Lie To Me

Lie To Me-Chapter 116

The trip back to Harry's car felt like a scene ripped straight from one of those coming of age movies. Harry's friends, Zach's friends and family, and many of the other celebs I'd met stopped us on our way out. They wished me well, gave me pats on the back for putting Ari in her place, and handed out hugs all around.

David slapped Harry on the shoulder after giving me yet another bear hug that had my feet flailing in the air, and gave him a friendly warning to never let me go. "A woman like this only comes into your life once, man. You don't get a second chance. Hang onto her."

Tucking me in securely beneath his arm, Harry pressed a kiss to the side of my head. "I fully intend to."

Jill and Josh then stepped forward to hug us both, jokingly scolding Harry for not bringing me around sooner, and making us promise to keep in touch and visit often. And with a few more goodbyes under our belt, Zach walked us back out front.

"Thank you both for coming out today. I know this was supposed to be a special time for the two of you, but I'm glad you came out to party with us losers." He laughed, "...despite some of the not so fun events that took place."

I gave him a hug, feeling a little guilty for some of those not so fun events. "Thank you for having us, Zach. And... I'm sorry for what happened back there. I hope it didn't ruin your party."

"No! No!" He pulled back, "You didn't ruin anything, Riley, and you have no reason to apologize. I didn't invite Ari for a reason..." His eyes met Harry's. "...And I'm sorry she came anyway."

Harry moved in to give Zach a hug. "Don't worry about it. I knew I'd have to deal with her...and that whole situation eventually... It was a great party, though. Thank you for inviting us."

Saying our final goodbyes to Zach, Harry and I climbed back in the car to head home. I was exhausted. After the pre-party jitters, the hours spent mingling, and the stress of dealing with that...woman, not to mention playing a very heated game of table tennis, I was more than ready to just go home and crash.

"You okay over there?" Harry asked, leaning forward a bit to see my face as I gazed out the window.

I turned back toward him, slightly smiling at his look of concern. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"Okay. I thought... I thought you might still be upset with me."

I sighed. I was still upset with him. Although his kiss, and reassuring words back at the cookout had certainly helped ease some of my concerns, it still bothered me that he'd allowed her to touch him, right there in front of me. It still bothered me that he'd allowed her to speak to him the way she had. It still bothered me that while I'd thought Harry and I had been open and honest about our relationships over the years, be they previous or current, he'd conveniently left her out...

Taking another deep breath, I turned to him. "I'm not going to lie to you, Harry... I am still upset. I just..."

"What do you want to know?" Reaching over, he took my hand, intertwining our fingers. "I'll tell you anything you want."

Well THAT was a loaded question... On one hand, I wanted to know everything; the true basis of their relationship, what they did, how he felt about her, why he'd left her out when we'd talked about so many of his other relationships for hours on end. On the other hand, I just wanted to forget she existed at all.

But, I opted for knowledge...

"Tell me what happened between the two of you."

"Okay." He let go of my hand, putting both on the wheel, and took a deep breath. Something told me I wasn't going to like hearing this...

"Ari and I met a couple years ago...shortly before you and I met. I was on a ski trip with some friends, and she was there working on a shoot for a new "Ski Bunny" line. Anyway, we hit it off at some party, and..." He paused, chancing a look at me before continuing. "...we ended up in bed together. Are you sure you want to hear this?"

No. "Yes. Please, continue."

"For the next couple days we barely left her hotel room... But, it kind of worked for us. Neither one of us was looking for something long-term at the time, and since we were never seen out together, we didn't have to worry about any stories getting out about us..."

"So, Zach was right. You were using each other for sex."

Harry shook his head, running a hand through his hair before focusing back on the road. "The way you say that makes it sound so bad, but we were two consenting 'adults' just enjoying each other's...company."

"Okay..." I was trying desperately not to throw up all over his car at the thought of the two of them together, but I wanted to know the rest. I needed to know...

"Well, as is common with situations like that, one of us began feeling something more than just physical attraction. Unfortunately, that person was me, and when I made a comment about how I felt, she literally laughed me out of her room." He paused for a moment. "I thought that was it, that it was over... But, a few weeks later we ran into each other again at a mutual friend's party. And again, I fell into her trap, ending up back in her bed. It happened again two months later, too..."

"Jesus..."

He shook his head as I thought it all out in my brain; how she'd used him, not once, but multiple times; how he'd seemed to have a sort of weakness for her, falling for her game every time...

If possible, I hated her even more.

But, why her? The woman I met today was horrible... No class, no shame, no care for anyone but herself. She was his complete opposite. Working it all out in my head, I wondered if that itself was the draw, and spoke without really thinking. "What on earth does that woman have that gets to you every time?"

He turned to me at a stoplight, obviously unsure of how to answer my question, and although I hadn't meant to really ask it aloud, a shiver of fear ran up my spine as to just what his answer was going to be...

"I don't want to upset you, Riley... Anymore than I already have, I mean. And, I'm afraid..."

"It's okay, Harry. I'd rather it be a painful truth, than an enjoyable lie," I interrupted.

Nodding, he turned back to the road. "Ari is...was...my 'type'. Tall, confident, leggy... She was pretty much everything I had looked for in a woman..."

I took a deep breath despite the chokehold his admission had on my throat. Somehow, I knew that was going to be his answer, but it didn't stop the pain that shot through my chest. Ari was just his type.

I could see it. I could see the similarities between her and many of his exes. All of them confident women in the entertainment industry... All of them tall, skinny, and practically flawless...

All of them the exact opposite of me...