Simple Lies Read online

  Simple Lies

  by

  Amanda Bennett

  © 2015 by Amanda Bennett

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine, website or journal.

  All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  One

  Hadley

  “Hadley Smith?”

  My head popped up off of my arm as I heard my name echo throughout the small classroom. “Present.” I responded quietly, before laying my head back down on my desk.

  “You know one of these days, you’re gonna get your ass into trouble.”

  I lifted my head slightly, so I was now looking Ellie in the eyes. “For what? It’s not like I’m failing while I sleep. Mind your own business.” I growled as I turned my head in the opposite direction.

  “I dunno who pissed in your cornflakes this mornin’, but chill out.” She sneered.

  I rolled my eyes as she spoke, wishing that she would stop trying to mother me for just one second. If I wasn’t getting straight A’s, I probably would’ve taken what she said to heart, but I was literally the best student in this god-forsaken school. So if Mr. Henderson had a problem with me sleeping through the first part of his class, then maybe he should say something to me.

  “Alright, let’s all open our books to page eleven and we will get started.”

  The entire class begrudgingly opened their books as they all let out a displeased groan. I on the other hand, opened my notebook and started to doodle, just as I did every other morning. As the next hour and a half slid by at a glacial pace, I found myself wondering what it was I wanted out of this life. I wondered if Ellie and I would remain friends after high school, and if she would ever get off my back when it came to schoolwork. I glanced over at her as she and the rest of the class started the assignment that Mr. Henderson had just given out, and wondered if she ever questioned how our lives were going to end up after all of this. But most importantly, I wondered if either of us would ever know what it was like to be truly loved by another person.

  “What?” She whispered.

  I shook my head. “Nothing.”

  “It doesn’t look like nothin’. What’s goin’ on with you today?”

  I could tell she was getting frustrated with me. For the last week, I hadn’t quite been myself. Although I usually found myself confiding in Ellie, lately I found myself not wanting to burden her with my problems, when both of us had enough to worry about at home. See, Eleanor, or Ellie like everyone called her, is my foster sister. We have been sisters for ten years now, and I couldn’t imagine sharing every day with anyone else. Though I didn’t have much to compare it to, I knew that having someone like Ellie in my life made me a better person.

  What I didn’t want to tell Ellie was that our foster father, Greg, had once again tried to get me to do things with him last night, and now I was exhausted from fighting him off of me. There was no reason to bother her with my issues, when I knew she had much bigger deep-seeded issues that she dealt with on an everyday basis. When I glanced back up at her, she was still staring at me, waiting for some semblance of an answer.

  “Oh my god. Stop staring at me. I’m fine. I just didn’t get much sleep last night, that’s all. You walking home with me today?” I knew it sounded silly asking her that, given the fact that we lived in the same house, but Ellie always found after school activities to participate in so she wouldn’t have to go home. She was much smarter about our foster father than I was.

  “I’m helping out with the talent show after school today. Only a week left, and they need all the help they can get with the decorations. Can you please tell Thing 1 and Thing 2, I’ll be home late?”

  I let out a small laugh at the stupid nicknames she had come up with for our foster parents. “Sure.” I muttered, as I went back to reading our current assignment.

  The bell rang a short while later, and Ellie and myself quickly gathered up our belongings and hightailed it out of there. As we walked towards the auditorium, an overwhelming sense of despair washed over me as I waved good-bye to Ellie. And as she disappeared behind the yellow double doors, a cool breeze suddenly caressed my exposed skin, causing me to cross my arms over my chest, hugging them tightly to my body as a shiver ran down my spine. I couldn’t quite explain the feeling I was experiencing at the time, but eventually it would become all too clear to me. I stood there staring at those bright yellow doors for what felt like hours before I finally headed home.

  That was the last time I would see Ellie, and everyday since, I had spent every minute I could of those days, trying to find her.

  “Hadley?” I quickly snapped out of my reverie as I heard someone calling my name. I turned my head in the direction that the voice was coming from, and almost instantly regretted it. “Hadley, I’ve been calling your name for like three minutes. Is everything okay?”

  I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to dislodge the memory from my brain so the inquisition would stop before it could even start. “Sorry, Tammy. No, everything is fine.” I tried to walk past her towards the register, but she gently caught my wrist and pulled me to a stop.

  “You know you can tell me, if there’s ever anything, you know…botherin’ you?” She seemed to get extremely awkward, which in turn made the entire situation awkward.

  I gently pulled my hand from her grasp, and nodded my head. “Yeah…thanks.”

  When I got up to the register, I was relieved to see that my friend PJ was finally here for her shift. “Hey girl, how were classes today?”

  “Oh my god, they were amazing. There’s a new guy in my Econ class, and he is…HOT.” PJ’s mouth dropped open as she pretended to fan herself.

  “You’re too funny. I wish I had something nice to look at in class. Mr. Reezer isn’t much of a looker, if ya know what I mean.” I laughed.

  “So…I’m gonna ask once again, because I’m hoping that one day you will eventually say yes. You wanna go out with me tonight after work? We don’t have to stay out too late. Let’s just go get a drink at Riley’s down the street. I promise to have you back in time to study all night, and then get up and repeat the process all over again.”

