Lie Next to Me Read online

  He took a few steps backwards to avoid getting wet, but it didn’t matter; he got wet anyway.

  “I just wanted to let you know that I brought up a laptop and set it on the desk in case you needed a computer.”

  “You couldn’t just tell me that through the door?”

  “I knocked and you didn’t answer me. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn’t want to be held responsible if something happened to you.”

  “I’m fine. Now leave,” I said as I pointed my finger at the door.

  As he turned around and walked to the door, I called his name.

  “Ian.”

  He turned and looked at me.

  “You’re right. There’s nothing fair in life. Life’s nothing but a game of who will survive and who won’t. I’m a pawn in a game of struggle and disappointments. A game that no matter how many times I go around and around, I’ll never reach the end.”

  He didn’t say a word. He just turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

  Once I was finished with my bath, I climbed out and put on one of the satin nightgowns Ian had bought me. As I was brushing my hair, I saw the laptop through the mirror of the vanity. I took it from the desk and sat down on the bed. I pulled up local job listings and saw an ad for a coffeehouse that was hiring. They wanted experienced only. I had more than enough experience, considering I worked at a coffeehouse back in Indiana for four years. Needing paper and a pen, I got up and opened the drawer to the desk. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw some sitting there. I didn’t want to have to go downstairs and risk Ian asking what I was doing. I quickly wrote down the address of the coffeehouse and tucked it away in my new purse. As I climbed into bed, I reached over and turned off the light. My head was starting to throb and I needed to get some sleep.

  “Stephen, is that you?”

  “Help me, Rory. You promised you’d help me.”

  “Stephen, where are you? I can’t find you. It’s too dark.”

  “Rory. You promised me. You said you’d make me better and you lied. You lied, Rory,” Stephen screamed as he stabbed me.

  I screamed as loudly as I could and I heard Ian’s voice in the distance. “Rory, wake up. You’re having a nightmare,” he said as he shook me.

  My eyes flew open and I could barely breathe. I looked at Ian and then around the room, as I was curled up on the floor in the corner. My face was soaked with tears and my body was soaked in sweat. Ian was holding my arms and I was shaking. Suddenly, there was a woman standing in the doorway.

  “Ian, are you coming back to bed, baby?” she whined.

  I looked at her and then at him. I closed my eyes and slowly shook my head. “Go,” I whispered.

  “Get out of here. In fact, gather your stuff and leave,” Ian said to the girl.

  “But—”

  “No. Don’t say another word. Leave my house now!” he said.

  The girl turned away in a huff and, in an instant, she was gone. Ian brought his hand to my face and wiped away the tears underneath my eyes.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “It was just a nightmare. I’ll be fine,” I said as Ian helped me up.

  “What was your nightmare about?” he asked as he followed me to the bed.

  “It was nothing. Please, just leave me alone.”

  “Don’t tell me it was nothing. You were screaming at someone to stop.”

  “It was only my imagination,” I said harshly.

  Ian stood up and shook his head. “You know what? I’m done being nice to you or even trying to be your friend,” he said as he walked out and slammed the door shut.

  I lay down and pulled the covers close to me as I grasped the edge and held on for dear life.

  Chapter 5

  The next morning, after I got dressed, I walked downstairs to the kitchen where Charles was making breakfast.

  “Good morning, Rory. Would you like a fresh homemade blueberry muffin? They just came out of the oven thirty minutes ago. They’re Mr. Braxton’s favorite.”

  I don’t know why he felt the need to tell me that. I didn’t care what Ian’s favorite muffins were. “I bet he makes you hand-pick the blueberries. It wouldn’t surprise me.”

  “I heard that, Aurora,” Ian said as he walked into the kitchen in his dark gray tailored suit.

  God, he looked good. I rolled my eyes and took my blueberry muffin and coffee outside on the patio.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “Out on the patio,” I replied.

  “Why can’t you eat that here, at the dining table?”

  “I like being outside, if that’s okay with you.”

  “Suit yourself. I really don’t care what you do.”

  I sighed and sat down in the lounge chair. As soon as I was finished, I walked upstairs, grabbed my purse and, as I was heading out the front door, Ian stopped me.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Just into town to walk around. Don’t you have to go to your office or something?”

  “How do you plan on getting to town?” he asked.

  “I’m going to walk.”

  Ian chuckled as he shook his head. “Do you know how far that is on foot? I’m heading to the office now, so Joshua can drop you off wherever you need to go after he drops me at the office.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was sit in a car with him. I wanted to avoid him at all costs, especially after last night, but it was better than walking. At least, I thought it was.

  “Fine,” I said as I turned around and walked out the door.

  We climbed into the limo and both sat in silence. “Joshua, you can drop off Miss Sinclair first.”

  “I thought you had to get to the office.”

  “I do, but it’s no problem.”

  “Where would you like to be dropped off, Miss Sinclair?” Joshua asked.

  “It’s Rory, and here’s fine,” I said as he pulled up to the curb of an outdoor mall.

  Joshua got out, walked around, and opened the door for me. As I was about to get out, Ian grabbed my hand.

  “Here, you’ll need this.”

