Chapter 15: Chapter Fifteen

Started With a Lie – Chapter Fifteen

I sit on the cold floor of Lee’s bedroom, enclosing my arms around myself—trying to warm myself as much as possible. But, I’m pretty sure all the anger I’m feeling is enough to heat me up.

Fiancé?

What part in all of this was so difficult to understand that he couldn’t even tell me he had a fiancé? I blame myself more. How could I even put my feelings and trust in such a guy. I knew he was trouble…why didn’t I stop?

I press myself to the door when I hear Lee opening the front door. I hear voices but they’re muffled and I can’t really make out what anyone’s saying. Finally, they move from the door and into the living room and I can finally hear correctly.

“Oh, Lee!” a female voice squeals. I hear bodies and clothes clashing. They’re hugging. “It’s been so long! I missed you a lot.”

“I missed you too, Penny.” Lee sounds happy—happier than most of the times I ever spend with him. He’s always arguing or yelling at me when I speak to him. Penny’s a lucky girl. I’m already jealous. I grumble to myself.

I hate Lee.

Screw him, actually.

He has pissed me off millions of times, treated me like crap a million times. I’m not going to be that type of girl that always chases the boy that will never treat her right. I’m going to be smart about this. I don’t need Lee and he obviously doesn’t need me.

I keep pressing my ear to the door anyways. Yeah, I hate Lee, but I’m curious. Who is this Penny girl that has got Lee’s boxers in a twist?

“You want some tea?” Lee offers.

“No, it’s fine,” Penny giggles. It sounds so girly. Mine sounds like a whale choking on it’s own spit: another point for Penny. “I just came for a quick visit. After I’m done packing and all that, I’ll actually come over for a proper visit.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Lee says. “How was France?”

“Beautiful, just beautiful.” Wait, she’s even been to France? I bet she knows French and a whole bunch of other languages. I bet she’s also filthy rich. “I’m really going to miss France, but it’s great to be back in America. I get to see you, don’t I? How could I not miss my fiancé?”

I wince. So it is true. Penny—or whoever she is just confirmed it. Lee had been playing with my feelings. He knew how I felt—I mean, I was pretty obvious. God, he even tried to kiss me! And I kissed him (secretly)!

I feel so numb. Is this is how girls feel? The ones on the Internet who always complain about being the rebound or second choice? The ones I roll my eyes at whenever I see one? It’s great to know that I’ve become one.

Lee and Penny chat for a few more minutes before I hear them kissing and saying goodbye. I hear a door open and close—the front door, I’m guessing. I swing open the door and head to the guest room, avoiding Lee at all costs. My suitcases are already there. I throw on some clothes and shove my sweats into the closest bag.

“Ivory?” Lee calls.

I roll my suitcases to the living room. Act natural, I tell myself and take a big breath before I appear in front of Lee. “I’m ready.”

“For what?” He looks at my bags. “Where are you going?”

“I need to get back to Brownwood before my mom notices I’m gone,” I say, crossing my arms. “Our deal is done, too. Take me home.”

Lee scratches the back of his head sheepishly. “About earlier—” My confession. Oh god, my confession. I got shot down within ten seconds. Literally. I push down the blush that I can feel creeping slowly up my neck.

“Just take me home.” There’s an edge to my voice that even I didn’t know I had or could use for that matter. “Just take me home, Lee. I’m tired.” Lee nods and grabs his coat and keys before we head out the door. When we reach outside, it’s freezing. Winter is in full kick. I almost tell Lee to make sure to keep warm because he’s still partially sick but I don’t.

I don’t care about him anymore. Well, that’s what I tell myself.

We get into his car and soon the heat is blasted and there is soft music in the background. Nothing helps cover the awkward, tense thickness in the air. I don’t want to face him. I’m embarrassed and definitely infuriated. To avoid any risks, I lean my head and pretend I’m sleeping, but I actually fall asleep soon enough.

Someone nudges me awake. Lee’s blue eyes are what I see when I open my own eyes. And then my eyes widen. My vision adjusts and I remember we’re in Lee’s car. I look out the window and my house is there.

Without thanking him, I open the door and drag my suitcases out of the trunk. Lee comes outside and tries to help me but I swiftly take all the bags in my hands.

“Need help?” he offers.

“No.”

I drag my suitcases and bags to the front door and fumble in my pocket for my keys. I unlock the door and roll my bags inside. Lee’s at the doorstep and I stand inside the house in front of him.

“So, um, see you?” Lee says, unsure. His eyes search for mine but I just look past him and into the yard where there’s so much snow from the blizzard that it’ll take me forever to shovel. I groan inwardly and I almost forget Lee’s talking to me. “Ivory?”

“Huh?” I stare back at him. “You can go now.”

He looks a little offended—maybe, I’m just being rude. I don’t care anymore. How could he be so cruel to me? I guess some people are just heartless. I don’t need him. I’ll find someone better than a rich jerk.

“Bye,” Lee says, a tight smile on his face. I don’t respond and he walks off my doorstep and back into his car. I don’t shut the door until he leaves completely.

