LIAR, LIAR: High School Bully Romance (Season One | Episode Two) Read online

  LIAR

  LIAR

  SEASON ONE | EPISODE TWO

  LIAR

  LIAR

  SEASON ONE | EPISODE TWO

  TINLEY BLAKE

  Copyright © 2020 by Tinley Blake

  All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any mention thereof, may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing, 2020

  www.tinleyblake.com

  Cover Design by Pink Elephant Designs

  Editing by Valerie Clifton

  Ben,

  I love you.

  LIAR

  LIAR

  SEASON ONE | EPISODE TWO

  Lost

  One hand steady on the wheel,

  The other, trembling so fast.

  Numb is the exact way I feel

  Rushing over memories of the past.

  My beautiful love, forever gone

  I don’t know what to do anymore

  She found another; a new home

  Sad to think I became such a bore.

  One hand, on the wheel I go,

  Moving forward, lost and confused.

  I hope one day I learn and grow,

  From the past I abused.

  The future, insanely uncertain,

  Thought I had her forever by my side.

  A man, hiding behind a curtain,

  Looking back, I never should have lied.

  Here I am now; Here I run away,

  Escaping this light; leaving her behind

  Her eyes begging me to stay

  As long as I breathe; my head she’ll always find

  -B.E

  Introduction

  “One lie has the power to tarnish

  a thousand truths.”

  - Al David

  Chapter One

  “When your ears hear one thing, but your

  eyes see another…use your brain.”

  -Frank Sonnenberg

  Calliope

  I sleep through my first alarm and only wake when Murphy calls. I send her to voicemail and open my messages.

  Me: I’m up. I’ll be ready

  Closing out, I open the next message on my phone. It’s from Kiah, last night. He sounds pissed that I took his car and then worried and then pissed all over again when I don’t respond. I ignore them all and crawl from bed.

  Images from the night before flash through my mind. I’d like nothing more than to skip school today, even if it’s only the second day of the year. But that would be showing weakness, and if I learned anything last night, it’ s that these assholes thrive on the weak.

  I was the weak link last night, but that’s over. They want to play hardball and that’s fine. I invented the game. It’s time to show these fools how it’s done.

  First things first. I need to look the part. Opening my closet door, I push through hangers until I find the pants I’m looking for. A tight, light wash, high-waisted pair with holes in the knees. Next, I sift through shirts, deciding on an oversized emerald sweater and my black Doc Martens.

  A while back, I overheard someone say dress for the job you want, not the job you have, and it stuck with me. Of course, I’m not going to a job interview, but I am going into a high school war zone. What’s better to wear to war than combat boots?

  Checking my phone for the time, I race through the shower. I took one when I got home last night, but it always helps me wake in the morning. My straightener heats up while I apply my makeup with the skill of a surgeon in the OR. Overall, it takes less than thirty minutes, but standing in front of my full-length mirror, I’m satisfied with the result.

  My phone dings in my pocket. Well, technically, the sound resembles more of a raspy dong than a ding. I guess the muddy pond water did a number on my speaker, but the phone still turns on and off and my screen is streak-free, so I’ll call it a win.

  I grab my computer bag and a tube of nude lip gloss then race down the stairs just as Murphy pulls in.

  “Bye. Love you,” I call out to my mom in the kitchen.

  With a deep breath, I steel myself against the oncoming conversation with Murphy and open the passenger door. There is no way she hasn’t heard what happened last night. I just don’t know what version of the story she got. The fact that she came to get me this morning is a good sign. Maybe she heard and just didn’t believe a word of it. Or maybe she knows how her classmates are and just ignored it all.

  Only one way to find out.

  Murphy is bobbing her head to Lizzo when I shut the door, a smile dancing across her face. I giggle and join her, belting out the lyrics to Truth Hurts.

  When the song ends, she turns down the volume. “Why didn’t you tell me you live with Kiah Marten?”

  “Oh. I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t think anything about it. Why?”

  “Just wondering. It makes sense now, why he’s so overprotective of you.”

  “Are you serious? How is he overprotective?” My mind races, trying to figure out what she’s talking about. Since the incident a little over a week ago, Kiah has been nothing but hateful and rude.

  “He’s always watching you even when he shouldn’t be. It’s nice that he cares.”

  “Yeah. Sure.”

  “Well, I think it’s sweet, but I can see how it would get on your nerves. If my big brother’s best friend had to keep an eye on me, it’d probably bother me too.”

  It’s not a far stretch to imagine him watching over me for Tane. Hell, not long ago, that’s exactly what he was doing. But then things changed. Kiah started going out of his way to spend time with me. He woke me in the morning and kissed me goodnight in the evenings, usually pressed against a wall out of sight of our mothers. Every available moment he had was spent by my side.

  At first, I figured it was because Tane had asked him to. And then I thought it was because he really liked me. I fell for him, hard and fast, and would have done anything in the world for him, including give up my V card. But then I caught a glimpse of his phone and my hopes died along with my heart.

