Page 65 of Whisper Pretty Lies (Lust & Liars #1)

EvanAnn

Tonight means dinner with Mom at home. Dinner is a surreal experience, entering into the dining room to a set table with a server standing to the side, ready to serve us. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this.

I appear to be the first one to make it to dinner. Mom didn’t really say there was a specific time for dinner here, but I figured it would be the normal time we’ve always had it.

I sit in the same chair I sat in last Monday and lay the cloth napkin over my lap, trying not to gape at the server. She stands quietly in the corner of the room like a statue. It’s a little unnerving.

Damon walks in and takes the seat next to me. Awareness threads through my body. But it’s probably not appropriate for him to sit there.

When I open my mouth, he lifts my chin and says quietly, “I didn’t ask you to open your mouth, Evan.”

My cheeks flare with heat as I snap my mouth shut. My eyes narrow on him. That’s when we hear my mom and Adam talking on their way in. Damon isn’t touching me when they walk into the room with huge smiles.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks, Evan.” Mom settles in the seat across from Damon without a word about him sitting next to me.

“It’s been a busy week so far,” I admit.

As soon as Adam is seated, the server comes out with plates of food and sets them down in front of us. It looks like eggplant parmigiana. My mouth waters. This kitchen spoils me. I’m used to grilled cheese and frozen pizza for dinner. Maybe some microwaved veggies.

“How’s the play going?” Mom asks. Her blue eyes shine. She’s so different now than in the past few years. Everything about her is more relaxed. She’s so fucking happy we’re here and it shows.

Right now, I’m thinking it’s not so bad. I’m just glad we can have a dinner together.

“We started rehearsals on Monday, but it’s going well. I got my dream cast.” I smile thinking of Hawk in the closet and later him bringing me my phone.

“When are you going to have Chase come to dinner?” Mom asks.

My heart stops. Damon’s hand slides over my thigh and I’m glad I thought to change into jeans and a t-shirt instead of keeping my uniform on. Even so, my skin burns beneath his touch.

“Do I know Chase?” Adam asks Damon.

“Chase Chadwick,” Damon fills in with no tone to his voice.

“Ah, Thomas’s boy. Thomas brought him to dinner a few times. I’m surprised you haven’t had him over before.” Adam takes a bite and turns to my mother. “Thomas Chadwick is one of my business partners. When we have our dinner party, he’ll be here with his wife, Jessica.”

I bite my lip. Okay, so yeah, my mom is going to meet Chase’s parents. Will they talk about me? I kind of feel bad, because they were really nice. I should have broken up with Chase, so this wouldn’t be an issue.

“We’ll definitely have to have Chase over to dinner.” Mom turns her gaze back to me.

I toy with my food. “Uh, with play practice and his football practice, that might be a big ask before the showcase.”

Hopefully I won’t have to continue this charade past then.

“Well, any time you want to have him over, feel free.” Mom smiles sweetly, but Damon’s hand squeezes my thigh beneath the table.

I don’t think Damon will be thrilled about having the enemy in his house, but what can I do? He’s my boyfriend to everyone else. It would be weird if I didn’t have him over at some point. Not that I’ve even told him I moved.

I try to focus on eating while Mom and Adam carry on a conversation without either of us needing to participate. Mom’s going on about how this school was a stretch, but I got in with a scholarship, so I’m making the most of it.

“Evan’s competing for Valedictorian.”

“I wish Damon would put forth more effort into his grades.” Adam smiles for my mom’s sake. “All he seems to care about is hockey. He would have given up his senior year for a chance to be selected for the more competitive schools, but then the motorcycle accident happened.”

Damon’s hand slips away from my thigh, but I barely notice. I know about the accident, but what does he mean?

“Did they ever figure out who did it?” Mom asks.

Damon’s jaw tightens. My heart clenches with the need to… what? Comfort him? Sleeping together is messing with my brain.

“Hit and run. No idea. The police are still looking into it.” Adam shakes his head.

“But it gives Damon another chance to get into a good school, which is what he should be focused on. Plenty of good schools have hockey teams. Maybe you can help him see the benefits of studying and college, EvanAnn.”

Adam smiles at me and I force a smile in return. What the hell?

“She doesn’t have to show me anything.” Damon pushes back from the table. “I know what I need to do for my future.”

“We’re not done with dinner, Damon.” Adam glares at him as Damon stands. “Return to your seat.”

“Why, so you can piss on my dreams some more?” Damon’s gaze narrows on his father’s.

