Tangled Web of Lies

Chapter four

Arielle

"Anyone who has a reason why these two should not be joined together in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace," the priest said.

I glanced up and found Ian's eyes on mine. He nodded his head toward where my mom and Charles stood. I narrowed mine at him in annoyance. If he really thought I was going to stop my mother's wedding because of the history between him and I, well, he had better think again.

As far as I was concerned, nothing had ever happened between us.

I hadn't even told Annie about it. It was too embarrassing and weird.

"Have I mentioned that your new step brother is a smoke show," my best friend wolf whistled behind me.

I glared at her, "About a hundred times. And stop admiring him, it's creepy and he's an asshole."

She snorted, "I don't plan on putting a ring on his finger, Ari. Relax. I bet he could make me forget all the other boys I've been with it. Is he not into women?"

I choked on my spit, attracting the attention of the entire garden. I raised my thumb up in a gesture to indicate everything was fine, my cheeks burning with humiliation.

"What's wrong with you?" I whispered to Annie, "You can't say thinks like that here. mum will murder me if I ruin her wedding."

Annie rolled her eyes with an impish grin, "She will get to do this all over again next year, anyway. Back to my question. Is he?"

"He likes women." I said stiffly.

"How do you know?" She raised one brow.

Well, because pinned me down to his hotel bed and thrust his massive tool inside me till I came more times than any normal human being should. Oh, and did I forget to mention that he kissed the sense out of me at a cafe bathroom a few days ago?

"He was flirting with the waitress at the cafe," I finally replied.

"He hasn't looked at me once," she sighed, "In my whole life, I've never had to work to make a man notice me."

My face screwed up in distaste, and I was suddenly annoyed, "Maybe if you stopped throwing yourself at him like a cheap slut, he would be more interested."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to swallow them back. My best friend stared at me like she had never seen me before, and I blamed Ian. He was messing my life up. Even now I could still feel the weight of his gaze on me.

"Annie, I'm_"

The sound of applause broke into my apology, and the new couple was already making their way down the path.

"It's time for the pictures," mum said.

"Go," Annie urged, "We'll make up later."

Pasting on a smile I didn't feel, I hurried to where the photographer was arranging mum and her new husband into positions. As if she wouldn't just rip everything up with a scissors a few months from now.

"Shouldn't a good daughter have been. paying attention to her mother's beautiful ceremony?" The cold voice sluiced down my spine and I stiffened immediately as Ian came up behind me..

"And what would you know about being a good daughter? Last I checked, you were neither a daughter, nor good," I said through clenched teeth, shifting away from him.

He chuckled, "Touche. But I do know a thing or two about being a good friend, and from the look of things, you aren't one."

I made a show of glancing around, "Hmm, it's interesting that i don't see any of your friends around. You must not be as good as you think."

"Unlike you, I don't subject my friends to torture."

"By torture you mean your company? How thoughtful of you, Ian," I tried to shift away from him, unfortunately for me, my clumsiness reared it's ugly head and I tripped on the hem of my dress.

I let out a startled squeak as I began to fall, when suddenly, a thick arm banded around my waist and I was hurled up into my step brother's muscular chest.

"Get your hands off me," I hissed venomously.

"Is this anyway to treat the man who just saved your life?" one of his eyebrows went up.

"I didn't ask you to," i pointed out, "And I'm sure I would have survived a little fall."

His gaze shifted down to my feet encased in silver five inch heels that I had borrowed from Annie a few months ago, "You could have twisted your ankle in those death traps."

"I didn't hear you complaining when I had them over your shoulders," I snarled, tearing away from his arms.

"What is going on, Ari!" My mother roared, "Behave yourself for chrissake. Are you trying to destroy my marriage on purpose? Are you so selfish that you care nothing of my happiness?"

"Yes, Ari," Ian's mouth pulled into a smirk, "Don't be so selfish. Let's all take a photo like a big happy family. People are watching."

I was already attracting attention from the guests, and the one thing I hated more than anything was being the center of attention. The question was, how did my stepbrother know that? I swallowed nervously. All I had to do was get today over with and then I'd never have to see him again until mum eventually divorced Charles Salvatore.

Easy peasy.

"Of course step brother dearest," wearing a face splitting smile, I stepped closer to him.

He stared at me suspiciously, "What are you playing at?"

"If it's a picture they want, we'll give them one."

The camera flashed once, twice, and just as the photographer positioned to take another, a stunning brunette stepped into the way.

"I almost thought I wouldn't make it," she flipped her hair over her shoulder, then her eyes landed on Ian's with an adoring smile, that promptly shifted to a sneer when she saw his hand on my hip.

"What are you doing here?" I had thought Ian had sounded angry all the times we had been bantering, but now, he sounded truly furious.

"A family picture is supposed to be for the entire family," the woman smiled, "isn't it, husband?"