Lie To Me

Lie To Me- Chapter 141

Lie To Me-Chapter 141

Harry and I turned to look at each other, saying in unison, "What?!?"

Was he being serious? Harry would bend over backwards for anyone he ever met! Hell, anyone he JUST met! But one of my oldest, and best friends asks to stay for a few more days and he automatically says "No"?!?

Bree chuckled awkwardly as the two of us simply glared at each other. "Um... I'm gonna hit the ladies room real quick. I'll just let you two...talk it over." Her head hung as she got up from the table and left the room.

As soon as I knew she was out of earshot, I too stood up. "Harry, I can't believe you just said that! And in front of Bree! All she wants is to spend more time with us! What's so bad about that?"

He gave me a deadpan look. "First of all, I can't believe you would just agree to this without talking it over! This was supposed to be OUR week, Riley. Just us. Not you, me, AND Bree! What the hell happened to that?!? And second, you and I both know this has nothing to do with her wanting to spend 'time' with us. She's up to something..."

Ignoring his first argument, I groaned, rolling my eyes. Not this again...

"Really, Harry? You're still caught up on this?!? Let it go! Jesus..." I took a deep breath, "Look, I know she's not perfect. Bree has done some really messed up stuff in her life. But, she's trying. I can see it."

"She's trying something alright... First, coming to me with a 'wardrobe malfunction,' nearly baring her breasts in the process, and then she just happens to come home at the exact time I'm in the hall, completely naked, where she proceeds to blatantly ogle my...package?!? How are you possibly okay with letting her continue to do this for the rest of our vacation?!?"

"Ugh!!" I threw my hands in the air, turning to pace the room. What was wrong with him?!? He was acting like a conspiracy theorist or something, claiming that she'd somehow planned out these little...situations between them. Why the hell was he all worked up over this?

Unless...

I stopped in my tracks, turning to meet Harry's gaze. "Are you...interested in her?"

He blinked a few times, shaking his head as his brows furrowed. "What?!?"

"You heard me, Harry. Are you interested in her? Attracted to her? It's a simple question, really... I'm not making a big deal out of all this. Bree's not making a big deal of it. Just you. Maybe it's not that you're worried she's up to something. Maybe it's that you're worried you won't be able to handle the temptation of having her around. Is that it?"

He stood up, finally vacating the spot he'd had on the floor with Max. "Riley, you know that's not true..."

"Isn't it, though? She IS just your type, isn't she? Tall, skinny, long legs, bold..." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Why else would you be so worried about having her here?"

"Riley..." He stepped toward me, his facial expression changing in an instant.

"So, did you guys get everything worked out?" Bree's voice broke through the fog clouding my mind.

How could I have missed it? She was beautiful, toned, blonde. Everything Harry usually went for. At least, before me... And he'd been oh so worried about her, even from the beginning! He'd gotten so upset when he thought I'd been the one to invite her to stay, and although he'd been polite to her, helpful and generous in the way he always was, there was something different. Some underlying distance in the way he'd interacted with her.

I'd thought it was just because he was nervous after everything that had happened back home in London. And then I'd simply chocked it up to him worrying about my reaction to the two of them sharing what could be seen as a very intimate moment.

But, maybe I'd been wrong. Maybe it wasn't any of that. Maybe Harry was just worried about not being able to control himself...

Meeting her questioning gaze, I gave her a flat smile. "Not in the least, but you know what? I have an even better idea. Why don't you two work this out, yourselves? I'm going to take Max for a walk."

"But, I just took him..."

Interrupting Harry, I gave him a stern look. "I don't care. I'm going for a walk." Scooping a very excited puppy in my arms, I grabbed Max's leash, and headed out the door.

With each step, I went over everything that had happened, playing it all again in my head. The awkward way that he'd touched her when she got upset at the club on my birthday, the way that he always seemed to keep one eye on her when we were together, the fact that with both of these "encounters" they'd had, I'd just happened to be out of the room... How the hell did I not see it before?!?

(Harry's POV)

An awkward silence settled in the room as I stared toward Riley's exit. What the hell just happened?!? I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under my feet, and I was left sitting on my ass trying to figure out how I got here.

"Did I do something to upset you, Harry?"

"What?" I turned to Bree, swearing that I could see a hint of a smile on her face.

She took a step closer. "I just don't know why you don't want me around. I thought we were building something here... But, it's obvious now that you don't want me to stay."

Building something?!?

"Bree, there is nothing between us. Nothing. I'm not angry with you or anything, but you need to understand. I don't want you. I want Riley."

She giggled, still making her way closer to me. Instinct told me to back-up, to increase the space that she was obliterating with every step, but I refused. I needed to stand my ground.

Less than a foot away, she looked at me, her hand coming up to rest against my chest. "Harry... I know this may be hard for you to comprehend, but I don't want you either. At least, not in the way you're thinking..." She gave me a smirk. "I'm just looking to build a friendship with you. I just want to make sure you're the right man for Riley. That's it."

She was saying she should be; everything I wanted to hear. Trying to convince me that I had nothing to worry about. But, the way she touched me... The look in her eyes... Well, that spoke of a much different story...

I just didn't know what to think. I didn't trust her, that was for sure, but maybe I was going to far with it all. Maybe she wasn't the lecherous, manipulative person I took her to be... Maybe Riley was right.

Maybe...

Going against every raised hair on the back of my neck, going against everything my subconscious was screaming at me, I nodded my head.

"Okay. Then, yeah, umm... I guess you can stay..."

"Oh, Harry, thank you!!" Her arms wrapped around my neck as she practically jumped into my arms, her breasts pressing against my chest as she hugged me tight.

I already regretted my decision...