started with a lie ➳ raura revised

Chapter Twelve

  Ross's birthday bash is today. We returned to New York City a few days ago. Ross checked us into the same suite again. Overthe days, we didn't really speak. He always left for work and I watched television, went on my phone, or slept. I also didn'tmind calling in room service whenever I wanted, or the fact that the hotel has arcades and an indoor pool.

 I stare into the dresser mirror and comb through my hair. I notice some split ends forming. I need a trim soon, I think.

 I'm in a light red dress that goes up to my knee. It's tight up to my torso before it flows out. There are no sleeves.This is what I'm wearing to the birthday bash.

 I feel so insecure, though. Am I dressed too much or too little? I'm too scared to ask Ross. It feels like after he's been sonice to me at my house, he's back to his old self: the cold-hearted CEO of the hotel business. 

"Laura, are you ready?" Ross says through the door of my guest room. 

I jump startled, and regain my composure. I put the comb down. I hadn't done anything to my hair since it was behavingtoday, so I just let it sit. "Yes, I'm ready." 

Unlocking the door, I see Lee standing there in a dark gray suit holding an red tie. How'd he know I was wearingan red dress? I eye him weirdly. He just smirks. Yeah, definitely back to his old self, I think sadly. 

"You want to help me put this on, girlfriend?" Ross asks, holding the tie out to me. Now, I'm really confused. Is hemaking fun of me? Is this some kind of joke? I had already apologized about the last incident. 

"Can't you do it yourself?" I ask with a straight face.

 "Well, we're going to have to act like a couple later. Let's get in some practice now so we don't mess up. We wouldn'twant to get caught, right?" he says, the smirk never leaving his face.

 I snatch the tie out of his hand and wrap it around his neck, tight. Ross coughs and I let it go a little. I angrily fix the tieinto place. Why couldn't Ross just be nice? Why was he so bipolar that he couldn't act nice to me unless we were alone?

 When I'm almost done with the tie, I look up and freeze. Ross's staring down at me with the most intense look ever. Igasp. My hands freeze on his tie. His eyes look so... sincere. I realize I'm breathing hard now. What? I try to calm mybreathing but Ross's still staring at me and I don't know why but it's keeping me frozen into place. 

His hands go up and rest on my hands on his neck. It stays there for a moment and I'm so confused that my mind isblank. He moves my hands from him and says, "Are you done?"

 I snap back into reality and jump away. "Y-Yeah. I'm done." Without meeting his eyes, I go back into my room to grabmy coat and phone. When I'm about to reach my coat, I stop. What was that? It needs to stop. The awkward momentswhen we both just stay in place and this weird feeling is in the air. I don't like the feeling. 

Maybe I should confront Ross about it. But then I think maybe not. It's already so awkward between us after whathappened at my house.

 I shrug it off and head back into the hallway. I don't have time for silly imaginations. I don't want to give myself falsehope and just like Ross even more. It's time to put my feelings away. I nod and tell myself, you don't need him. You don'tneed anybody. 

Ross is waiting at the door for me. My heels kind of make me tall as Ross, but not so much. We head out of his suite andinto the elevator. 

It's tense. The air feels so thick that when the elevator opens again, I feel so relieved that I run out of theelevator.The party is at some famous hall that Ross told me about. I didn't really pay attention when he told me about it. There is a sleek, black car outside the hotel, which I think is for us. I hop into the backseat... only to find a stranger in it.