Lies for Truth

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

For the next two days Ariana learned to masterfully dodge Jax, she wasn’t even going to school with him anymore. She got Jolene to pick her up. She couldn’t forget her mother’s words and face as they spoke that day in her room, there was no way she could be with Jax again, not at the expense of her mother.

It was Saturday and she had that date with Charlie. She couldn’t wait for it to be over. Most of the morning she hid out in her room until her stomach demanded she give it food. She went down to the kitchen and thankfully it was empty. She was in the process of making a sandwich when he came up.

“I heard footsteps.” Jax explained. “Julie’s at her friend’s, Dad and Mary went to the store a few minutes ago.”

“So that left me.” she kept her eyes down on her bread and focused on putting mayo on it.

“Yes you.” he didn’t sound happy about that. “You haven’t spoken to me in days and when we sit to have dinner you mange to look everywhere but at me.” he was angry and moved forward to stand behind her.

“It’s easier that way.”

He grabbed her wrist and turned her to face him. “For who?”

Her back was against the counter and she had nowhere to go to escape the blue of his eyes. “Jax, please just leave it alone.”

“It hurts, don’t you get that? I miss you and I hate this.” he said through gritted teeth.

She saw the pain across his face and hated it too. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Stop doing this to me, stop pushing me away.”

“It’s better this way! You have to move on, you have to forget.” The tears ran down her cheeks, she didn’t want to do this but she had to.

“Are you? Do you forget?” he asked even knowing the answers were no.

“Jax, let me go.” She meant that in so many ways.

He stepped back and walked away. Ariana sank to the floor and cried. She allowed herself a few minutes to mourn and have regrets. When she regained her footing she went back to her room and locked herself inside.

When it was time for her date she climbed out of bed and made herself go through with it. She had to do this and keep her end of the deal. Jax was upset with her but she was still willing to do whatever it took to protect him.

After she was ready she went downstairs to find her mom. She was in the kitchen along with Mitch and Jax. She kept her eyes away from him. “Can I barrow the car?”

“Sure sweetie, where are you going?”

“I’m meeting someone.”

“Well then have fun.”

Ariana met Charlie at the restaurant and wished he would’ve picked something less intimate. The tables were outside with flowers and candle light everywhere she looked. She glanced down and decided her dress was formal enough for the setting. It wasn’t like it was a real date anyway. The hostess walked over to the table Charlie sat waiting at. “Couldn’t you have picked something less…?”

“Romantic?” his grin was cheeky.

“No, I was going to say fancy. There is nothing romantic about being forced into a date but then again you like forcing yourself on me.” the words were swimming around her head needing to be said. It was long time she fought back and defended herself.

His smile and all humor were quickly washed off his face. “I’m sorry about that.”

“I don’t believe you.” She said around a clenched jaw. She didn’t like to remember what happened and yet at the same time she couldn’t forget.

“I was in a really bad place and I was looking to take it out on someone. I am truly sorry that someone was you.” He whispered.

Looking into his eyes she saw no hints of a joke or some other hidden meaning behind his words. For the first time she had known him she believed he was being honest. “What happened to put you in a bad place?” she’d never forgive him but they had some time to kill and she was genuinely curious.

“Would it really matter if you knew my parents liked to slap each other around and I sometimes get caught in the middle? Or that I’m not all here?” he tapped the side of his head. “I didn’t think so. You look really nice.”

His quick change in subjects happened so fast she didn’t realize it until she replayed his words. “Stop it. I asked didn’t I? So yes I wanted the answer. I rather you be honest with me then show me this fake playboy.”

The smile he used now looked real. “Most people like that guy.”

“I don’t.” She wasn’t scared of him as she had been the days before, but she was highly uncomfortable with this turn of events. She started to feel something for Charlie the person after seeing there was something real and painful behind the mask he put forward with his eyes.

“I was being honest, you do look really pretty.”

The compliment only worsened her discomfort. She didn’t like lies, especially ones told at her expense. “You don’t have to bother with this, I’m here and you’ll win your stupid bet.”

He opened his mouth to say something only to be silenced by the waiter coming to take their order.

Ariana was hungry and since he was paying she decided to at least get a good meal out of the whole ordeal. She hadn’t eaten all day, after that run in with Jax she lost her hunger and stayed in her room for the rest of the day to avoid him.

“Not a salad girl, huh?” Charlie commented.

She fidgeted with the cloth napkin on the table to avoid looking at him. “There are no salad girls, just girls that lie about being hungry.”

He chuckled. “You’re not as shy as I thought you’d be either.”

Ariana knew what he meant, normally she’d stay quiet unless spoken to and even then she kept her answers short unless she was mad. She was learning to stop hiding behind the shadows. That had a lot to do with Jax and the confidence he gave her. “You’re not what I expected tonight either.”

“Is that a good thing?” he sounded almost hopeful and it was lacking his usual cockiness.

She glanced up toward his face. “I don’t know yet. Let’s get this night over with.”

“You agreed to a date with me, my dates don’t end at dinner.”

Now she met his eyes and narrowed her own. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing you’d consider too bad. Just wait and see.”

AN: Thanks so much for reading, please check out my other werewolf story called Deceptions.