  PJ was bent over the counter with her chin on her hands, as she batted her eyelashes at me. Her naturally curly red hair, bounced against her shoulders as she moved her head side to side, just waiting for an answer. As much as I wanted to say no, only because I promised myself that I would concentrate more on school this year, I found myself falling for PJ’s innocent persuasive look. “Does this always work?” I pointed at her pouty lips and sparkling blue eyes.

  “Not always, but…okay who am I kidding? It pretty much always works.” She smiled. “Come on. You work far too hard, and you deserve a break. When is the last time you actually let yourself have a good time?”

  I stood there trying to remember the last time I had actually let myself do just that, and not worry about school, or someone else, or curfew, but I was coming up empty. Since fifth grade, I had done nothing but make sure I got the best grades, so I could get into the best school, and as far away from my old life as possible. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if I remembered how to have a good time.

  I shook my head in mock annoyance, as my best friend’s smile grew ten times wider than it already was. And that was saying a lot. “Fine.” I muttered. “If you’re gonna make me.” I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my lips.

  “Oh my god, no way!” PJ was jumping up and down and screeching, causing everybody in the student store to
stare at us. But honestly, they would’ve been staring at us regardless.

  From the minute I met PJ, I knew my life would never be the same. I was anxiously standing in line at freshman orientation, when a loud boisterous voice echoed throughout the quad. When I turned to see who belonged to the voice, I saw a sea of red curls headed straight for me. I remember being in awe of her looks, wishing that people would one day notice me the way they seemed to be noticing her. When she looked up at me, she let out a loud laugh and swung her arm over my shoulders, “Ya know, if I wanted to be treated like cattle, I never would’ve left the farm.” She said it with a sweet southern drawl, and loud enough for everyone to hear, and while others would’ve been embarrassed; I chose to laugh along with her, which instantly solidified our friendship.

  Pamela Jo, or PJ as she was better known as, was from a small farm in the middle of nowhere Kentucky. She was a feisty firecracker, and we were so much alike, it was scary. As much as I wish I ‘d been able to start my college career with Ellie, it was quite easy for PJ to replace her in a sense. And it was comforting knowing that I always had someone to lean on. I grabbed a stack of books to put them out on the floor, all the while trying to get away from PJ and her bubbly mood that I had absolutely no patience for today, but she followed me.

  “So how’s Ryan?” I could hear the disdain in her voice as she said his name, but I tried to ignore it.

  “He’s fine…I suppose. Haven’t talked to him much lately.” I continued to stack books and fold sweatshirts as she continued with her inquisition.

  “Are we together now, or are we still on a “break”?”

  “Are you always going to be this bitchy when you talk about him?” She shrugged as she pulled herself up on one of the tables to sit, while I worked. Typical PJ.

  “No, not always.” She laughed. “I just think he should treat you better, that’s all.”

  “Well, if you must know, yes…we are still on a break. And…if Tammy catches you sitting down, again, she’s gonna fire your ass.”

  “Ooooh, like I’m scared of that twit. She is seriously all bark and absolutely no bite. So what happened this time?”

  I really didn’t want to have this conversation with her, but I also knew that PJ didn’t let things go. “Some crap about how we want different things in life, or maybe he said we were on different paths. Honestly, I wasn’t really paying much attention to what he was saying. I’ve heard it all before, and I don’t need to be reminded that he has a bright future, and that I apparently don’t.”

  “That’s bullshit and you know it. He only wishes he could keep someone as amazing as you. You’re gonna do great things, girl.”

  “Thanks for the pep talk, PJ. Now can I get back to work?”

  She shrugged and laughed as she jumped down from the table. “Fine. I guess I’ll go find some work to do too. I’ll pick you up at nine tonight. Don’t be late.”

  I gave her a wave and continued to finish working my butt off for crap pay, and an even crappier boss. Yeah, I was definitely going to do great things.

  TWO

  Declan

  “You ready for this, man?” Braxton clamped his hands down on my shoulders, gripping them tight. “You’re gonna eat this guy alive. He ain’t got a chance in hell.”

  I could hear the roar of the crowd through the double doors in front of us, and it was gettin’ me even more pumped. I let my eyes flutter shut as I bounced back and forth on my toes, shaking my hands at my sides. Before I knew it, the announcer was calling my name, and that was my cue to go. I took in a deep breath as I pulled my hood up over my head, and then pushed the double doors open as hard as I could. The crowd’s roar intensified as I made my way out towards the ring, and suddenly, I felt invincible.

  As I approached the official, I pulled my hoodie over my head, and dropped it to the ground as I slid my feet out of my shoes. I could feel my heart begin to beat erratically as I glanced around the venue jam packed full of people. When I caught sight of Braxton and his big goofy ass grin, I instantly felt at ease. As nerve wracking as fighting was, having my childhood best friend by my side, supporting me the way he did, made me feel as though I could conquer the world. There wasn’t a single thing that either one of us had done in our lives thus far that we hadn’t supported one another on. And given all the shit I had been through, it was nice to know that I had someone I could always count on.

