Lie To Me

Lie To Me-Chapter 115

As we got back to the table, taking our places, David handed me the ball. "Hey, you okay?" For looking like someone that could take a grown man apart with one hand, he really was a sweet guy...

I gave him a soft smile in response, "I'm not entirely, but I'll get there."

"Well, if it means anything, she's got nothing on you... Looks mean nothing if you have an ugly heart, and from what I've heard..." He gestured Harry's way, "Straight from the horse's mouth, you my dear, have the most beautiful heart."

Not knowing just what to say, I turned and gave him a hug. I never would have thought that a pep-talk from a 300 pound motorcycle mechanic would be just what I needed to get my head back on straight, but it was working wonders. Well, the pep-talk, Harry's kiss, and the fact that Ari was currently pouting on the sidelines instead of hanging all over my boyfriend...

But, needless to say, I was back in the game!

Harry may have been up two points to one when we started up again, but after my second serve, I was able to quickly pull ahead. With the crowd around us cheering, joking, and talking smack, he tossed the ball back to me. "This is it, Riley... It all comes down to one ball... One round... Do you think you have what it takes?"

Though I still wasn't entirely happy with him, I couldn't help but play along with his cheerfulness, laughing in the face of his challenge.

"I have more than what it takes..."

His returned smile was cut short as an all too irritating, and all too familiar voice chimed in. "Yeah, you do have more. Probably enough for two people..."

I could literally feel the irritation as the crowd collectively turned Ari's way, mumbling various comebacks and insults. And for the first time in a very long time, I heard real anger in Harry's voice. "Are you kidding me?!? You're a real piece of work, Ari, do you know that? Do you think that makes you special? To insult other people? To try to bring them down?"

She just stood there, shocked and speechless as he confronted her on my behalf.

"Harry..."

Turning his attention to me, his eyes instantly softened. "Riley, I..."

I shook my head at him. "It's okay. Can we just get back to the game, please?"

Though he looked at me warily, given how calm I was, he nodded his head in understanding and took his stance.

Honestly, Harry was right to be a little concerned. I shouldn't be calm; I should be jumping across the table, tearing out her hair. My blood should be boiling like it had been earlier...

But this was different. Having some tall, skinny bitch go after my man right in front of me was one thing. I didn't quite know how to react, how to handle it. Being insulted and bullied? That, I'd experienced many times before. That, I could handle.

And I knew exactly how I was going to do just that...

With a smile planted firmly on my face, I tossed up the ball, starting off the last set of our game. Among the cheering of the crowd, we played, bouncing the ball back and forth. At one point, Harry nearly tied the score, but hitting the ball with the very tip of my paddle, I sent it back to him.

And he missed...

David announced my win and the crowd roared, some cheering in victory, some groaning in defeat. Jill came running over, grabbing me up in a congratulatory hug, and Zach gave me a high five, calling me a "true competitor."

Heading back from retrieving the ball, even Harry smiled at my success. "Congratulations, baby."

But, the celebration didn't last very long as Ari approached him to take the ball. "My turn!" She turned to face me at the opposite end of the table, a snarky smile on her lips. "Now we'll see just how good you really are..."

The crowd hushed, backing away in expectation of another game, and I put down my paddle, smiling at the confused look on her face.

"No, Mega...I mean Ari. I forfeit. You win."

"What?!?"

Everyone around us stared in shock, especially given my earlier determination, but I just smiled.

"You see, Ari, there are people in this world, much like yourself, that need to win to feel good about themselves. They need to pretend like they're better, prettier, or even...thinner than everybody else. They need to put other people down, and start shit where it doesn't belong. They need to go after what they can't have, just to prove that they can. These are people without substance."

Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?!?"

"I really don't think I need to repeat myself, but maybe you're not able to comprehend what I'm saying, so let me put it another way. I feel sorry for you."

Her laughter rang out across the group, many of us cringing at the pitch. "YOU feel sorry for ME?!? I'm a world-famous model! Who the hell are you? You're a nobody! Just some fat bitch trying to hang with people out of your league! I'm a ten! And you, aren't even a zero!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Harry step forward to stand up for me again, and silently thanked Zach for grabbing his arm to hold him back. I didn't need Harry to come to my defense. I could do this on my own.

"You're absolutely right. I'm not famous. I don't have tons of money, and I'm not a stick figure. But, I have something you will never have. I have people in my life that truly enjoy being around me. I don't have to go to parties that I CLEARLY wasn't invited to. I don't have to go after someone else's man, because I have the man of my dreams. I don't have to put people down, because as much as you may not be, I am happy with who I am."

She tossed her head back. "Ha! You mean Harry?!? Honey, I've had him before, and if I really wanted him, I could have him again, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it!"

"Again, you're probably right. I don't doubt that you could likely get any man you want. But then again, anyone that would really go for somebody like you is someone I wouldn't want in my life. And I've heard about your history with Harry. But, while you may be a black mark on his past, I am his future, and if I do say so myself, the future is looking much brighter. So, enjoy your win today, Ari. I think you need it much more than I do."

Turning to Harry as she sputtered, trying desperately to find something to say that would rile my feathers, I smiled. "I'm ready to go home now."