Lie To Me

Lie To Me-Chapter 147

By the time I woke up Friday morning, Bree had already left for work. I groaned as I sat up in bed. I'd meant to speak with her after getting off the phone with Gemma, but when I'd come in and had that...moment with Harry, all those plans had gone out the window. I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and sent her a quick text message, asking if we could talk tonight, at dinner.

She responded back quickly, promising me her undivided attention, and assuring me that whatever it was, we'd be able to work through it together. In her own words, she "had my back."

Most likely, Bree was assuming that this had to do with the drama from last night, that I was still upset with Harry and I needed her help.

That wasn't entirely wrong, but anything going on between Harry and I was just that. Between us. The two of us. And I'd do whatever it'd take to keep it that way...

I responded with a simple, "Thanks," and put my phone back. Although I loved Bree, and cherished her as one of my oldest friends, there were a lot of issues between us, a lot of problems that had gone ignored for a long time, simply for the sake of keeping the peace. Even if I put aside the incidents between her and Harry this week, Bree had a knack for creating more drama than I could handle, and not noticing much beyond herself.

When we were kids, I put up with it, chocking it up to being my duty as her best friend. But now? I was just getting too old for this. I wanted to be happy, to feel safe in my relationships with other people, to be able to go through the day without having to worry about what would happen next. With Bree around, that had just never been possible.

Gemma had been right last night...on so many levels. She'd really helped open my eyes to so much. Maybe Bree and I just weren't on the same page anymore. Maybe we'd just grown apart. Maybe it was just time for me to let go...

I'd always love Bree, and I'd always hold her close to my heart, but I wasn't the same girl I was ten years ago. I was stronger, independent, and finally learning how to put my foot down. Who knew, though? Maybe this talk would help us, bring us closer. I hoped...

Of course having Harry present for all of this was probably not the best idea, but honestly, I was going to need all the strength and support I could get when I talked to Bree. There was really no telling how she was going to react. It could go well, or it could go very, very bad.

Harry rolled over in his sleep, turning to face me, and my thoughts shifted. His eyes were still closed; his hair a matted, tangled mess; his mouth slightly parted. He looked like a little boy version of himself, and I couldn't help but smile softly as I brushed a curl off his forehead.

I sighed. "I love you, Harry... I don't have the slightest idea what I'm going to do with you, and God help me, I wish I could understand what's going on with us, right now. But, you will always have my heart. Always..."

Whispering, I leaned in to press a soft kiss to his forehead, somewhat thankful that he slept through my outpouring of love. If he ever knew just how deeply I loved him, just how strongly I cared for him, just how badly I needed him... Well, just thinking about it terrified me.

Pulling back again, I took a deep breath. What the hell was I going to do? The man I loved with everything I had, was hiding from me, lying about things that wouldn't have mattered at all if he'd only been honest and up front about them. My best friend had become a source of exhaustion and stress for me, bringing up emotions that I'd thought were long since buried. And, above all else, I feared at what might be happening between the two of them behind my back...

Bree swore up and down that she wouldn't do anything to hurt me, but eluded to the possibility that Harry would. Harry swore that he loved only me, but obsessed over Bree's every move. I just didn't know what to think, or who to trust in this. I felt like everything was spiraling out of control, and I was powerless to stop it.

Rubbing my hands over my face, I pulled back the covers to get out of bed. I needed a minute. Some time to clear my head. I needed to breathe... As I stood, a crack in the curtains allowed a bright line of sparkling reflection to cascade over my face, and it hit me. The pool! What better way to escape and find peace than to be completely surrounded by soft, crisp, clean water dancing in the California sunlight?

Fifteen minutes later, Max and I were heading through the grass covered backyard, the bright sun welcoming and warm. After ensuring that he was set, and safely chasing butterflies, I made my way to the edge of the pool. Taking a deep breath, I brought my hands together, and jumped.

Lap after lap, I swam, letting the cool water chill my skin, the sweet silence calm my senses. Each time I'd lap around, I'd check on Max, and then quickly dive back in the water.

Although the swim didn't do much to help me figure out what to do, I enjoyed the moments of intense quiet. The only sound in my head, the steady beating of my heart. Even my subconscious remained silent, allowing me a moment of peace.

Coming out of the water once more, I was startled by a man sitting in a nearby lounge chair, watching me. I nearly screamed in panic before recognizing the soft curls, and gentle green eyes. "Dammit, Harry! You scared the crap out of me! How long have you been sitting there?!?" I shook my head, holding my palm against the rapid beating of my heart.

"Just for a few minutes. I watched you from inside before that." He smiled softly, his cheeks tinting slightly with the admission. "You looked beautiful... Peaceful, for once..." His voice trailed off as he spoke, his eyes falling from mine.

And just like that, the awkwardness that had surrounded us last night was back. I felt the tension build in my shoulders.

"I... I just needed a moment. A small break. You know?"

"I know..." Harry's head lifted again as he sighed. "Look, Riley... I..."

"You don't have to apologize again." I made my way to the pool's staircase, "I know you're sorry, Harry."

Grabbing my towel from the small table sitting next to him, he stood and held it open for me. I tentatively made my way closer.

"I am sorry..." He moved to wrap the towel around me, "...for everything. And I will do whatever I can to fix this. But, first... I... I need to talk to you about last night. About..."

Interrupting him, I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I told you we'd figure it all out today, and we will. And then, I need your help." Our eyes met again, and I fought the instant electricity that ran through my body, the intense desire to curl into his embrace and forget everything but us, to focus solely on how well our bodies fit together.

"What do you need help with?" The smooth pitch of his voice brought me back to the present, and the decision I'd made late last night.

"I need to talk to Bree tonight. I need to get everything out. And then..."

"Then?"

I took a deep breath, saying it out loud for the first time.

"I'm going to send her home."

Note: Hello my beautiful readers!!! I'm sorry it took so long to get this update done, but my birthday was on Thursday, so I ended up spending most of the weekend celebrating with friends and family. But, I'm back to normal, and back in the groove, so get ready for more Hiley!!! 😂 I love you all, and I hope you had a great weekend!!! ❤️😍😘