Lie To Me

Lie To Me-Chapter 111

Harry was a bit quiet after his awkward, yet inherently sweet response to me. I'm not sure what he'd been planning to say, but given the surprised look on his face afterward, I assumed that wasn't it.

But, Harry was...well, Harry. And I knew him too well to be taken back by a seemingly random comment. Though it may not make sense to me, somehow it worked in his line of thought.

With my outfit finally complete, thanks to the earrings Harry had given me for Christmas last year, we let Max out back for a much needed bathroom break, and headed out the door.

Although he refused to share where we were going, and exactly who was going to be there, the ride to the party was comfortable. We laughed and joked our way there, teasing each other and singing along to oldies playing on the radio.

Faster than I'd expected, given the notoriety of LA traffic, we turned into a lavish neighborhood...and my jaw dropped. Mansions lined the streets, complete with gated driveways, large columns, and lush greenery.

My heart beat increased. Harry's home was beautiful, big, modern, yet classic at the same time. But each home we passed was at least twice the size of his...

"Whose house are we going to again?" I made my best attempt at a nonchalant question as I flipped the visor down, checking my makeup for the tenth time.

He laughed, shaking his head at me. "Nice try, Riley."

"Well, you have to tell me something! These houses are huge! It's obvious that whoever it is, they have money to throw around..."

Coming from a humble and frankly modest background, I always got nervous around people with a seemingly never-ending back account. Most of them flaunted their money, flashing it with pride, and looking down on those of us who didn't "fit in" with their lifestyle.

I'd lucked out with Harry, thankfully, and the boys too. Staying true to their own humble backgrounds, no matter how big their bank accounts were, they'd never made me feel like I was less of a person because I didn't have the money they did.

Unfortunately, I couldn't say that for everyone in the "business"...

Harry gave me a gentle smile, his hand coming down to rest reassuringly on my thigh. "You don't have to worry Riley. Although I can't speak for everyone in attendance today, most of these people are my friends. They're not going to judge you, or look down on you. They're just regular people with irregular jobs. And I guarantee they're going to love you, just as much as I do." He paused, pursing his lips, "Well, maybe not as much as I do..."

I covered his hand with my own, letting my fingers entwine with his as I took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Harry..."

Laughing a little, he shook his head. "Besides, Zach is half in love with you already, and all he's done is talk to you over the phone!"

I straightened in my seat as I turned to him, my eyes wide. "Zach?!? As in Zach Braff?!? We're going to Zach's house?!?"

"Dammit..."

Although Harry grumbled at himself for spilling his intel, I felt a giant weight lift from my shoulders.

Zach was one of the kindest people I'd ever...well, talked on the phone with, considering we'd had yet to meet in person. But, in the few conversations we'd had over the years, he'd been more than welcoming, funny, and just an overall great guy.

The overwhelming fears I'd been fighting since Harry found out about this cookout; whether or not his friends would approve of me, whether or not they would look down on me, calmed drastically. If the people here today were anything like Zach, I had little to worry about.

Turning a corner, Harry slowed and pulled in to a long circular driveway, parking behind what looked like a brand new Mercedes. "Well, as you guessed, thanks to my giant mouth, this is Zach's cookout. He..."

Interrupting him, I leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I love you, Harry. And your big mouth. Just so you know..."

With a smile, he shook his head at me, before pulling me in for a proper kiss.

"Uh huh..."

Note: Hello my beautiful readers!!! I know that this chapter may be a bit short, but it has been a crazy week for me!! But, I'm hoping all will be forgiven cause you'll be getting another update tomorrow! 😉 I love you all, and I hope you're having a great week!! ❤️