when we part.
"You good?" He asks, lowly, studying me with deep blue eyes.
I take a breath. I had known Michael longer than anyone. He was my dork of a neighbor growing up, then he became my dork of a lab partner in college (we both got our degrees in nursing, so he was my go-to study buddy). I introduced him to Kiara and now he's her dork of a husband.
He's always looked out for me, though. He likes to call himself my brother from another mother, and I guess it's true. He's the only person I told why I was leaving home, and that was just because if anything happened to me, I wanted one person to know the truth.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"You sure?"
"Michael." I deadpan.
"You let me know, alright? I'll handle it."
I snort out a laugh. Michael "handling" anything was hilarious. The man couldn't throw a punch to save his life.
"I'm okay," I smile at him. "What are you doing here, anyway? Thought it was girls' night."
He nudges me. "Excuse me for wanting to see my best friend." He jabs a finger at Kiara, "She was my best friend, first. I can steal her back at any time."
