Page 2 of Pretty Lies (Watch Me Burn #1)

“We have a gym, pool, theater room, and twenty bedrooms. There’s also a bar in the den.

You can use anything you like, okay?” she beamed, making me realize the woman wasn’t some snot-nosed cow like I’d originally thought she’d be.

I could tell she had a soft heart, and I gave her a small smile, warming up to her a little.

She was hard to hate.

“Thank you.”

Josie gave me a tour of the entire house, taking me through a million spotless rooms. I’d get lost in here if we visited regularly. It was way too big.

We stopped in front of a huge bedroom, and she smiled so wide that I was surprised her face didn’t crack. The room was bigger than our entire house.

“This one’s yours!”

“My what?” I asked with confusion, taking a small step back as tension rolled through me. My fight or flight senses were telling me to get the fuck out of here, something wasn’t right.

Max cleared his throat, managing to look slightly embarrassed for the first time in his life. “This is your bedroom, Aurora.”

I narrowed my eyes and took another step back, and Josie scowled at him, winning herself a few bonus points from me.

“Max Donovan, you didn’t tell her?”

“We’re telling her now, aren’t we?” he said slowly, making me snort.

That was my father alright. He never updated me on literally anything then wondered why I snapped.

Josie shook her head with disappointment, glancing at me with apology in her friendly, green eyes. “I thought you knew, honey. I asked your father to move in, and I wanted him to bring you to visit so we could meet each other properly. I didn’t want you feeling uncomfortable here with strangers.”

My back hit the wall and I sneered at Max, my fists balling by my sides as I tried to contain some of my anger. I could’ve killed him for upending my life like this, and it also explained the real reason for my new school.

“Want to drop anything else on me today? New mom, new house, new school. What other fucking surprises have you been wanting to spring on me?”

“What did I say at home?” he hissed through his teeth, but I was pissed off and only containing my violent outburst because it wasn’t fair to Josie. Even I could admit that she was innocent in all of this.

Maybe if Max stopped upsetting me in front of people, then I’d stop embarrassing him.

“I’m not moving out of the Heights. No way in hell.”

“You're not eighteen yet, kiddo. You don’t have a choice,” he said smoothly, acting as if he had me under control. He didn’t, and he hadn’t for a long time.

Josie seemed concerned about our impending argument, so I gave her a polite smile, not wanting her to think she’d helped turn our little tour sour.

She was only trying to make me feel welcome.

“I might wait in the car while you and Max finish talking. Thanks for showing me around, Josie. You have a beautiful home. It was nice to meet you.”

I could be polite when I wanted to be but that didn’t stop Max from narrowing his eyes at me suspiciously.

Josie moved to hug me but stopped herself at the last minute when my whole body visibly tensed. She got more bonus points from me for respecting my personal space.

“That’s okay. We won’t be long. It was lovely to meet you too, Rory,” she answered kindly, and I excused myself, stalking back through the house while trying not to get lost.

I found the large staircase that took me back downstairs, and I almost breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like I was suffocating in here.

I wandered through the kitchen with my eyes cast down, pausing my steps as I heard a snort. Lifting my gaze, I found a guy my age with damp hazel-brown hair scowling at me like I was the Devil incarnate.

He looked freshly showered, wearing gray sweats and a loose T-shirt as he sipped a glass of water.

“So, you’re the girl who’s moving into my house to spend my mother’s money?”

That got my hackles up instantly and I steeled my spine, deciding against knocking him the fuck out. I had a feeling there were hidden security cameras here, and I couldn’t afford to get hauled off by the cops for assaulting the rich prick.

“No. I’m the girl that had no idea she was moving in. Don’t worry, I don’t want your mother’s money. I look after myself just fine,” I bit out, forcing my hands to stay by my sides.

“You’re just a charity case that Mom’s taken an interest in. You know Max has been coming here for years, right? I’ve heard a lot about you, and I’ll tell you right now that you need to keep your trailer trash ass out of my way,” he said bitterly as his eyes raked over my outfit with disgust.

Hatred burned under my skin as I managed to speak confidently, not letting him have the final word.

“Gladly. Spoiled, over-privileged, rich kids aren’t exactly something I like to hang around, so maybe you should be the one to stay the fuck away from me.

Got it, rich boy ? And I don’t even live in a fucking trailer. ”

An amused smirk hit his face just as our parents walked in, and they halted when they saw the stand-off between us. Josie frowned, pinning her gaze on her asshole son as he placed the glass on the counter.

“What’s going on? Do you two already know each other?”