“The recruiters talked to you. You agreed I could do this, but then I get in one accident that clearly wasn’t my fault, and suddenly this is my fuck up.

It’s too far away. Too soon. I need to stay at this fucking school for one more year. ”

“Watch your language.” Adam’s face grows stern.

“Why? You control my life, but you can’t control what I say.” Damon walks toward the door.

“Come back and finish dinner.” Adam’s voice is loud.

I curl in on myself. It’s been a long time since my father was with us, and he rarely raised his voice at me.

I keep my gaze on my dinner, feeling awkward about being here. Yes, I’m privy to a lot of Damon’s life, but this is too much. I wouldn’t want my mom to yell at me in front of other people. Definitely not her boyfriend and his son.

“I’m so sorry about him. He’s eighteen and really good at it.” Adam draws in a breath and releases it. “It’s refreshing to have someone at the table who’s trying her best to make sure she has options.”

I lift my gaze to his.

“Your mother says you’re going to college.” He smiles like that says it all.

“For theater,” I say, wondering what he’s implying.

“But you’ll have a college degree in case that doesn’t work out.”

My insides twist. The infamous backup plan. That’s not why I’m going to college. And yes, some people should really have them, but not Damon. “You’ve seen your son on the ice, right?”

“Of course.” He smiles like he’s proud.

“I don’t need to be a recruiter to know he excels at it. And when you have talent, you do everything to develop it.” I don’t know why this is working me up so much. Maybe the implication I’m going to college to get a backup degree, in case being a director doesn’t work out.

I know how hard it’s going to be and I’m doing everything I can to mitigate the risk. But when you have talent, you lean into it. And fuck the naysayers.

Mom makes a soothing noise.

“Adam didn’t mean Damon doesn’t have talent. Just that you can’t put everything into a career that might not happen.” Mom smiles at him like she understands.

“You do know it’s going to be a lot harder for me to make it, even with talent. Right?” I set my fork down and take a drink of water. “But I have to try to live my dream, even if it might not work out. I’m sorry, but I’m not hungry anymore. I also need to study for a test coming up. Excuse me.”

I leave the dining room without another word. My insides are in a whirlwind. There’s a lot I don’t understand about Damon’s dynamic with his father, but to crush his dream before he even starts—I can’t accept that.

My mother has always been my number one fan. Without her support, I wouldn’t have made it into Anteros Conservatory. To hear her side with Adam on having a backup plan hurts my heart.

I walk up to our rooms, but Damon isn’t there. Part of me knows he doesn’t want to talk to me about this, but I want him to know I’m here for him. I’m not sure why. What’s between us isn’t anything more than physical.

When I go down to the gym, it’s dark, and the rec room is empty. I head out to the garage to see if he took off. I can hear music blasting as I walk up to it.

When I enter the garage, I shut and lock the door behind me, just in case. My mom might come looking for me after that exit. I doubt she’ll look for me here though. Damon sits on a low stool next to a bike, with tools spread out on a mat beside him.

Part of me settles at seeing him.

There’s a couple of stools beside a table nearby, so I sit on one and watch him. He continues to work on the motorcycle with scratches along the side from skidding across the pavement.

My heartbeat stutters. How bad was it?

A helmet that’s also scratched up sits next to it. The face shield is torn off. What if he hadn’t been wearing it? I can’t even imagine how frightening it must have been to be hit. Going down, knowing there’s nothing between the ground and his body.

“If you’re going to stare, grab the socket wrench.”

I hop off the stool and walk over to the toolbox. My dad used to make me get tools for him when he worked on the car. My memories of him are fading, but I remember the tools. I bring over the socket wrench and hand it to Damon.

He glances at it and makes a noise that must mean I did okay.

“Is this the motorcycle?” I don’t ask if it’s the one Chase hit or the one that changed Damon’s future. Fuck, maybe that’s the bike that changed my future, because without it, I wouldn’t have been on Damon’s radar.

I still would have moved in with him because of my mother. Maybe he still would have tormented me. I know he wants to use me to get to Chase, but is there any other reason?

He glances at me with those eyes that definitely ask if I’m stupid. But then he returns his focus to the motorcycle. His jaw is healed, but the skin isn’t smooth there. I can’t believe that was his only injury with how damaged the bike and helmet are.

“Where did you get hurt?” I have to talk fairly loud to be heard over the music.

He releases a breath and says, “Volume four.”

The music turns down.