Things Liars Hide(16)

Like a boss.

My sister’s boyfriend snickers. “Well, being able to fit large objects in her mouth is a skill that comes in handy for us both—where can I send my thank-you letter?”

“Ha ha, real funny, asshole.”

Cal’s booming laughter echoes loudly, sounding unpracticed and rusty as the girls re-approach, Greyson taking the lead with Tabitha nipping at her heels.

She eyes us skeptically.

“What are you two laughing at?” Greyson asks, automatically shimmying up to Cal, her body contouring to his—like two puzzle pieces that were made to fit together. Her arm slips around his waist while narrowing those light hazel eyes at me.

My sister unattractively purses her lips.

“What? What did I do?” I ask. “What’s with the stink-eye?”

Those slits of hazel get thinner. “What did you tell him?”

I immediately grab a square white cocktail napkin from the center of the table, wad it up, and shove it in my mouth. “Chubby bunny.”

“Oh my god!” Greyson laughs and smacks me in the arm. Hard. “You shithead!”

I wad up another one. It joins the first. “Chubby. Bunny.”

“Stop it, Collin, or you’ll choke. I don’t want to have to call Mom and Dad from the hospital because you’re jamming napkins down your throat.”

“Hey, I was forced into it—we were comparing bratty sister stories.” My voice is muffled around the two napkins packed in my mouth. A white corner sticks out from between my lips as I continue. “He didn’t leave me any choice.”

I can’t tell by Tabitha’s neutral expression if she’s amused or appalled by my childish antics.

My sister grabs a cocktail napkin, balls it up in her fist, and throws it at me, laughing. “On second thought, here. Shove this one in your face, too. Maybe it’ll shut you up.” Greyson turns to Tabitha and rolls her eyes. “Honestly, I don’t know what you see in him, and now I have to question your taste in men. For a grown man, sometimes he is so immature.”

Tabitha giggles.

Cal glances back and forth between his sister and me. “Wait. For real, you’re seeing each other? I thought you were full of shit before.”

“No. Why would you think I was full of shit?”

He glances at his sister. “I mean, I love you, Tabby, so no offense—I’m just not used to seeing you dating anyone. I was already in college when you were dating that douchebag baseball player, and even I knew he didn’t deserve you.”

I move closer to Tabitha, pull her in, and relax my hand on her hip. “Damn right he didn’t deserve her,” I add, even though I have no idea what baseball player he’s talking about. I make a mental note to ask about it later. “Your sister is incredible.”

“I know that, Collin. I’m just saying she’s dated some real dickshitters.”

“Not on purpose,” Tabitha points out, resting her head on my shoulder. I give her a squeeze. “Remember Bryan Rickman? He wasn’t completely horrible.”

Cal laughs. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you date him in ninth grade?”

“What’s your point?”

“That doesn’t count. You were fourteen.”

She narrows her bright blue eyes. “How do you even remember all this?”

Cal blushes, the gash on his face appearing even more severe. Chagrined, he mutters, “I may or may not have read your diary.” Tabitha hauls off and whacks him with her purse. “Ouch! I said I may have! Jeez! There’s no tangible proof that I actually did.”

“Okay, break it up you two,” Greyson referees, stepping in. “Go to your rooms.”

But Cal is on a roll and brings the conversation full circle. “Really though, I’m just curious—how did you end up hooking up in the first place?” He grimaces. “I didn’t mean hooking up. I meant talking.”

“Dating?” Tabitha clears her throat. “Well, coincidentally, we ran into each other one afternoon doing out-of-office work stuff. Sometimes I take everything to a coffee shop, sit with my laptop, and drink coffee.”

I agree. “Same. And that’s what we were doing when we bumped into each other before the housewarming—”

“He scared the crap out of me—” Tabitha interrupts.

“She had the most adorable panic attack and spilled coffee all over herself. All over her white shirt. I was hoping it would turn into a wet tee-shirt contest—”

“Shut up, you were making me nervous!”

“I was making you nervous? Pretty sure it was the other way around.”

