Tell Me a Million Lies

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Present

Senior Year

            I slumped down onto the floor as a tears fell down my cheeks. This was a sign of weakness, something I had promised myself not to do since the day of the incident. I closed my eyes trying to block out all the noises, but all I can hear is the laughs, the words: those haunting words that I can’t forget when I discovered them. When I discovered the position they were in; how they were tangle up on the glass table.

            I rushed out the doors as I felt the tears flooded in my eyes. How could they do this to me? I trusted them.

            Hailey Kendrick.

            Her name was ringing in my ear consistently. “Shut up, just shut up,” I shouted into the empty streets as I covered my hands over my ears. I didn’t want to hear her name; I didn’t want hear her voice; I didn’t want to see her, but I couldn’t get the image out of my head. The way how they were tangled together; the way their lips were connected when I walked into them.  

            I couldn’t.

            I sank down to the floor again as I begged for mercy.

            My whole body was shaking uncontrollably as the whole thing was replayed in my head over and over again torturing me each time. My heart felt hallow and ached at the same time. The world was collapsing down on me as I sobbed in the middle of the campus not caring if people saw me like this. I had more worries than that.

                                                                        ***

            “Hey I think I left my bag of gym clothes at your house,” Hailey said searching frantically. “Why don’t you go to Kieran’s first? I’ll catch up with you once I get my clothes.”

            “Do you want me to go with you,” I offered, but she went frigid and shook her head.

            “No, no, it’s fine,” she said quickly, almost too quickly and excited. “Um, maybe you can give me your keys. I don’t want Kieran to get piss off for keeping you with me for too long.”

            I blushed at her statement and gave her a playful punch. “You just had to say that right,” I said and reached for my keys in my bag. “Here. Just hurry up.”

            She grabbed my keys. “Be safe,” she warned before sprinting back to my house. Well isn’t she enthusiastic to get her gym clothes? I resumed walking down the street when I suddenly remembered that earlier before I had placed her bag of gym clothes into my bag. Opening my backpack, I dangled her bag in front of me.

            “Ugh,” I groaned. How can I forget? I turned around, but she was already gone. Sighing, I walked back to my house and was about to ring the doorbell when I found the door to be unlocked. “Hello,” I called out to the empty house. I headed down the corridor searching for any signs of Hailey, but there was none.

            Reaching to the stairs, I was about to head up when I suddenly heard moans. “Oh God,” I murmured as it got louder. “Parents these days.” I covered my ears with my hands as my eyes trailed to the half closed door where the moans were coming from. Stepping away from the room, my eyes landed on the leather bag sitting on the floor.

            Hailey’s bag.

            No, it can’t be.

            I rubbed my hand over my face and when I looked up again, Hailey’s bag was still there. I backed up against the wall as my shaking hand reached for my phone. Pressing send, I held it up to my ear.

            The Barbie girl song blasted from the room and my mouth dropped open with tears falling uncontrollably down my cheeks. It was my song; my dare for Hailey to put that ringtone on her phone for one month. “My phone’s ringing,” I heard her say as she suddenly grasped. “Henry.”

            I took a step closer standing directly in front of the door now. With my last strength, I took in a deep breath and slowly pushed the door opened. My phone slipped out of my hand landing on the floor with a thump and immediately Hailey and my dad turned around shock filled across their faces.

            I placed my hand over my mouth as sobs came out. “Cassie,” my dad said slipping back into his shirt. Hailey jumped off the glass table in only her bra and underwear as she reached for me, but I quickly pulled away glancing from my dad to her.

            “Why,” I whispered not sure who that question was meant for. But I only wanted answers. “Why? Just tell me why?”

            There was a pained expression on dad’s face as he punched the wall in anger. “Cassie, hear me out,” Hailey said tears filling in her eyes.

            “Shut up,” I shouted. “Just shut the fuck up.” And with that I grabbed my bag off the floor and ran out the house. I could hear dad shouting after me, but I ignored him. I trusted them. They were the closest people I ever had and they betrayed me.

            All they did was tell me a million lies.

                                                                        ***

            I didn’t know when he stood in front of me, but he wrapped his arms around me and tugged me to his chest. “It’s alright,” Troy whispered in my ear. I buried my face into his neck and inhaled his woody, musky, masculine scent.

            “Everything is going to be alright. I promise you.”