  I opened my hand and looked at the wad of money he gave me. “I don’t want your money, Ian,” I said as I threw it down on the seat and got out of the limo.

  I was still pissed at the fact that he doubted my past, but what really made me angry was how fast he went out last night and brought that whore to his bed. Who the hell does that? One minute, he’s taking me to dinner and giving me a laptop, and the next he’s fucking some girl in a room down the hall from me. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. The least he could have done was have some common courtesy and respect. You would think that a well-bred man like that would have even an ounce of it.

  I stepped inside the coffee house and looked around. It was crowded and all the tables were filled. The line of people was almost out the door. Behind the counter was a guy and a girl who looked like they were going absolutely crazy. The first customer in line was complaining that the latte she ordered wasn’t made right. I walked up to the edge of the counter and stood there for a moment until the girl looked up.

  “The line is back there?” she said.

  “I know, but I’m just here to get a job application. I saw your ad online.”

  “Do you have any experience at all?” she asked.

  “Yes. Back in Indiana, I worked at a coffee house for the last four years.”

  She stopped what she was doing and looked at me. “Okay, come behind the counter. This will be your interview because we need the help and you have the experience. I’m Jordyn and that guy standing at the register is Ollie. Hey, Ollie, say hi to—”

  “Rory.” I smiled.

  “Say hi to Rory.”

  Ollie gave me a small smile and nodded his head. Jordyn told me that my job was to make the customers’ drinks as fast as I could. About twenty minutes later, the crowd had cleared and everyone left happy. Jordyn turned and looked at me with a grin.
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  “You’re hired. You’re amazing! Isn’t she amazing, Ollie? Tell her she’s amazing.”

  “You’re amazing and welcome to Java Hut.” He smiled.

  A feeling of excitement overtook me as I felt like this was the first step in starting my life over. “Thank you. I really appreciate it. You have no idea how bad I need this job.”

  “Well, judging by your clothes, I assume you like the finer things in life.” Jordyn smiled.

  “It’s a long story.”

  “I’m going to run in the back and grab an application for you to fill out. You know, formalities and shit. So make yourself a coffee and go have a seat.”

  I smiled at her and made a caramel macchiato before taking a seat. Jordyn was a cute girl. I towered over her with my five-foot-seven-inch stature compared to her five-foot-two. Her blonde hair was cut into a cute bob style and she wore light makeup. She seemed to have a lot of energy and she acted really sweet. Ollie seemed a little more shy and reserved. He was cute with his longer black hair and bangs that swept to the side. As I sat at the table, Jordyn walked over and handed me the application.

  “Here, just fill out the required information. Can you start tomorrow?”

  “Yes. Tomorrow will be great,” I replied.

  “The position is part-time for now, but I might need you for extra hours.”

  “That’s fine. I want to work as much as I can.” I smiled.

  “You, my friend, are awesome. It’s so hard finding anybody who wants to work these days.”

  I looked over the application and when it came to me putting down my address, I realized I didn’t know it. Shit. I had to think of something quick. I left it blank and finished the rest of the application. I got up from the table and walked over to where Jordyn and Ollie were standing.

  “I just moved here a couple of weeks ago and I’m staying with a friend and I don’t know the house address.”

  “Oh, no problem. You can get it when you go home and then fill it in tomorrow when you start.” She smiled.

  “Thanks, Jordyn. I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” I said as I walked out the door.

  Now what? I walked around the corner and did a little window shopping, and when I was finished, I sat down on a small wooden bench. I had no clue how I was getting back to Ian’s house. I had no phone and no money, so I couldn’t even take the bus if I wanted to. I sat there for about an hour, trying to formulate a plan, when suddenly, a black limo pulled up to the curb and the window started to roll down.

  “I’m guessing you need a ride home.” Ian smiled.

  “What are you doing here, Ian?”

  “I’m not stupid, Rory. I knew you had no way of getting home, so I had Joshua keep tabs on you. Now get in.”

  I rolled my eyes as I got up from the bench and climbed into the back of the limo. Ian looked at me and smirked.

  “Did you have a nice day?”

  “I had a great day, thank you. I thought you told me last night that you were done being nice to me,” I said as I cocked my head.

  “I certainly couldn’t leave you stranded in a strange place. I’m not that mean.”

  Ian Braxton confused me. On one hand, he was a complete asshole, but on the other, he had a sweet side – a side that I wished he would show more often.

  “Aren’t you going to ask me how my day was?” he asked.

  “How was your day, Ian?” I sighed.

  “Fantastic. My day was fantastic, Aurora.”

  “Rory.” I sighed.

  “Let me tell you why my day was fantastic. I just closed a multi-million dollar deal that had been in negotiations for over a year and, to celebrate, I’m taking you to dinner.”

  “Remember what happened the last time you took me to dinner? You said it was a mistake and I ended up walking out.”

  “I do remember, since it was only last night, and I know that tonight will be different, right?”

  The truth was that I was starving, and I hadn’t had anything to eat all day except a blueberry muffin and coffee.

  “Dinner sounds nice and there’s actually another reason to celebrate.” I smiled.