“Goodbye, Lee,” I whisper as I shut the door. “There’s one chapter in my life I hope to never open again.” I sigh and take my bags upstairs where I unpack for the next hour, placing all my things back inside my room.

I am seriously going to forget Lee from now on.

Mom doesn’t get home until a few days later: Saturday. There is only about one day and a half left of vacation. I try to drag the days as much as possible. I really don’t want to have to go back to school. People get on my nerves.

“Honey,” Mom says, “why aren’t you doing anything productive?” She’s carrying a white basket full of laundry. We’re in my room and I’m lying on my bed, my head dangling off the bed as I read my book upside down.

“I am doing something productive, Mom,” I argue. I shake the book in my hand. “I’m reading.” Mom folds my clean clothes and puts it in my drawers. It smells of lavender—Mom’s new favorite detergent.

“Yes, reading is wonderful and all, honey, but why don’t you go do something? Meet some friends? Go to the mall? I don’t know, go outside?” Mom suggests, folding more clothes in a crisp way—like the stores do—that I never get right.

“Well, seeing that there’s about three feet of snow outside—how am I supposed to go anywhere?” I say to Mom as I continue reading Mary’s Pain. It’s a book that I have to finish by the end of vacation, which I only started yesterday but it’s not so bad.

“You’re so hopeless.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Okay, I’ll be in the laundry room if you need me. Holler if you need me,” Mom says as she stands in the doorway.

“’Kay,” I say. Mom leaves my room and I continue reading my book. I really need to finish reading it. There’s an essay I have to do after I finish reading. Everything’s silent for a few seconds until my phone starts vibrating from the nightstand.

Without looking, I pick up. “Hello?”

“Hey, girl!” Candy chirps. “How was the romantic getaway with Lee?”

Lee. I had been doing a good job of steering away from that name for the past few days—doing anything to avoid his name or anything about him. But Candy just brings it up within a second.

“First, it wasn’t even romantic. It was horrible,” I say. “And… he’s got a fiancé.” Candy gasps. “Yeah, I know. Can you believe it?”

“A fiancé?” Candy almost yells in my ear. ‘What do you mean fiancé? How could he not tell you? How could anyone not know? How didn’t you know? What is wrong with the world these days?” She starts mumbling incoherent things about Lee.

“I really don’t know.” A weird, knotty feeling spreads over my stomach. “Look, I have to go. Call you later, okay?” I hang up. This strange feeling is in my stomach. I think its hate, jealously, disgust, anger all balled up into one.

I lay on my back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Listening to my breathing makes me feel so peaceful. I almost doze off before my phone rings again. “Hello?”

“It’s Lee.” The knotty feeling is back.

“Yes?”

“Listen, you have to let me explain,” Lee says. “I just have this real guilty feeling about what I did to you. You should let me explain, first.” He waits for my answer.

I stay still for a couple of seconds and the only thing I hear is his breathing. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. I’m just a girl who got you into some annoying problems. It’s fine. I’m hanging up now.”

“No, wait Ivory!” Lee says. I stay quiet, indicating I’m still here. “Listen, my fiancé thing—her name’s Penny. We’ve been close friends we were little. Our families are really good friends. Her family owns Littleton Corps. So when our families decided it was a good idea to get us married and merge the companies, I had no say in it.”

“Why don’t the media know? Why did they spread rumors saying I’m your girlfriend when you already have a fiancé?” I ask.

“The media wasn’t told yet. We planned to tell them once I turned twenty-one and once Penny came back from college in France. Well, I’m twenty-one and she’s back from college. The time would be now but I just don’t know. My—my father’s death wish was for me to get married to her.” His voice cracks at the end.

Lee’s voice never cracks.

He’s finally opening up about his father, too.

“Then why’d you agree with me?” I ask. “You idiot. You have a fiancé and now all the media thinks we’re together. And some of your business partners.”

“Yes, I know. I have thought this all over. Don’t worry. When Penny and I officially announce it, they’ll forget about you and me. We’ll officially announce it and they’ll forget you—who didn’t officially say with proof.”

“Oh,” I say, somewhat offended.

“Ivory… about your con—”

“Lee, it’s okay. Listen, I don’t like you. I said it at the spur of the moment, okay? I have no feelings for rich, ignorant men,” I say, hoping it offends him. “In fact, I already have a date next weekend.” And my lie just keeps getting bigger.

“Really? Who?” Lee asks, sounding unsure and curious.

“Mark,” I say, his name at the top of my head. I need to stop lying. Look where my latest lie got me. A broken heart and embarrassment. I need to start fresh—without Lee, without lies. Just me.

“I don’t think you should—” My anger boils higher. First, he rejects me and then tells me about a fiancé I never knew existed and now when I try to save the last of my pride, he’s trying to push me down again?

“Save it, Lee. I’m not interested in your selfish thoughts. Thanks for telling me about your fiancé, anyways. Not like I care. Don’t call me again.”

Pretty crappy chapter.

I'm sleepy and school's been stressing me. I can't balance everyting right now. So many meetings and interviews. Sorry for the let-down. Well, the weekend is here and if I have time I might be able to squeeze another chapter in on Sunday, I think. Anyways... CAN YOU BELIEVE I'M AT 900+ READS? -happy cry-

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