The Lie: Rebels of Ridgecrest High (Book 2)

I pace in Mila’s room. I like the new room—it suits her. They did a great job of putting it together while she was in the hospital. I’d been worried it would be too different; the way the room was before…that had been my childhood. The room as it is now…it’s the start of a new beginning. It even still smells like her old room.

Flopping back onto the bed, I dig the heels of my palms into my eyes. Ugh, fuck. I’m an asshole who totally looked after I said I wouldn’t. Mila’s ass is just as perfect as I thought it would be. But I saw the bruises from the accident, so many of them. You would think that would be enough for the raging hard-on to subside. But no such luck.

My cock is an asshole.

But, to be fair, washing her hair was nice. I’ve never done that before, and the noises she made went straight to my dick. There was no chance I wouldn’t be hard in the shower with her. I think she was toying with me; she kept backing up into me and bumping into me. She would say, “Sorry,” but I could hear the smirk in her voice each time. She wasn’t sorry.

“I’m ready,” she calls out.

I sit up and watch as she comes into her room, a towel around her body and another in her hand that she holds out to me. I pat the side of the bed and reach out and take the towel.

“I’ve never had my hair washed by a guy before. I love it and want to do it again.”

I chuckle. “I haven’t done that either. I’m happy to wash your hair all the time…just, next time, you’ll be all healed, and you can wash mine too.”

She reaches over and runs her hand over my shaved head. It isn’t going to be hard to wash my hair. I’ve been shaving it for a long time now. It’s easier to have short hair.

“Bring back the curls, Hunter. I miss them.” She runs her finger along the rim of my glasses and smiles. “I love these too,” she adds.

I was teased when I had to wear them all the time. That was just after she left for New York. Then I got contacts and barely wore the glasses unless I was at home. I know it doesn’t matter what others say, but now it would be different. I’m not the little skinny kid in middle school. I’m a star player for the Rebels.

“I’ll wear them around you more.” I lean over and kiss her nose. “Now, turn around so I can dry your hair.”

I hum a random tune as I dry her hair. She plays on her phone and makes frustrated sounds.

“What is it?” I finally ask. I can’t take it anymore.

Her shoulders slump and she lets out a sigh. “Roman. I tried texting him again and nothing. Did you speak to him last night? About me? Us?”

This conversation is one I’d rather not have today, but I knew it would come up sooner or later. Preferably later, as I didn’t want to disappoint Mila. I’d been hoping to take her to see Roman at my place so the three of us could talk. Because there really is nothing to tell Mila. I didn’t get to speak to him about, well, any of it. I was leading up to it. I didn’t want to jump right in.

“Yeah, I tried. Then Jace messed it up by punching me in the nose. Like a dick. Then there was other shit that went down. I left, and Roman followed me back to my place. He didn’t want to go home or to a party. But when I woke up this morning, he was already gone. So, I came here.”

“We need to go to see him, sooner rather than later. My hair will air-dry. Just let me get dressed and you can drive us there.”

I’m not sure if that’s the best approach. Roman’s always been very clear—he hates us going to his place. But, on the other hand, if Roman is going to listen to anyone, it would be Mila. I watch as she jumps up and starts to pick things out of her closet.

She turns to me and winks. “Meet you downstairs in five?”

I wink. “Sure thing, babe.” And I watch as her cheeks heat. I’m never going to stop calling her babe. I love the way her cheeks flush, and she tilts her head just a little, as if she’s shy. Mila’s not shy, but I like the way I affect her.

Even more, I love the way she affects me. I haven’t been this happy in so long. I got the girl—my dream girl.

“Oh, wow, this is my first outing,” Mila says as I help her buckle her seat belt.

Her hair is still damp and loose and some strands drop over her face. I lean over and push them behind her ear. She’s beautiful and…wait, what did she just say?

“Shit, should we have asked your dad?” I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with James. I’ve known him for most of my life. He’s a really good guy, and he’s trusting me to take care of Mila. Hell, he gave me a key to the house, but I can’t abuse that privilege or he will take it away.

“Um…” Mila reaches for the ends of her hair and starts to play with it as she worries her lip. I didn’t mean to upset her. “No?”

I raise my brows at her. Is that no, as in “no, it’s fine” or no, as in “I don’t know”?

“Call him.” I pull out my phone and hand it to her. He’s going to kill me, I just know it.

She laughs and shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. I’m with you, and he trusts you.”

I give her my best “you better be sure” look, and she chuckles. I quirk one side of my mouth and she shakes her head.

“It’s fine, Hunter. Ugh.”

She better be sure because I don’t want him to lose that trust in me. I plan to be in his life forever…after I marry his daughter.

“Okay. Maybe we can grab some stuff from Annie’s Diner and take it to Roman. I bet he hasn’t eaten lunch yet, and neither have we.”

She smiles as she reaches over to touch my thigh. “Sounds perfect, babe.”

And I grin.

It doesn’t take long before the hand on my thigh starts to tighten, and not in a good way. She’s squeezing hard. I pull up to a stop sign a look over at Mila. Her face is pale and her eyes wide. She’s breathing fast and shallow. Fuck. What’s happening? Is this something from the accident? Like PTSD?

I pull over quickly. “Babe? Mila? Lala?” I reach toward her cheek and she stiffens under my touch. Fuck, what’s happening right now? I turn her to me. Her eyes are facing me, but she’s not looking at me. It’s like she’s stuck in her own head and can’t see me.

“Lala, breathe, babe. Breathe with me. In…out…in…out.”

She blinks and her eyes roam over mine before she lets out a deep breath and her body sags under my hands.

Fuck, what just happened?