The Best Man's Speech

3: Covering Lies

✵ LYRA ✵

I woke up to the sore feeling in my core... all thanks to last night. Turning over to my side, I identified my surroundings to being part of my room. I sighed as I thought of last night and how we, James and I, had recklessly ruined our professional relationship.

Picking up my phone, I realised that it was ten in the morning and that it was a weekend. Luckily.
I lazily climbed out of bed and got myself ready for today: using the bathroom and doing my hair and making sure that I looked presentable. Despite my family and I being close, I still refused to walk around in my pyjamas and terribly styled hair... it was embarrassing. I could only get away with it if I was alone with my twin because I was used to his taunts. But mother would never allow me to appear as a disgusting looking being since it was not ladylike.

I had slid my pale legs into my denim short before wearing a plain white tee and a bomber jacket on top. I wore a simple golden bracelet to complete the look, the pandora bracelet that Mike had given me for my last birthday. Before leaving my room, I ensured that the curls in my hair were neat since Derin and Victoria were flying in for the weekend.

Climbing down the stairs, I could hear several voices talk aloud as I moved closer to the kitchen.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Derin said as he peppered me with kisses on my cheek.

"What are you doing here?" I abruptly asked him.

"We flew in for the wedding."Victoria answered for him.

"Now be nice you two." My mother warned Mike and I with a glare, before handing me a bowl of cereal as my breakfast.

Sitting down on the table, I quietly listened in to the conversation that my family was having without my dad - who was most likely to be in his study... as per usual on a Saturday morning. My father is a workaholic.

"I heard that you two geniuses helped out with Meia's wedding plans." Victoria proudly mentioned as she smiled away at us happily.

"It's the first time that these two came to an agreement since senior high." My brother jokingly declared. He was right though, Mike and I were both in charge of the homecoming committee and had to plan out our prom. We chose the unusual theme of frozen spring and mixed winter with floral landscapes to make it work. It was beautifully detailed and put together. It was unique.

"I see you're up." A familiar masculine voice had announced. I looked up to find James staring at me as he walked into the kitchen, behind my father. I gulped as a smirk had risen to his face. At work, he was my boss, but outside that, he'll always remain to be an acquaintance of my dad's.

"So, James dear, will you be attending Nathaniel and Meia's wedding?" My mother pried.

"Yes but my invitation came from Nathan's side." James answered. Did I forget to mention that Nate and James were best friends and my father met James through Nathan? Which is why he never noticed my sister running off with her fiancé at a business event as he was too busy discussing business with my boss.

"Oh." My whole family had said in unison, excluding Mike and I since we already knew that tiny detail.

"Lyra, honey, James told us why the both of you showed up late last night from work." My father mentioned. I immediately gulped before I looked up at my brothers who wore smug faces that made me want to label them as perverts.

"Ummm..." I didn't know what to say.

"We were indeed running over the meeting notes and went through a list of possible loyalties." James explained as I nodded in approval to my dad. Derin immediately leaned over my shoulder and whispered sarcastically, "Yeah right."

"He also explained to me that the reason he stayed over was to discuss with me of how he could change the boards' mind." My father further added.

"You stayed over?" I asked the criminal of a man whom I had to call boss. He simply nodded in reply. I looked away as everyone settled by the table and ate breakfast. Despite the silence, I could feel James' hand rub against the exposed skin of my thigh.

"Lyra, why are there birth control pills in your room?" My mother interrogated as she sipped her cup of coffee.

Everyone but my mother seemed shock by her words. "Mother can we not do this now?" Michael pleaded as James removed his hand from me.

"Why?" My mother decided to ask.

"Because we have guests." My father responded, clearly embarrassed by my mother's harassment of me.

She excused him, "James is like family. So it's fine." Yeah if you want to call me an incestuous child or are trying to imply that now I have to marry him for having sex with him.

"Mother..." I started off.

"Are you on birth control? Who are you seeing? Are you having sex?" The questions kept flowing out of her mouth as I sat still, annoyed and embarrassed to have to go through this. She looked completely disgusted at me as she waited for me to answer her.
My mother always wanted to raise holy children, she always wanted us to not have sex until marriage. But we all did have sex before marriage. My father, on the other hand, suspected us of it but never said anything about it. He made it clear to us that it was only his concern if we picked up a disease or were expecting a child and fucked up really bad. No pun intended.

"Tell me." Mother ordered. I sighed and looked at my siblings and rolled my eyes at the situation when I realised that I was stuck on my own.

"I'm not seeing anyone." I answered, my voice was calm yet quiet. I sighed when James squeezed my mid thigh to assure me that he was there for me.

"Then?" My mother abruptly interrogated.

I looked at James as he began to speak,"I asked her to always have one in her in case. When she was hired, I asked her to."

"Are you both sleeping together?" My mother asked, looking at the both of us in a disgusted and angry manner.