Tell Me Lies

Secrets and Lies

Aiyana's voice carried on, bright and full of excitement, but I could barely hear her. Every second I sat there, exchanging polite smiles and nods, felt like an eternity. My mind was buzzing, a thousand questions swirling around with no answers.

How could Omari be with Aiyana? How could I stand here, caught between my best friend and the man I once loved?

I had to snap out of it.

"So, Zaire, what have you been up to all this time?" Aiyana's voice cut through the fog, her eyes wide with genuine curiosity. "I feel like we haven't really caught up yet."

I blinked, pulling myself back into the present. "Oh, you know, just working and keeping busy," I said, offering a small smile that I hoped didn't look as forced as it felt. "Same old, same old."

Aiyana laughed, shaking her head. "Always so modest. You've probably been doing something amazing, knowing you."

"Not really," I said, glancing at Omari again. His expression was unreadable, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he stood beside her. "Just... living."

"I get that," she said, nodding as if she understood. "Life has a way of pulling us in all directions, huh?"

"Yeah," I agreed, my voice a little too tight. If only you knew.

Aiyana reached out, grabbing my hand with a grin. "We have so much catching up to do. I was thinking we could hang out tonight. You, me, and Omari—like old times, well, sort of. It'll be fun!"

Fun. The word echoed in my mind, but I couldn't quite imagine what fun would look like when I'd have to sit across from the two of them. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, trying to figure out how to respond. The last thing I wanted was to be a third wheel, especially with *him*.

But how could I say no to Aiyana?

Before I could answer, Omari spoke up, his voice low but steady. "Actually, Aiyana, I have to check in with the studio tonight. Some last-minute work stuff came up."

Aiyana frowned, clearly disappointed. "Aw, really? I thought you were free tonight."

He glanced at her, his lips twitching into a small apologetic smile. "Yeah, I'm sorry. But you two should catch up. I don't want to intrude."

I almost let out a sigh of relief. The tension between us was thick, and I wasn't sure how long I could keep up the act if we had to spend more time together.

Aiyana pouted but then turned to me with that same radiant smile. "Well, in that case, it'll just be us girls. Like old times! We can grab some dinner and talk all night. How does that sound?"

I nodded quickly, grateful for the reprieve. "That sounds perfect."

"Great! I've missed this so much," she said, pulling me into another quick hug. "Just you and me. We'll make it a girls' night."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Omari looking at me, his gaze lingering for a moment too long. There was something in his eyes, something that hinted at the past we shared, but I didn't know what to make of it. Was it guilt? Or something else entirely?

Before I could decipher it, Aiyana was already pulling me toward the door, talking about her plans for the evening. Omari's presence hung in the air, even as we walked away, and I could feel the weight of his gaze on my back until we disappeared around the corner.

Once we were outside, I exhaled, the cool evening air hitting my skin like a sudden reality check. I had to get it together. This was Aiyana, my best friend—the person who had been there for me through everything. I couldn't let my feelings for Omari mess that up.