  He said it was a misunderstanding, and after meeting Sycilly, the owner of said boobs in the messages, I’m inclined to believe him. I didn’t then. Then, I was hurt and angry. I called him names, tossing out accusations like a general on the front lines.

  I’d take it all back if I could.

  “Earth to Calli,” Murphy says, pulling my attention back.

  “Huh? Sorry. What did you say?”

  “About last night . . .” She leaves the sentence open, and I don’t know what she wants or needs to hear. She doesn’t sound angry, so I open my mouth to explain what happened but she cuts me off before I get the chance.

  “I’m really sorry I bailed on you. I overheard Brax running his mouth and just couldn’t stand to be around him for another second. I should have grabbed you too, but I was pissed and not thinking straight.”

  “Oh, that’s okay. I thought y’all were running off to hook up.”

  “Hell no. I dumped his ass last night. Screw him.”

  “Damn, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It was long overdue.”

  “I kinda wanted to talk to you about something too. Something that happened last night. I figured you already heard about it, but now . . .”

  “I shut my phone off last night when I left so I haven’t heard from anyone,” she says, pulling into the school parking lot.

  “Oh.”

  “What’s up?” She sa
ys, opening her car door. I get out of the passenger’s seat and immediately lock eyes with Kiah and his group across the school lawn.

  “Nothing. I’ll tell you later.”

  “Okay,” Murphy says, locking her car.

  Chapter Two

  “Truth is as straight as an arrow,

  while a lie swivels like a snake.”

  - Suzy Kassem

  Kiah

  The tightness in my chest eases when I see her step out of Murphy’s car. Up until that moment, I wasn’t sure if she was alive or dead. She left so abruptly last night—in my car, no less—that I was left wondering what the hell had happened all night. She’s ignored every one of my calls and texts. Hell, she’s ignoring me right this second even though I’m standing directly in her path.

  Seeing her now, knowing she is safe and well, all worry for her ceases to exist. It’s quickly replaced with the need to wrap my hands around her throat and choke the living shit out her until she apologizes for making me worry in the first place.

  The closer she gets, the more urgent the need is until everything else around me fades to the background and all I see is her. Muscles twitch in my arms, in my legs as I fight the urge to take a step toward her.

  And then she is there, five feet away.

  Two feet.

  Within arm’s reach.

  She steps to the side, intent on passing me. I reach out then, my fingers wrapping around her wrist. She stops and glances up at me with her bright blue ocean gaze, and my breath catches. Everyone is watching. I can feel the penetration of their stares even if I don’t actually see them. It’s like ants crawling across my body.

  “We need to talk,” I say, pulling her by her arm across the lawn, around the building and away from prying eyes. She doesn’t try to fight me. She doesn’t react at all.

  I whirl on her the moment we’re alone, and she takes a step back. “I fucking called you.”

  “And? Am I supposed to jump when you say jump?” Her lip pulls back in a sneer.

  I take a step closer and then another and another until she’s pressed against the brick wall. Her hands hang limply at her sides, her palms pressed to the red stone. I crowd her, leaving no room for escape. “You fucking answer when I call.”

  “Or what?” Her voice shakes, barely. Most people wouldn’t even hear, but I do. I know what to listen for.

  I lift my hand to her head and run a finger down the side of her face, across her temple, her cheek, all the way to her throat, pushing her hair across her shoulder as I go. Her breath hitches. Her eyes dilate. Her lips part.

  “Don’t test me, Calli. You won’t win.”

  She lifts a hand, reaching for my hip, and then in a lightning-quick move, she lifts her knee, going straight for my groin. I sidestep in the nick of time, but doing so leaves an opening, and she takes it, darting off to the side.

  I grab her arm and yank her hard then shove her chest into the brick wall. She’s panting now, pissed and unable to do a damn thing about it. Pushing my arm against her shoulder, I hold her in place. Her ass is pressed to my crotch. I know the moment she feels me, hard and ready for her. There’s a sharp intake of breath and then her hips flex backward a fraction.

  I lean forward and press my lips to her ear. “Answer the fucking phone.” Thrusting my hips forward, I grind my cock against her ass. God, I’d kill to be able to bury myself inside her right this second. “Understand?” I ask instead.

  She nods her head imperceptibly. It’s not much, but I’ll take it. With a final nip at her earlobe, I step back and release her. She spins around, and her eyes lock on the bulge in my jeans before raising to meet my own. She doesn’t move from the wall. It’s like she’s cemented in place. Her chest rises and falls, her breasts lifting with each inhale. I take a step closer to her. She bites her lip and reaches for me again, but I’m not falling for that.

  “Hands on the wall,” I demand, leaving no room to argue. She obeys instantly, and I reward her with a step closer until there’s nothing separating us but a whisper of air. She tilts her head back, her eyes lingering on my mouth before darting to meet mine.

