All the Truths (Lies & Truths Duet, #2)

by Rina Kent

She doesn’t kiss me back. Reina never kisses me back, but at least this time, she doesn’t push me away, she just lets me kiss the daylights out of her while she stands there, both her hands glued to her side.

“Forget me, Asher,” she whispers. “I don’t deserve whatever you’re doing for me.”

“You think that can happen with a snap of a finger? If I could, I would’ve done it ages ago.”

“Try me. You keep bringing out my ugly side, and I’m curious to see how far I’ll go.”

I want her to want me as much as I want her. She’s been giving me fucking blue balls for years.

When I was ten, I became responsible for Ari and myself. Alexander was useless. I had to be an adult too young, and over time, I always wanted to tell someone I missed my mom.

That, sometimes, I looked at her picture and blamed her for leaving us with Alexander, and then I felt shitty about it.

“I want my mom to be proud of me when we meet again. I miss her, too.”

She used to talk to me and tell me things. We used to be friends, best friends even.

It’s become the worst since Gareth’s death. She let me hug her to sleep on the night of his funeral, just that one night, and in the morning, she turned into this unfeeling statue who acted like a robot.

“Oh my God. What happened, Gray?” Ari is the only one who calls me by my middle name.

“How was my favorite girl’s day?”

This thing won’t stop. Call it an obsession, an addiction, or sheer insanity, but it just won’t stop. It keeps pulsing under my skin like a fucking beast, destructive and deadly.

“Reina is special, but she doesn’t love anyone.”

“Not even you, Gray.”

“Of course. I’m only with her because of Alexander and Gareth’s deal. Reina means fuck to me. I never even liked her that much.”

You’re the first person I’m telling this, and…and…I-I don’t want you to judge me.”

“When Reina came into our lives, she took care of me without asking for anything in return. It made me feel so grateful to have someone else besides you and Dad care for me. I thought…I thought only my family would ever love me, so when Reina did, it brought brightness to my life.”

She took care of her and stopped other students from bullying her. And for that, I’m grateful.

“I love Rei.”

“No, not that type of love. I’m in love with her, Gray—romantically. Like I can’t live without her.”

I remain still as if someone spilled a bucket of ice w...

In love with her. Romantically. What in the e...

Am I surprised my baby sister prefers girls? Sure, a little, but I’m not judging her for that. Not at all.

“I’ll never hate you, Ari. You’re my baby sister. I’ll love you until you’re old and gray.”

I just hope Reina will turn her down gently. She usually has a good motherly instinct with her.

“Thanks, Gray!” She throws her arms around my neck in a hug. “You’re the best brother in the world.”

No, I’m the worst. Because I don’t want to share Reina. Not even with my sister.

Then…the end. I kid you not, he stopped as soon as I orgasmed, just as he does every night. Oral sex is the only thing we’ve done. Asher has never gone all the way with me or attempted to.

He’s here beside me, but sometimes, he’s not. A burst of loneliness hits me whenever he cuts me off and disappears inside his black castle with high towers and metal gates.

Every castle has an opening; I just need to search closer to find it.

Because I don’t want to have parts of Asher while he keeps the others hidden.

I want the light and the darkness. The sanity and the madness. The beauty and the ugliness. I want everything.

“What do you think? He walked out. I’ve never seen him as angry as he was then. I’m sure he’s the one who attacked the teacher that weekend and forced him to quit.”

“As I was saying, that incident and the bra incident were so close. It was really bad between you and Asher.”

“Super bad, like you could feel the tension in the air whenever you were in the same place. No one knew if you were going to fuck or shoot each other in the head.”

“But you always had shitty communication with each ot...

Is this even a case of communication gone wrong? The evidence was all there. I thought he cheated on me, and then he witnessed a disgusting scene.

“Then, soon after those incidents, Arianna committed suicide. It killed your relationship once and for all,”

Hell, I don’t think I can even give him back to Reina if she returns and asks for her life back.

“Beats me. All I know is she was a little creep and Asher left you and Blackwood right after her death.”

“You’re such an unfeeling bitch, Rei. No wonder Asher left you. Who wants to be with a cold stone like you anyway?”

No wonder Asher left me. No wonder he’s planning to leave me again. It’s all because of Arianna.

People think I don’t feel. I wish I didn’t. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have the urge to jam my foot into a wall then break down in tears.

Mom said crying is for weaklings. I’m strong, just like my mom, just like Reina, who I hope is also holding on.

Ever since I’ve gotten to know her, I’ve seen a similarity to my relationship with Reina. No one can replace Reina in my heart, but Ari comes close. I’ve loved her and taken care of her as a sister since we met six years ago.

Her brother and I silently agreed to protect her from the harsh world surrounding her.

Just when did we reach this phase? When did Asher and I stop holding hands and sneaking out to meet each other?

When he first kissed me at fourteen. A real kiss, a kiss with sloppy lips and clinking teeth and wandering tongues.

realized I couldn’t possibly live without this boy anymore, and it scared the fuck out of me because Asher isn’t mine. He’s Reina’s. I was only supposed to be friends with him, not decide I...