Started With a Lie

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

“I swear to god, if you take that piece of cake, I will end you, Mark Welch!”

    “Woof! Come get me, Flores!” Mark yells back to Brent, holding up a fork as if to say ‘back off, I have a weapon’ even though it is just a plastic fork.

    “Don’t you dare!” Brent yells.

    “Watch. Me.” Mark stabs the last piece of the chocolate cake and puts it into his mouth. The piece is two times bigger than his mouth and it flows out of his mouth in a horrendous way. But it’s funny so I giggle.

    “You find this stuff funny?” Lee says from my side. He’s completely looking away from Mark, disgusted. Lee sighs. “That boy has no table manners, I swear.”

    “I can hear you, Richardson,” Mark says, glaring at him. Cake is still smeared over his mouth and is dropping out of his mouth. It’s hilarious and I smile. Ever since Brent came home, Mark’s been wild and looser. I like that he’s able to be himself around us. I wish Lee could do the same. Even though out on the porch he was himself, I wish he could be more open around other people too.

    “I’m still going to kill you!” Brent yells in rage and tackles Mark, who is still messy with cake all over his shirt now. “You can’t just steal the last cake piece that I bought!”

    I double over laughing, grabbing my stomach. I look to see if Lee finds this funny and when I do, he has this intense look. He’s looking at me in this strange way. It feels like I’m going to throw up—the good kind of throwing up. Well, there’s no good way of throwing up but it feels like something warm is tickling the inside of my stomach. Lee just smiles with teeth and it’s so genuine and I haven’t seen it in so long that I find myself smiling back wide.

    While Mark and Brent tackle each other, Lee slyly reaches for my hand under the table. He rubs the back of my hand, tracing lines. It drives me nuts. Even after kissing for some time on the porch outside, I still can’t get enough. Our twenty four hours begins now. Hours filled with endless kisses and hugs and no worries.

    Just for a day though.

    “I’m going to get washed up,” Mark says. I turn away from Lee and I’s hands and up at Mark. The playful demeanor is gone and he’s staring at Lee’s hand over mine. His eyebrows are drawn and he looks hurt. I don’t want to hurt Mark but I can’t let him think he has a chance with me and then be with Lee too. I need to tell him straight out that I like Lee—love him even.

    “I’ll help,” I say, getting up. There’s no better chance to tell him that I’m kind-of-sort-of with Lee at the moment. Lee gives me a worried look and I smile to let him know I’m not going to do anything crazy.

    Mark walks down to the bathroom down the hall and turns on the faucet silently. He takes off his shirt and puts it under the water. Normally, I would totally be swooning over his killer body but I feel like not even Channing Tatum would be as appealing to me anymore now that I know Lee actually has some sort of feelings for me. He hasn’t told me clearly enough how he feels for me, but the kisses say enough.

    “What’re you smiling about?” Mark asks.

    I realize I must look like an idiot, smiling at the ground. “Oh, hm? Nothing, nothing. Do you need help washing your shirt?”

    “No, it’s okay.” He smiles but it doesn’t reach his entire face. “Can you just hand me some soap? Or do you have a washing machine?”

    “Yeah, it’s next door.” I take his shirt. “You wash up, I’ll go put it in.”

    Mark nods, but his eyes are bothered. I still need to talk to him.