  I capture her mouth. Her lips are soft and warm. They open beneath mine, her tongue abandoning the freedom of her mouth for an assault against mine. I grip her hips, lifting her off the ground. She wraps her legs around my waist, her arms around my neck.

  I lose myself in her.

  Nothing else matters.

  Nothing but the taste, the feel of her pressed against my body. I never want to let her go.

  The tardy bell rings, shocking us both back to the present. We come apart, breathless and flushed. She grins, and my lips stretch to mimic it before grabbing her bag off the ground and pushing off the wall.

  I watch her walk away from me, all the while fighting the urge to pull her back. To finish what we started.

  I called her a tease once out of anger and frustration. I didn’t mean it then. I understood how the situation looked to her. Understood how hurt she was when she saw my phone, but now, watching her ass twitch back and forth across the school yard, that word sneaks back in, infiltrating my thoughts once again.

  “Calli,” I call out.

  She turns, glancing over her shoulder.

  “You’re riding home with me today.”

  She winks. “Whatever you say.” And she faces forward once again.

  “Tease,” I whisper into the wind.

  Chapter Three

  “No one believes a liar.

  Even when she’s telling the truth.”

  -Sara Shepard

  Calliope

  My heart is beating a hundred miles a minute the entire walk back to the front of the school. I wipe my hands down the front of my jeans and take a deep breath to calm my shaky nerves.

  Kiah Marten is going to be the death of me.

  He’s arrogant, overbearing, hypocritical, and an ass, but God have mercy on my soul. He sparks something inside of me I didn’t know existed, and I want to let it burn, burn, burn.

  “I saw that.”

  I yelp, jumping a foot into the air. Daniel is leaning against the front door of the school, a shit-eating smirk on his face.

  “What?” I ask.

  “I said, I saw that. The whole thing. Kinda hot, if you ask me.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “True. So, you and Kiah, huh?”

  “What about me and Kiah?”

  I try to stall to come up with an excuse for what he saw, but nothing comes to mind so I push forward the only way I know how.

  “Don’t play dumb. It explains a lot, really. Like why he dropped Sycilly over the summer and why he was absent every time we hung out.”

  “Got it all figured out, huh?” I ask.

  “Almost. I can’t quite understand why he told us to fuck with you. Don’t get me wrong, what Kiah wants, Kiah gets, but it just doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “Ah, well, I can help with that, I suppose,” I say, trying to word it so it sounds convincing.

  “Yeah? Enlighten me.”

  “It’s a test. I’m a test.”

  “A test?”

  “Yep. He told you to fuck with me, but did he tell you to harm me?”

  “And?”

  “He wants to see which of you is the bad apple. Think about it. I’m his best friend’s little sister. You’ve met Tane, right?” I ask, and his eyes widen.

  “You’re Tane’s sister?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Fuck. So, who’s testing us? Kiah or Tane?”

  I shrug and then follow it up with a smile.

  “All I know is one of you is failing.”

  “Fuck. I need to tell the others.”

  I step up next to him. “Sure, or you can keep it to yourself and watch as they fail,” I say, pulling on the door. “We should hang sometimes. You know where Kiah lives, right?”

  Daniel nods, grabbing the door from my hand and holding it open for me. “Come by sometime.”

  “Wait,
you live . . .”

  “With Kiah? Yeah. Remember that when your boys try to tell you you’re crazy.” I wink and brush past him.

  “Fuck.”

  I head straight to the office to check in. The final bell rang while I was talking to Daniel, but I’ll take a tardy. I grin, imaging the thoughts racing through his mind right now. He has no idea. Truthfully, I didn’t know how I was going to handle today, but this is going better than I ever anticipated.

  Murphy isn’t mad.

  Kiah is hot as hell and apparently ready to let go of his ragey temper tantrum crap.

  And best off, I’ve infiltrated his group and if all goes well, I’ll have them all flipped to my side without his ever knowing. Ya know, just in case he decides to jump back on the temper train.

  All in all, a good day.

  Murphy catches my eye when I walk in first period. She points to her cheek and then toward me. I lift a hand and run my fingers across my cheeks. Small red rubble from the brick wall falls to the ground and settles at my feet. I mouth thank you to her and turn in my late check-in slip to the teacher then take my seat.

  Kiah isn’t here yet. My stomach flutters with nerves waiting for him to walk in. Every time someone moves in their seat, my gaze darts to the closed door.

  We’re well into first period before he appears. I duck my head and let my hair fall across my desk so he doesn’t catch me staring. He might know how much I want him, but that doesn’t mean I need to be obvious about it. I hear him speak with Mr. Webster, but I can’t make out what they are saying this far away, and then he’s walking down the aisle to his seat. His thigh brushes my arm and I glance up.

  I shouldn’t have.

  I can’t look away. His once hard, unrelenting eyes hold mine hostage. My cheeks flush, my body warming at an abnormal rate. Murphy clears her throat, and I pull my gaze away. That’s twice she’s saved me from making a fool of myself. I owe her big time.