  “Fighter, step forward.” The official motioned for me to step in front of him, and I did.

  I knew the drill. This most definitely wasn’t my first time in the ring, and I knew exactly what was expected of me. The official checked my gloves, behind my ears, and then proceeded to lather my face up with Vaseline. I opened my eyes, staring directly into the man’s eyes in front of me and smiled, before pushing my mouth guard into my mouth, grabbing my cup and running up into the ring. Once inside, I ran around the cage, enticing the crowd and tryin’ to get them riled up. I pumped my fists into the air above me, causing the entire front row of women to cat call, and whistle. I gave them a quick smile and a wink, then turned my attention to my opponent who was just entering the ring.

  Tonight I was fighting Roy Deverow from Las Vegas. He was a pretty beefy guy, even for fighting in the light heavyweight division, and he packed one hell of a punch. Roy and I had fought previously, before either of us had made it into the UFC, and he had kicked my ass. He had been my third fight since I started, and I was cocky as shit, thinking I could take out anyone I faced. Fortunately for me, my first fight with Roy humbled me in a way that helped me get to where I was today; I would never tell him that though.

  I shook my arms out and rolled my neck from side to side as I prepared myself for a grueling fight. I took one glance back at Braxton, and then focused my attention on Roy as the first bell rang. The noise of the crowd faded away, leaving nothing but the sound of my breath being forced in and out of my lungs. Roy came at me, swinging hard and quick, but I managed to dodge every hit with ease. I held my fists up in front of my face, waiting for the right moment to make my move.

  He swung again, and I ducked down. As I came back up, Roy dropped his hands, leaving a perfect opening for me to get a clean hit. I put all my weight behind my fist as I swung my right hand out to the side, connecting full force with Roy’s jaw. As I followed through and prepared to come at him again with my left, his body began to fall to the ground. A loud thump vibrated through the floor beneath me, and the crowd immediately fell silent. I glanced down at Roy, praying that he was still breathing, when the ref came over to call the fight. Roy still hadn’t moved, but I could see his chest moving up and down. A few seconds later, he came to and I helped him get to his feet.

  “You okay, man?” I spoke so only he could hear me.

  He gave a nod, and we both headed to the middle of the ring so the ref could announce the official winner. “And the winner by knockout…Declan “Heavy Hands” Hunter.” The ref raised my hand, and the crowd grew wild.

  I turned to Roy, and we patted each other on the back before he quietly left the ring. The announcer came running over to me, and I was instantly on edge. I hated the press, and I hated having to talk about a fight everyone just watched.

  “WOW! What a fight tonight, Declan Hunter. Let’s take one more look at that beautiful punch.” The clip started to play, but I didn’t watch. I didn’t need to relive my win like most guys did. “Amazing! How were you feeling coming into tonight’s fight?”

  “I felt great. I knew exactly what I needed to do to win, and I just kept my hands up and my eyes open.”

  “Now, you’ve fought Roy before. Do you think that helped you win tonight?”

  “Yes I’ve fought him before, but no I don’t think that helped tonight. Everyone’s fighting style changes a bit as we get further along in our career. Roy is an awesome fighter, and came into it expecting nothing but an all out brawl, I guess I just got…lucky.”

  “Lucky huh? I don’t think I would call it luck. Your timing is impe
ccable, and I think we all can see why they call you ‘Heavy Hands’.”

  “Thank you.”

  “There you have it ladies and gentlemen, your winner…Declan “Heavy Hands” Hunter. We look forward to seeing you again soon, man.” I nodded, and then turned to show off to the crowd a bit. They all cheered and whistled as I made my way out of the ring and back to the locker room.

  When I got back to the locker room, Braxton was nowhere to be found, and I in turn, found that rather odd. He was always anxiously awaiting my arrival after a win, or any fight for that matter. I pushed my way through the doors and walked towards my trainer Tommy, who immediately began cutting off the tape around my gloves. Once my hands were free, I flexed my fingers, trying to get the blood flowing back into them.

  “Good fight tonight, boy.” Tommy wasn’t a huge conversationalist, and for that I was extremely grateful.

  “Thanks.”

  “Were you looking for anyone in particular earlier?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.” I feigned stupid. Every one else seemed to know that she would never show up to one of my fights again…everyone but me.

  “Ah, okay. I’ll see ya first thing Monday morning. Don’t be late.”

  “I’ll see ya then, Tommy. Thanks.” He tipped his hat at to me, and then off he went.

  I sat down on the bench as I pulled my hoodie over my head and tied my shoes. My mind always had a way of making its way back to thoughts of her. She consumed my every waking thought most of the time, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it would ever end. As much as I missed her and wished that things could be different for us, I knew that it was better this way. I would never give up who I was or what I did, for a girl. Especially not one who was unwilling to compromise, herself. I stood and grabbed my bag, when I heard the doors open, and then shut.

  “Hey man. Oh my god, what a fight, bro. How ya feelin’?”

  I turned to look at Braxton with complete irritation in my expression. “I feel fine. I’m out of here. I’ll see ya later.” I pushed my way past him and started making my way down the hall that lead to the parking lot.