All Chapters of Their Little White Lie: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

BLAZE WILLIAMS Lunch was served barely an hour after we were shown our room. A large buffet on a room service cart was wheeled into my room after I answered the door. The room service lady was neat in her white sailor pants and shirt. She smiled brightly, holding the trolley. “Can I take this in?” She asked me, standing outside my door. I looked around. The hallways were still a little busy but she was here alone. “Complementary?” I asked. “No but its being paid for already by a…” She lifted her ipad. “Joseph Williams,” We both chrused the name together. She found it funny and chuckled a little. After which she asked, “can I come in now?” “Of course.” I stepped to the side. I told her to take it to the living room. “You can leave it there, thank you…” I trailed off, looking for a name tag on her uniform. “Tulip,” she answered for me. Her face was red with embarrassment. “Tulip?” Tulip nodded. She laughed at how confused and shocked I was. As

BLAZE WILLIAMS I hated Christmas. I hated every celebration where it felt like it was being thrown at my face that my parents were separated. Thanksgiving, Valentine's, and Christmas. All of it. When Dad pulled me aside and told me he would be needing an entrance to my room tomorrow night, so his darling fiance and he could drop off gifts like Santa, I almost told him I wanted out of this cruise ship. “Why can't you just wait till Christmas morning and give us the gifts?” I asked him, already. I was already tired of the back-and-forth we were having. “That's not how Caroline does it,” Dad replied. “But that’s not how we do it too. Why do we have to adopt their traditions? Can we at least till after the marriage?” I asked, losing my mind. The sailing party had been going on for hours. The night was getting colder by the second. I was ready to retire for the night. I also had some work I had to attend to on my laptop but I was on the lookout for Tu

BLAZE WILLIAMS “We need to get you into the room, Sabrina. Come on,” I resorted to saying. Sabrina kissed me by the stairs. She told me two days ago that she wanted us to be just siblings. She was the one that said she couldn't handle being my lover and yet, she kissed me. I couldn't even tell if I was angry or impressed. The way I felt was new. “I can walk on my own,” Sabrina said. She stopped me from helping her to do anything. Sabrina smoothened her gown, a deep red-laced material that clung to her like second skin. She kissed me wearing that. And I had to be the stronger person. “I don’t mind,” I told her, trying again to hold her. Sabrina didn't let me. “I’m fine, Blaze. I can walk on my own.” Sabrina hissed and spun around. She was mad at me because I didn't reciprocate her actions. If only she knew how much of a torture it was for me to do that. I stood behind her and watched as she exhaled, slowly putting herself together. When she felt be

BLAZE WILLIAMS Dad raised his glass and tapped the side with his cutlery. We all turned to him and he cleared his throat. Dad got up, smiling at all of us. The cruise ship was heading back to the Island. Our arrival time was stipulated to be around noon. It was still Christmas. It was probably the best Christmas I had experienced in my lifetime. Carrie had gifted me a guitar and a stack of books with a note that read: ‘Your dad is a hard worker and you two are a lot alike. These are a few options for hobbies to relax with. Merry Christmas, Blaze!’ She got a gift for me when she didn't know me. There was nothing more thoughtful than that. “This has been the best weekend of my life,” dad started, beaming with joy. We all listened to him, mirroring the smile on his face. My cheeks hurt from smiling and I still could not bring myself to stop. I wish I was exaggerating. Really. “Same for me,” Carrie called after dad. She was the happiest person here. They

JOSEPH WILLIAMS My fiance called me for the third time that afternoon, while I was having lunch with my ex-wife. And I thought of busying the call yet again. “Maybe you should take that. Whoever it is can't seem to get the memo,” Leticia said. Her eyes slid across the phone, then she looked up, smirking. I ignored Leti. This was how she was. She intruded on people’s personal lives. Leti might think she knew who it was but she didn't. She would never guess right. I got up, taking my phone into my hands. “Let me use the restroom,” I said and excused myself. Leticia Miller, my ex-wife and mother to my son, had been blowing up my line all through the trip. She had called, texted, and even emailed. In her words, she deserved to know what step I was taking in my life because we shared a son. “Baby, how are you doing?” I talked softly as soon as I was in the restroom. I stopped at the sink and stood in front of the mirror. Staring but not quite looking. “A