In Between Lies Novels & Stories

Alice's eyes lifted to his, clearly uncomfortable. Warren's study was tucked away on the second floor of the mansion, far from the noise of the rest of the house. The room was spacious, dark wooden shelves covering two walls, filled with books, files, and neatly arranged documents. Warm light from a desk lamp fell across the room, leaving the corners slightly dim. The faint ticking of a wall clock was the only sound.

"I won't hide it from you—my lowest bid this time is nineteen million." The moment I finished speaking, Chelsea fell silent. I knew she had taken the bait. A faint smile curved my lips. Both of us, almost in unison, picked up our phones and sent out messages. Soon, the bidding results were announced. I secured the project—for fifteen million. Chelsea staggered, her body swaying. When she spoke, her voice was as rough as gravel scraping against stone. "Melissa… you lied to me again!" Her eyes were bloodshot, filled with rage.

I nudged his shoulder with mine, he nudged back. Then we bent over the notebook together, close enough that our elbows brushed every time we shifted in our spots. Neither of us apologized, nor did we pull away. And when it happened again, neither of us pretended not to notice. The next time our arms touched, River didn’t look down at the notebook. He looked at me. The teasing smile was gone. In its place was something open and uncertain, something that made the air between us feel slightly suffocating. “Hey, Sky?”