It was unlikely, unless he liked to venture into the Heights or the other side of Ashburn Valley for lower-class pussy. From the way he’d looked at me, it was obvious he preferred pedigree blue bloods.

Her son chuckled almost cruelly, grabbing a beer from the fridge and popping the top to take a sip, his eyes landing on me again before he smirked.

“We were just getting to know each other. Weren’t we, Aurora ?”

I hated how he said my name like it was filth.

I rolled my eyes, figuring it would be better than telling him to go and fuck himself. “Sure, if that’s what you want to call it.”

“Aurora,” Max warned in a low voice, but I raised an eyebrow, my tongue toying with one of my lip rings for a moment before answering him. I got the snakebites as a fuck you to Max when I was fifteen, and I’d definitely gotten my money’s worth.

“You don’t get to decide how to parent me now.

I raised my damn self, and you know it. If you want to put on some kind of act in front of your coincidentally rich girlfriend, then be my guest. I’m not playing along with this charade, and I sure as shit won’t be lounging around by the pool, acting grateful to be here.

Josie’s too good for you, and I hope she learns that you’re a using piece of shit before you spend every last fucking dollar she has.

Does she know about the gambling and the drinking?

How about the illegal poker games and hookers?

You only care about yourself. I’d encourage her to get a prenup and ensure you don’t have access to life insurance for her.

Bad things happen to those around you when it benefits you,” I said, hoping Josie took my warning seriously.

Ignoring the furious look on my father’s face, I turned and walked straight out the door without a backwards glance, shutting myself in the car to wait for him.

He started waving his hands around like a psycho before even getting into the driver’s seat five minutes later, screaming in my face once the door was closed behind him.

I didn’t mean to, but I flinched, hating the satisfaction it brought him as he sat back and started the engine, driving us back to where we belonged.

He shouted the entire way home, and I wasn’t surprised to be backhanded once we got inside where no one could witness it.

Caden

Aurora was a fucking brat, plain and simple. I was going to destroy her piece by piece, and my buddy Jensen was going to have a field day with her. He liked crushing people more than I did, and that said a lot.

I knew all about her spoiled attitude, but Max had made it sound like she was a wannabe princess. That girl I’d just met in my kitchen wasn’t a princess in the slightest, but more like a rabid dog.

I’d been looking forward to toying with her, breaking her to remind her that she’d never belong in my world, but it seemed she was already damaged and well aware that she didn’t belong here.

That intrigued me.

Watching her with Max made me wonder what the hell he’d done to make her the way she was. He’d never done anything wrong towards me or my mom, but I’d still never grown to like him no matter how many times he visited.

Where had Aurora been all those nights he’d been here warming my mom’s bed? Had he left her home alone? Had she been roaming the streets at night with whatever trashy friends she had?

Max had been coming here for years, but his daughter had never once stepped foot in the house, despite Mom inviting her multiple times. I didn’t want her here, but I hated how hurt Mom felt every time Max showed up alone without Aurora.

I’d heard Dad talk about Max in the past, and since Dad liked him, I knew it meant he was a piece of shit. My father surrounded himself with corrupt rich pricks and lowlives with no morals. They were all liars, thieves, and unregistered sex offenders.

Dad had warned me that Aurora was a little cunt, so I guess I had to find out for myself.

If Dad had met her before, that meant he was better friends with Max than I thought, which didn’t sit right with me.

Who was Aurora Donovan and why the hell had I had to fight my smile when she’d shot Max down like that? I was good at keeping my emotions to myself, but I’d almost let it slip.

I wandered upstairs to my bedroom on the second floor, watching her from my window as she sulked in the car. She was feisty, I’d give her that, and she had a fire in her eyes that most girls around here didn’t.

Ashburn Valley princesses wanted to get on their knees for me and my boys, but Aurora? She wanted to tear me apart with her bare hands.

My eyes narrowed as Max stalked out after a few minutes and waved his hands around, shouting in her face once he was shut inside the car with her where he thought no one could see. I didn’t miss the way that she flinched and the smug look on his face from her reaction.

He definitely hit her behind closed doors, and anger moved through my veins at the thought of him raising a hand to my mom. He’d never shown signs of aggression towards her, but would that change now that we’d all be living under the same roof?

Mom had already escaped my father, despite him refusing to sign the divorce papers, so she didn’t need another monster trying to break her.

I needed to know what the fuck was going on, and I had every intention of finding out what kind of man my mother was dating, even if that meant being nice to the trashy girl from the Heights.

If Aurora wouldn’t tell me about her father’s darkest secrets the easy way, the guys and I would get it out of her the hard way later, no matter the cost.