The Lie: Rebels of Ridgecrest High (Book 2)

Dad spent all day yesterday with me. He said it was a father-daughter day, that he wanted it to be just us for twenty-four hours. So, we didn’t have visitors. My fish tacos didn’t come with a side of Grady. I could have cried at that; I’d almost eaten half the stash of chocolates he’d given me, and I wanted to thank him. But nope…Dad sent him home. Even Kate, Madison, and Asher stayed away. I loved Dad, but I needed other humans too.

But today is a fresh new day and one for visitors. Hunter will be coming after training tonight. Dad promised me he could come. I lie and stare at my ceiling. It’s boring…I’m so bored. You would think getting to sit around and binge-watch shows would be the best thing that could ever happen. Nope. There’s only so much I can take before going stir-crazy.

I thought I would have a hard time convincing Dad that his job is too important to ignore it completely. They are three games into the season already, with their fourth one this Friday, so he shouldn’t miss any more work. I argued that he could leave me alone for a few hours, and I would stay in bed and relax, and that the team needs him.

That last part sealed the deal, and he left me here with strict instructions not to leave bed, and if I need anything, to call him and he will come rushing back.

It’s been less than an hour when the front door opens and closes. I groan and cover my eyes with my left arm. Dad didn’t last long at all.

I hear him coming up, the squeaky stair at the top letting me know he’s almost here. I smile at the sound. You can’t be sneaky in this house. My bedroom door is still slightly open, so I hope he will just pop his head in, see I’m fine, and go back to work.

Next week, I hope to go back to school. Though I care about my health, I can’t just lie around here all day for another week. I’m on day three, and I already need to escape my room, badly. Plus, I’m getting better. I don’t hurt as much today as I did yesterday. And my bruises are practically gone.

I hear the door open, and I smile. “Dad, I’m fine. I told you I would be.”

When he doesn’t answer, I pull my arm away from my eyes and look over to see…

“Hunter?” What the hell?

“In the flesh,” he says with his dazzling smile as he waves his hand over his body like he is on display. I’m so happy to see him. But also confused.

“Oh my god, how did you get in this time?” I pull the blanket from my legs and sit up. Swinging my legs over the bed carefully, I place my bare feet on the soft carpet.

With the biggest cocky grin, he holds up a key.

My confusion doesn’t fade. “I took the spare key after the last time you got in here.” Those memories are good ones too. I smirk at him, and I can see the change of expression on his face as he remembers the same thing.

“Well…I had to see you, and I kind of came over last night. Your dad wasn’t impressed. But I guess midnight isn’t the best time to make a house call. You were sleeping, but I begged him to let me come over today.

“He gave me the key and said that you really wanted him to go to work today, so he asked if I could check in at lunch and make sure you were fine. And to call him if there are any problems.”

My mouth drops open and Hunter comes over, placing a finger on my chin to close my mouth. I smile and let out a little chuckle. That’s so not like my dad. Or maybe it is. He doesn’t know that Hunter and I have something more than a friendship going on…right?

Hunter and I haven’t discussed what this is; hell, we haven’t talked about it at all. But I know we’re more than we were before. I can feel it in the way he touches me and the looks he gives me. It’s like the air is charged when he’s around. Now, we’re just waiting for one of us to climb over that wall we’ve both built to stop from being hurt and make it real.

I’d said I wanted them all. All three of them. That I wouldn’t choose, and I didn’t want them to make me. But after everything Jace did, he isn’t even on my radar anymore. He can go to hell, for all I care. I still haven’t told Hunter what he did to make me so upset.

But I think I need to tell him, since he seems to think Jace will just “come around.” I know that’s not true. He’s mad at me for kissing Grady and, granted, it’s not ideal. But it was one kiss, and it didn’t mean anything. Well, it did, and it didn’t. Childhood crushes can’t live up to what you imagined. That goes for both the Montero brothers now. Sorry Grady.

It’s not like Jace had told me he wanted to be more than friends. I’m pretty sure he was with Britney when I kissed his brother. So, I don’t see why he would be upset about me kissing someone. It’s not like he wasn’t kissing someone else.

I’m not his girl, and we haven’t even kissed. Not since we were twelve. I think I know why I picked him to be last now. Like, subconsciously, I knew I would have my heart broken by him, and I saved the pain by choosing him to be my third kiss. I knew Roman would never break my heart. Not intentionally. He would rather catch all the bullets flying toward me than to ever let me get hit. He always put me first, was always there to catch me.

I made the right choice for him to be my first kiss.

“Hey, you okay? Need some water?” Hunter asks, and I blink up at him. He carefully sits beside me, placing his arm tenderly around my waist and moving into me. I let out a sigh as I rest my head on his shoulder.

“I’ve been thinking…” I start, and I feel Hunter shake his head.

“You’ve been thinking? This can’t be good for me if you’re starting this as soon as I walk in.”

With a warm smile, I place my left hand on his cheek and inhale a small breath. Pulling his face to mine, I stare into his deep brown eyes. His hot breath on my lips tickles, and I swipe my tongue to wet them. My heart hammers in my chest as his eyes crinkle at the corners.

