Lost In Lies Read Online Free PDF Page B

camp to a different part of the beach that seems to be right up Peter’s ally. My eyes wander around at the girls barely wearing bikinis as they drink from cups overflowing with some sort of alcoholic substance. Most of them are wearing big-name labels, and those who aren’t openly wearing them on their chests are openly wearing them on their handbags. Just as I thought I had escaped this kind of world, here I am landed right back in, still on the outside looking in.
                  The four of us head through a crowd of people toward a luxury beach home, where even more people are lingering. Eiden smirks at girls tanning, their strings untied but the material left on just enough to keep the imagination from having to work too hard. Moments before my feet hit the inside of the house, an amazing aroma hits my nose indicating to my stomach not to fear—food is indeed near. Once we’ve crossed the threshold and through to the other side into what I assume is the backyard, if you can call it that, I see a DJ on a deck mixing music, teens dancing wildly in the pre-noon sun, and food being grilled and served next to a buffet of treats that could easily suit anyone’s taste. There are benches, tables, and to no surprise, a pool area closer to the DJ, where even more people are gathered.
                  “Looks like we hit the mother lode,” Eiden mutters in my ear.
                  Suddenly, Belle and Aiden come to a halt, and I nearly run into them. Barely able to pump my breaks in time, I mumble over her shoulder, “Why’d you stop?”
                  She nods her head forward, and I see a very brief hand motion before Justin and Peter part ways from each other, still holding the females’ attention. Belle leans back and she sighs, “This is the part where I follow Peter and become his new girl of interest. Excuse me.”
                  Belle struts off, her don’t-screw-with-me attitude radiating enough to intimidate a clear path through the first part of her journey. I turn to where I thought Eiden was standing, only to realize that he’s disappeared. Jaw open, I turn back to Aiden to ask him where his brother slipped away to, and he’s vanished too. Geez, it’s like everyone in this group is really good at that Houdini trick except me. Note to self: Get better at that.
                  My stomach growls, and immediately, I make my way toward the grill area, where I grab a fresh-made hot dog, a skewer, a small salad, some fresh pineapple, and a cup of water. Pleased at the sight overflowing on my plate, I escort myself over to an unclaimed high-top bar table, where I waste no time destroying the hot dog and damn near chug the water.
                  Right as I’m about to bite into a piece of steak on the skewer, someone slides over to me, a little out of breath, snatches off his black fedora, and tosses it to the ground beside his feet. I can picture the warm, yet devious smile spreading across his lips. With a smile of my own I glance down at the fedora, flattered that Justin would want to relive our first meeting with a reenactment—a cute yet simple way to add a little romance to the day.
                  “Do me a favor?” The boy ruffles his dark-brown, professionally blond-highlighted hair. “Pretend I’ve been here the whole time?”
                  I blink twice trying to adjust to this unexpected, unfamiliar face. The last time a handsome stranger came up to me and asked me to do him this kind of a favor, it turned out to be a con. Now, mind you, what are the chances that this could happen twice in a person’s life, let alone twice in a few months? But, that’s not a question I want to risk getting an honest answer to.
                  What is this guy up to? Knowing I should brush him off, knowing I should tell him to be gone, knowing I should just tell him no, I fall into his soft,