All the Lies We Tell (Quarry Road #1)(8)

She felt good there.

She felt . . . right.

Nestled just beneath his chin, the soft fall of her strawberry-blonde hair against his cheek, Alicia sighed. One hand went flat to his chest, over his heart, which to Niko’s embarrassment had started beating faster. Thump thump thump—no hiding his reaction to the way she felt against him.

She noticed. Of course she did. Alicia had always been the “smart” one of the two Harrison sisters, although Niko secretly had always thought she was just as pretty as Jennilynn. You couldn’t put much over on Alicia.

He waited for her to pull away. Both of them would laugh a little nervously, not looking at each other. She’d make a caustic comment, or he’d try to joke, and they’d pretend there’d been no small but rising heat between them. She’d pull away and go back to ignoring him, and he would tell himself it was better that way.

She didn’t pull away.





CHAPTER FIVE


Then


They were going to get caught; Alicia knew it.

“Did you get the beer?” Alicia paced nervously, repeatedly tucking her straight reddish hair behind her ears. She clamped the tip of her tongue between her teeth to keep them from chattering with anxiety.

Jennilynn tossed her blonde curls over her shoulders and gave Alicia a long, smug look. “Of course. I told you I would. A whole case.”

“How did you get a whole case of beer?”

A six-pack—that’s all they were supposed to get. Everyone was supposed to bring one. Alicia had also picked up some chips and dip, because you couldn’t have a party without snacks, right? And the boys from across the street weren’t going to think about it; maybe they’d grab some money from everyone later for a pizza or something, but they sure weren’t thinking about party snacks . . .

“Allie!” Jennilynn snapped her fingers in front of Alicia’s face. “Chill. You’re making me nervous.”

“How did you get a case of beer?” Alicia lowered her voice to a hissing whisper.

Mom and Dad were still here, getting ready in their room down the hall. They were going away for the weekend, leaving Jennilynn in charge for the first time. At seventeen, she was supposed to be old enough to handle things. She was supposed to be trustworthy, and what was the very first thing she did? Throw a party.

It’s going to end up bad for everyone, and there’s nothing I can do about it, because my sister is going to do whatever she wants. The way she always does. Jenni’s going to get us all in so much trouble.

Jennilynn smiled. Mysterious and beautiful: that was Alicia’s older sister. Jennilynn shrugged, her bare shoulders lifting and falling. It was October, but still warm. Jennilynn wore a halter dress, her collarbones exposed, and in the hollow of her throat rested the heart-shaped pendant Alicia had asked for, but had not received, for Christmas.

Two years apart in age, universes apart in coolness. It’s not fair. And she doesn’t even notice it.

“I know a guy.” Jennilynn shrugged again as she looked in the mirror.

Black flecks speckled the glass where the silvering had come off on the back. This mirror was an antique, attached to an old dresser that had been their grandma’s when she got married. When she died, their mom got it. It had been in their room forever, so both of them had gotten used to standing in weird poses in order to see all of themselves. Still, the way Jennilynn stood now, a hip cocked, her head tilting as she let her hands run up her sides until her fingertips rested on her chin, thumbs pressing downward on her throat . . .

Weird. And who’s this random beer-buying guy? Something’s going on with her, and she won’t tell me what it is.

“Where did you meet a guy that old? The diner?”

Jennilynn had been working there since she got her driver’s license, which was about the same time she started growing distant and irritable about things that never used to bother her. Now her dreamy, vacant expression went tight. She turned with another toss of her hair.

“What do you care? Ilya said bring beer. I’m bringing beer. What difference does it make to you what I had to do to get it?”

Asking how she got the beer and where she met the guy who was bringing it was totally different from asking what Jenni had to do to get it. “Jennilynn! What did you have to do?”

“Jesus, Alicia. Enough with the Spanish Inquisition. I met a guy, he’s old enough to get beer, and he likes me enough to bring it to the party. Quit acting like this is some kind of big deal, because it’s not.” Jennilynn turned to the mirror again, pursing her lips and turning her face from side to side as though she was looking at something only she could see.

“What’s going on with you lately?” Alicia demanded.

Jennilynn looked at her sister in the reflection, then once again turned to face her. Slowly, this time. Without the flounce. For a second or so, Alicia was sure her sister was going to come clean about all the secrets she’d been keeping lately, but then she shrugged and gave Alicia another vacant smile.

“Nothing.” It was a lie, and Alicia knew it. Worse, her sister knew that Alicia didn’t believe her, but she didn’t seem to care. “It’s going to be a slammin’ party. Don’t be such a loser.”

Alicia ignored the L her sister made with her thumb and first finger pressed to her forehead. “We’re going to get in trouble.”