A Beautiful Lie

Chapter 4: What a nerve!

A/N: First of all, I'M SO SORRY! A month ago something bad happened in my country, and I lost my focus, not only for writing but in different aspects of my life. It took me a few weeks to straighten everything out; and this weekend I managed to write this even tho I have so much work to do with college... Maybe it's true what they say, when you're stressed you have better ideas or work more. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, and please let me know what you think or your theories of what will happen :3 💕 

A brief summary of the last chapter: Megan and Kathleen are staying at Jared's, and he gave them a tour of the house when Megan proposed a dinner with the four; there was a strange bond between Kat and Shannon because his face is familiar and she doesn't know why. Before that dinner the girls gossiped a little; and the chapter ended with a spark between Jared and Kat when he offered the cookies and they fell to the ground.

Jared's POV:

I couldn't deny she had something that amazed me.

During the dinner, every time she spoke my eyes travelled to her plump lips, and her delicate voice made my heart beat a little bit faster. When Megan gently kicked my leg under the table, I realized that maybe I was being too obvious and refrained myself thereafter.

I did a pretty good job avoiding ogling her until that little incident with the cookies. The touch of our fingers created a little spark between us. When my eyes met hers, it felt like her blue eyes were the key to open something inside me I didn't know it needed to be opened.

Those few seconds were becoming magical, but the spell was instantly broken when we heard Shannon and Megan talking. And all of the sudden, a wave of sadness appeared on Kathleen's face, but it disappeared as fast as it came. However, I caught it before she put a smile on her face when Meg proposed to go in the pool.

"I'm not in the mood for that, Meg." She politely said. And that was when Kat returned to her reserved attitude. It was as if a button had been pressed inside her, and I was really curious to know what was going through her mind.

"C'mon! It will be fun!" The blonde pleaded.

"I said no, Megan." She murmured bitterly to her friend getting up. And then something exceptional occurred. In all the years I know Megan she never gave up that soon; it was the first time I witnessed her accept a rejection that fast. Whatever was going on Kat's head was serious.

The girls were sharing looks as they took off from the table while Shannon and I were puzzled observing the odd scene. "What happened? Did I miss something?" My brother asked me.

"I'm as lost as you, man." I shrugged off.

They were next to the outside kitchen door speaking in hushed tones and a few seconds later the blonde embraced the ginger before the latest disappeared inside the dwelling.

"She is indisposed, maybe food poisoning..." Megan informed us when she returned, but I could tell she was lying the moment she scratched her ear mindlessly. "Kat said not to worry and have a good time."

"Are you sure?" Shannon inquired voicing my concern as well.

"Yeah, yeah. Trust me."

+++

It had been almost an hour since Kathleen run away. And Megan and I were alone in the pool; my brother decided to go back to his place when we were a little too much attached for his taste.

We didn't do it premeditatedly, the displays of affections came naturally, without thinking. After many years knowing each other, Meg became the only constant in my hectic life. And even if I undoubtedly enjoyed the result of our games together, sometimes you need a different kind of intimacy beyond sex. And that's why we were so close: we experienced in each other that kind of closeness.

The warm lights that dimly illuminated us were also reflected in our attitude: we were sitting on the stairs of the pool with our legs entwined and our voices were merely whispers.

"I saw the way you looked at Kat tonight." She said tucking a strand of her wet hair behind the ear. Her statement made all my muscles tighten, and I cleared my throat.

"I-I just..." I had no idea what to say, I was afraid Megan could be upset about my feelings for her friend, perhaps even get jealous.

"Don't be nervous, Jared. You can be honest with me." She gently placed her hand over my shoulder and squeezed it slightly; I glanced at her palm before looking into her brown eyes.

"I find her quite fascinating..." I thoughtfully murmured gnawing my lower lip. "But I don't know why." I shook my head.

"Well, well..." She paused to untangle our limbs making me regret my comment, maybe she was indeed jealous. She stood up, and I was staring at her stumped. "She is fascinating." I blinked a few times; her reply surprised me. Then Meg extended her delicate palm to get up, and I held it.

A soft breeze embraced us, making us shiver simultaneously.

"Fuck. Who thought this was a clever idea? Now it's fucking cold." I grumbled feeling the drops of water falling from my damp hair and running down my torso, making my nipples harden. I briskly rubbed my arms in a fruitless attempt of getting warm. "If I get sick, it will be your fault..." I hated being ill; just the thought of it made me snappy.

"Sorry, don't be mad." I rolled my eyes and Meg hugged me from behind pressing her wet and thin figure against mine. We walked that way until we reached the chair where the towels were.

"So, you were saying you like Kat, don't you?" She brought it up again when we were facing each other.

"I don't know..." I shrugged grabbing a towel for her and another one for me. "Here." I gave it to her.

"Thanks." She nodded smilingly. "And you ain't fooling me, sweetie." She added with a grin that I didn't quite understand.

"What? It's true. I don't know if I like her. But I'm curious... she has something." Megan intentionally raised her eyebrows seductively a couple of times, but I ignored her and proceeded to dry myself. We remained quiet until she spoke again.

"What are you gonna do?"

"What am I gonna do about what?" I asked drying my hair with the towel before putting it around my shoulders.

"Don't play dumb!" She tried to slap my chest, but I caught her wrist just in time and moistened my lips before talking.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked bitterly with a low voice. I knew she was up to something; I could see the wheels in her head spinning already and decided to cut to the chase.

"Seduce her." The adrenaline ran through my veins when she pronounced those two words; it reminded me to the occasions we chose a random girl to have sex with me. But this time was different, there was something more involved, right? "Be with her." Megan's voice brought me back to reality.

"You mean..." I wanted to see if we were on the same page.

"Not just sex. Know her, if you like Kat then be with her." A wave of relief filled me, but it still didn't feel right.

"I don't want to play a game with her..." I said shaking my head, but Megan rested her palm on my cheek and caressed my lower lip with her thumb. She always used her enticing demeanor to get her way.

"It's not a game; it's a suggestion." I closed my eyes to avoid her batting eyelashes. Even if we were just friends, I wasn't immune to her charm. "A game would be if I told you to seduce her before Halloween." Her voice was a whisper in my ear, and then she nibbled my lobe softly.

"Stop." I opened my eyes clenching my jaw. I placed my hands on her shoulders pushing her away. "It's getting late. Good night." I merely said turning around and stormed out the backyard leaving Megan alone.

Once I was in my room, I lay down in my bed thinking about what just happened. Megan and her stupid obsession with turning everything into a fucking game... "What a nerve!" I screamed throwing furiously a pillow across the bedroom.