“Oh my god, you are so sweet.” She pecks my cheek, excited, then speaks to her brother. “So he’s just standing there staring, right, which was weirding me out. I end up knocking everything off the table, including the proof of my book—”

“It just lands under the table,” I add with a knowing smirk.

Tabitha throws her arms in the air. “And what does he do? Nothing! Doesn’t say a word about it, the shithead.”

We entertain Greyson and Cal, volleying barbs.

“What was I supposed to do? I had to get your attention somehow. Pocketing the book you wrote was the best way to do it…”

“Well, you didn’t have to steal it and hold it hostage so I’d go out with you.” She slaps my arm playfully, squeezing my bicep in the process. I flex. “It was so rude. He used it to blackmail me into going on our first date.”

“Puh-lease, don’t even act like you were going to say no—”

“I was going to say no! You were so annoying.” She punctuates this pronouncement with a kiss to my jawline before enthusiastically prattling on. “He was purposely trying to embarrass me. He even read out loud from chapter ten when we met up. I finally agreed to meet him because I really needed it back.”

Lost in our own stream of babbling nonsense, neither of us realizes why Calvin and Greyson are staring at us, slack-jawed.

Wait.

Why the fuck are they staring at us like that?

Was it something we said? Did we….

Oh shit.

Oh. Fucking. Shit.

I squeeze Tabitha’s waist, prodding her to stop talking. In her excitement, she doesn’t even realize we blurted out her secret. That with her rambling, she’s giving away her secret, too.

Cal holds his palm up to stop us. “Back up. Did you guys just say the book she wrote? What book? Who wrote it?”

I feign ignorance. “Did we say that?”

“Yes, jackhole, you did.” He looks point blank at his sister, a dark cloud descending on his expression. “Tabby, did you write a novel?”

“Uh…” She stands frozen, rooted to the floor, stunned. “Oh my god. I told, didn’t I? Collin, please tell me I didn’t just…”

Silence.

Followed by the inevitable.

Tabitha pulls away, unfolding herself from my body. I try to stop her by grabbing her upper arm, but she surprises me by giving me a shove so hard I stumble back a few steps. “Tabitha, it just slipped out. Babe, calm down—”

“Just slipped out! Just slipped out? Oh my god, I was going on and on about it! I’m such an idiot. An idiot!” She throws her arms in the air, defeated, and turns to confront me, poking me in the chest with the tip of an index finger, ignoring her brother and my sister. Angry. Frustrated. “One year, Collin. One. Year. Twelve months. Fifty-two weeks. That’s how long I’ve kept my novel a secret.” She stomps away, huffing and muttering to herself before stomping back. “Everyone is going to hate me for lying! How am I going to look my parents in the eye, and see my grandma on the weekend after they find out? They’re going to think I’m a… a… Collin, I just told everyone the secret I’ve been keeping from them for an entire year!”

“Well, not everyone. Mom and Dad aren’t here,” her brother interjects, trying to be helpful.

“Shut up, Calvin. This is between me and Collin,” Tabitha admonishes with a loud shriek. Okay, maybe it’s not a shriek, exactly, but it’s definitely a cross between a scream and a whine.

Whoa, nelly, calm down.

She seriously needs to chill.

I’m not a complete idiot, so I compress my mouth shut, determined to power through her tirade.

“This was my well-guarded secret. How could I have been so stupid? What was I thinking! God, why didn’t I just tell you no when you asked me out the first time? This never would have happened. I’m such an idiot.”

Wait. Is she blaming me?

“Tab, please. Calm down, sweetie, be reasonable. This is a good thing, can’t you see it? I’m sorry, but maybe your brother knowing—”

“No. Forget it, Collin. This isn’t for you to decide. You don’t get to tell me to calm down.” She grabs her purse off the table.

“Tabitha, stop. Where the hell are you going?”

“I need time to think about what I’m gonna do. Alone.”

Except, we’re in a college town, staying with her brother for Christ’s sake, not back home where she can hitch a cab and go back to her place.

“Take me back to your apartment, Cal. I can’t sit in a car with him for three whole hours right now. Not just yet.” Tabitha drags her brother towards the door by the upper arm. “I just have to get out of here. Think.”