Page 55 of Tell No Lies

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m reading how to use a drop cloth, and you’re reading how to paint. Do you think it’s a good idea we do this ourselves?”

He flashed me a determined look and scoffed. “We’re fine. It can’t be that hard. Just open that up, and I’ll tape off all the edges.”

I ripped open the bag and took out the plastic tarp. As I struggled to unfold it, I peeked into the paint can. “What color are we doing?”

Brandon smiled like he’d masterminded the newest million-dollar idea. “Navy. I matched the pillows you bought.”

I had to laugh at his enthusiasm. He was so proud of himself. “Very nice. Let’s get this done, and maybe I can take a nap before everyone gets here.”

By the time we were finished, Brandon admitted he should have hired professionals. It had taken us over three hours to finish one wall, and we’d ended up with almost as much paint on ourselves as on the wall.

“Alright, little sis. We did good. Go get cleaned up and take a nap. We have plenty of time to get everything ready later.”

“Yes, sir.” I saluted him before escaping to my room. Washing my hands and arms required all of the energy I could muster before collapsing on my bed.

When I woke up, my room was darker than I expected, and a quick glance at the clock confirmed that I only had a few minutes before people were expected to show. Brandon never should have let me sleep for so long.

After a record-breaking shower, I twisted my hair into a bun and put on mascara before I heard the doorbell ring. I pulled on a tank top and jeans before running out to meet everyone. Diane and Steve were deep in discussion in the corner with Brandon, so I joined Matt on the coach to avoid overhearing them talk about who I assumed was me.

“Hey, where’s your sister?”

Matt looked over and smiled coyly. “Am I not good enough for you?”

I loved this kid. “Of course you are! I just normally hear her before I see her. It’s dangerously quiet.”

“She’s out on the balcony with Mike, your boyfriend.”

Great, now Matt was teasing me. I gave him a mature eye roll. “Is there anything on, or should we turn on the video games?”

His face brightened at the words. “I’ll race you!” Mario Kart had been our favorite game to play back when he was little, and I would visit.

“You’d better watch it. I went easy on you because you were young. I’m not doing that anymore.”

I shot him what I hoped was an intimidating stare, but he rolled his eyes back at me.

“You underestimate me, Aubrey. My intelligence isolates me from my peers. Mario, Luigi, and Peach are my friends.”

I paused and waited to see if he would say he was joking. The thought of him sitting alone at school and coming home to play by himself broke my heart. He continued to set up the game as if everything was fine. Apparently, his girl situation hadn’t worked out.

After he handed me the second remote, we chose our characters: mine was Princess Peach, and he was Donkey Kong. I let him choose the course and sat back waiting for it to start. I needed more of this. Living with my mom had been stressful, so I had used dance as an escape, but here I felt at home. Every spare moment didn’t need to be spent away from my house. I smiled at Matt as the timer counted down. He shot me a menacing grin and took off, leaving me motionless at the starting line.

It only took a few rounds for me to regret my comments earlier. I had nothing on this kid! Diane announced it was time for dinner just before I was going to admit defeat. We climbed off the floor and took seats around the dining room table, which had never been used as long as I’d lived here.

Mckayla and Mike walked in from the balcony, laughing. As suspicious as they looked, I decided to let it go. Secrets were becoming the standard in my life. Once they slid into their seats, Mike winked at me, and Steve began serving up plates of roasted chicken.

“You were wonderful yesterday, Aubrey.” Diane was smiling at me while serving salad.

“You were there?” I hadn’t seen them before or after the competition.

“Of course! Steve had a meeting with a client in the morning, but we got there just in time to see Cassie’s first performance.”

“Why didn’t you say anything after? I wish I’d known you were there.”

“It’s no problem. You had a crowd around you, and I knew we’d have you to ourselves soon.”

I was touched that they’d made the effort to come. My mom had always attended, but it was more of an excuse to gather with her friends than to support me.