Beneath The Lies Read Online Free Page B

replace my mother, but she’s welcomed me into her home and her life and I need to make an effort to get to know her better. I silently vow the next time she asks me to do something, I’ll take her up on her offer.
    ****
    I spend nearly five hours at the library. I found I surprised even myself at the amount of work I actually had. At least it lessens my guilt of ditching Leeta. When I get back to Leeta’s, the house is eerily silent. The only thing I can hear is the humming coming from the heating system until I reach the bottom of the steps. That’s when I hear Leeta talking to someone else in her home office. The door is shut, but not closed all the way.
    I’m about to head up the stairs when I hear a man with a deep, almost angry voice speak up. A voice that is completely unfamiliar to me.
    “What are you up to now?”
    “Now why would you ask that? I know you don’t believe this, but not everything I do involves you.” The man huffs out a fake laugh, clearly not impressed with Leeta’s comment.
    “When whatever shit your planning backfires, don’t come to me to help you out. I’m done. I told you that before.”
    “Yes, yes, you did. So why are you here now, darling?” Leeta’s voice is strained, almost on the verge of upset. I take a step closer and pause outside the doorway, waiting to hear if the man is going to reply. Several long moments go by before he finally does.
    “Forget you saw me. I thought...never mind what I thought. I’m leaving.” When I hear someone moving around, I realize that I’m standing outside the office, clearly eavesdropping. I pick up my bag and quickly take off for the steps when a door slams shut behind me, causing me to look back over my shoulder. That’s when my eyes find him...the man who was staring at me at the fight the night before.
    He’s dressed in similar clothing—a black cotton shirt and dark jeans—and just like last night he’s watching my every move.
    “What’s your name?”
    His voice sounds harsh and maybe even irritated compared to the flat tone I heard him use with Leeta. “Kate.” I swear I heard a growling sound come from his throat.
    “I thought you said your name was Jamie.” I’m confused for a brief moment.
    “Jamie? Oh...” I don’t bother finishing my sentence. He must have sent Kyler’s brother over to find out my name. Rather grade school, if you ask me.
    He fires his next question with even more anger. “Why are you here?” Last night this guy had me heating up in a way I didn’t want to acknowledge just from the way his eyes were taking me in. Now he’s acting like I’ve committed a crime far worse than lying about my name.
    “She lives here.”
    At Leeta’s words, the color drains out of his face and he slowly shuts his eyes, like he’s suddenly in pain.
    “Kate, darling, I would like you to meet my youngest son, Gavin. Gavin, this is Kate. I don’t believe you’ve seen her since Kate was just a baby.”
    Leeta’s husband James died in a car accident while my family was out here visiting. I was only a little girl at the time, but for whatever reason, my parents never came back to visit Leeta or her two sons. Meaning I’ve met Gavin before, but I have no memory of it.
    Gavin flicks his gaze over to his mother, and I wince at the hatred I see in his expression. “Stop it. Whatever you’re doing stop it now .”
    I’m just as startled to see how unbothered Leeta appears to be. I grew up in a house where my parents showed love and affection on a daily basis, but these two look more like enemies than mother and son.
    “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Kate and I are good friends and she’s decided to live with me while she goes to school,” Leeta answers in a sweet voice, almost as if she’s trying to push Gavin’s buttons. Gavin, however, stands there not moving a muscle. Even his jaw is clenched tight as he glares at his mother.
    Whatever is happening, I decide I should excuse myself from their