They widen slightly as I move in and kiss his soft lips. I pull back to see his expression but, before I can, his hand reaches up and cups my face, bringing me closer to him again.

“Mila,” he croaks, his voice rough. He sweeps his tongue over my lower lip, and I part my mouth for him on a small gasp. My tongue meets his as he lets out a deep rumble in his chest. It has me grinning so much that he travels to my throat, kissing and nipping the soft skin there as he moves up to my earlobe.

“Well…I do like that kind of thinking, Mila,” he whispers into my ear, and I tremble under his hot lips on my throat again. He moves back to my mouth and claims it like he owns me, and I let him. When we pull away for air, he kisses my nose, and the tingles I feel all over have me biting my lower lip.

“I’ve wanted to do that since you’ve been back.”

“Me too…but that wasn’t exactly what I was going to talk about.”

He nods and holds my hands…well, as best he can. I let out a deep sigh and tell Hunter about how Jace found out from Grady about the kiss we shared. And how Jace used the walkie-talkie to broadcast Britney giving him head. Plus, the visual that was even worse.

A vision that I can’t erase out of my mind. He could have just told me he was mad and didn’t want to talk to me. He didn’t need to do something so…fucked up. But the message was clear. He doesn’t want to be my friend. Or anything else. We are done.

“Jace is a fucking dick. I knew something was up with him.” Hunter shakes his head and swears under his breath.

I look down at my hands. I don’t want this to come between them.

“He hasn’t spoken to me all week. I didn’t play Friday’s game, but that’s no excuse for the shit he’s been pulling.” Hunter cups my face again, tilting my head back, his eyes searching mine. “You’re more important than football, Mila.”

His big dark-brown eyes are full of hope but also sadness. I can see how much Jace is hurting him too. I never wanted this for him.

“Hunter, I’ve wanted to kiss you so many times. But I also didn’t know how to go about it because you aren’t the only one…that I want to kiss.”

“We all give you butterflies.” He moves back a little, scanning my face.

I nod and try to work out what he’s thinking. Does he understand what I mean by that? That I won’t pick, that I can’t. I just can’t. It would break my heart. I need Roman as much as I need Hunter. Just like I need to breathe.

“Jace is out,” he whispers.

I nod, not wanting to say his name again.

“Roman?”

My heart feels like it’s in a fist, and I can’t breathe when Hunter says his name. I’m so worried about him right now. Swallowing, I nod and tremble in Hunter’s arms, worried about where Roman is and who’s taking care of him.

“I can’t just be yours when my heart is pulled to him. I know you want to be more with me…I want that too. But if it that means having to choose, I can’t…I won’t.” I whisper the last words; my hands shake in his, I’m worried about what he will say.

It’s selfish of me to want them both. I never thought it was possible to have feelings for more than one person like this. Not until I came back and they were all at my house. That’s when I realized I couldn’t choose. It might not be right, but it’s how I feel.

“Roman. He hides behind his grunts. But he loves you so hard, Mila. I can see that, always have. I know it would completely break him if I was selfish and asked you to be mine and mine alone. I couldn’t live with myself. I couldn’t be happy knowing I hurt him because we both fell in love with the same amazing girl. Same goes for the girl who fell for us.”

I let out a shuddering breath and choke back a sob. Hunter is too good for me…they both are. I smile as he wipes away a lone tear. When I press my hand against Hunter’s chest, it’s hard and warm. Why is this so hard? Why does my heart want them both? Need them both.

“Hunter. I want us. I want that with Roman too. I’m so conflicted about what I should do. The easy way would be to walk away and keep you both as friends. But then it’s not that easy and I’m being unreasonable. My heart will break every time I see you with someone else. Wishing it was me.”

God, why is this so hard?

“Mila, I feel the same. I can’t have you with anyone else. I would want to break their face. It’s not unreasonable.” He brushes another tear away with his thumb, and I sniff. Another tear falls, and he leans in and kisses it away this time, my heart breaking at how sweet and caring he is. But this is Hunter. This is how he’s always been, even when we were kids; nothing has changed. It’s been hiding underneath for weeks, but I saw it. I knew he was still in there.

“Roman is like a brother to me. Hell, we’re blood brothers.” He holds up his palm, and I laugh as I hold up mine.

“To say this isn’t a strange situation would be a lie.” He chuckles and shakes his head. “But it also makes complete sense as well. Which should weird me out. How much we’ve all been through and the connection we all have together.” He smiles and wiggles his brows and I chuckle.

“Mila, I’ve dreamed about the day I would ask you out, and it might have gone a little different than this.”

I pull away to look into his eyes—he’s asking me out?

“Oh, sorry, was that you asking me out, Mila?” he asks with a huge grin.

Smiling, I let out a giggle. I guess that’s what I was trying to do.

“I’m not sure what people are gonna think about this…but I don’t care. Because, at the end of the day, I will have you and I’m all in.”

I crush my lips against his and the butterflies are still there. Just like always.

Only, now, they mean so much more…they’re a promise.

Of our future.

“We need to find Roman.”