  Ian tilted his head and gave a small smile. “Another reason? Are you going to tell me?”

  “Yes, I am. At dinner.”

  He arched his eyebrow as he looked at me. He was so sexy and I hated myself for thinking it. We pulled up to the front of the restaurant and Joshua opened the door for me. As I stepped out, Ian held out his arm. I looked over at him and saw that he had a cocky grin on his face. I hooked my arm around his and we walked inside. The restaurant was very casual, almost like a family dining place. It was sure a big difference from the restaurant he took me to last night. As we were seated in the booth, I looked at him and twisted my face.

  “What’s that look for? I don’t mind it. I think you’re adorable when you do that. But, why are you looking at me that way?”

  “I was just wondering why this restaurant. It seems very beneath you to dine in a restaurant like this.”

  Ian chuckled. “Well, it’s not my first choice of a restaurant, but I thought you’d be more comfortable here since it’s more—”

  “More what, Ian?” I sternly asked.

  “More your type of restaurant,” he said as he waved his hand in the air. I knew he did not just say that. Yep, he said it, and I could feel my skin starting to burn with anger. I took in a deep breath and remained calm. I was hungry and I wasn’t going to let his arrogant ass ruin my dinner.

  “That’s so sweet of you, Ian.” I smiled as I tilted my head. “You are so thoughtful to go slumming to make me comfortable.”

  “Now, Aurora. That’s not what I meant. You took that remark the wrong way.”

  “Did I, Ian? Then maybe you should explain to me what you meant.”

  The waitress walked over and asked us if we were ready to order. Ian looked at her and asked her nicely to give us a few moments to look over the menu. Ian opened his menu and, while he glanced at it, he tried to explain his words.

  “All I meant was that last night’s restaurant was fine dining at its best. This place is more, very casual dining, I guess you could say.”

  “You mean ‘lower class’ because that’s what I am.”

  Ian looked up at me from his menu and stared into my eyes. I stared back. He was searching for something inside me. But he wouldn’t find anything. It was nothing but a dark, cold, lonely place.

  “I never said that, Rory. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

  The waitress came and took our order. God, I was starving.

  “I have something for you,” Ian said as he reached into his suit pocket.

  He held a cell phone in his hand and he extended it across the table towards me. I looked at it and then at him. I was shocked that he would give me a phone.

  “What’s this for?” I asked.

  “For you. You can’t be walking around without a phone. What if I needed to get in touch with you or you needed help? My number to the house, office, and my cell phone are already programmed in, and so is Adalynn’s if you need to speak to her.”

  “Thank you, Ian, but I can’t accept it. You’ve done enough already.”

  “Nonsense. You need a phone, Rory. Just take it and don’t mention it again.”

  “I’ll pay you back when I get my first check.”

  Ian took a sip of his water and, as he set the glass down, he looked at me strangely. “What do you mean when you get your first check?”

  “That’s the news I wanted to tell you! I got a job today. I’m working at Java Hut, and I start tomorrow morning!” I smiled.

  Ian looked down. “I see. Why did you feel the need to go and get a job? I don’t think you’re fully healed yet.”

  “I’m fine, and I’m in less pain every day. In fact, I’m going to start running again. I got the job because I need to start over. I need to get my life back on track, and I need to find my brother. In order to do that, I need money.”

  Ian looked at
me and paused before speaking. “You sure have a lot of needs.” He smiled.

  I couldn’t help but smile when he said that because the smile on his face was something that captured me every time.

  “You mentioned that you run.”

  “I used to run every day until—” I stopped as I looked down at my food.

  “It’s okay, Rory. You just took a little break. You’ll be running again soon. Maybe we can go running together,” he said.

  “You run?”

  “Yes. I run along the beach every morning.”

  “I’ve never seen you run.”

  “That’s because I’m up and out at the crack of dawn. You’re still sleeping.” He smiled.

  “I’d like that,” I said.

  The way Ian looked at me after I said that was different. I saw something in his eyes that I’d never seen before: a glimmer of light.

  Chapter 6

  We headed back to the house and Ian said he had some work to do, so he walked straight into his study and shut the door. I went upstairs to change into more comfortable clothing and then went and sat in the lounge chair on the patio and stared out into the night. Listening to the waves lap against the shore was peaceful. I began to think about Stephen. My mind wandered back to when Stephen and I were living in that house. As I was slowly closing my eyes and starting to drift off, I was startled by Ian’s loud voice behind me.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that your brother is your twin?”

  “Jesus, Ian, you scared the shit out of me. What the hell does it matter and how did you find out?”

  “It doesn’t matter how I found out. What matters is that you aren’t being honest with me and I want to know what else you’re hiding.”

  A rage began to brew up inside me as I contemplated whether or not to go off on him. I opted for going off on him. I shot up from the chair and stared directly into his eyes as I pushed my finger into his chest.

  “I’ve been honest with you about everything. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Stephen is my twin brother and it wasn’t something I was trying to hide. Do you know how embarrassing it was even to tell you that it was my brother who attacked me and that he’s schizophrenic? You already think I’m trash as it is,” I yelled, and turned and walked away.