Pieces of Lies (25 page)

“Let me go,” I tried to shift out of his grip but his grasp on my arm was tight. I was so close to letting Clint back in. I needed to get out of this cabin.

“I love you Norah, please give us a real chance. Please tell me that you believe me. Last night,”

“Clint, last night I was…”

“Don’t say you did that because you were drunk.”

“No, I wanted you, I won’t lie, but I’m still, confused.”

“Is this about Josh? You told me you kissed him. Has it changed how you feel?”

“I…”

'I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know
,' was repeating over and over in my head.

“Fuuuuck Norah. I can’t stand that I can’t control any of this. I feel completely helpless, knowing I may have destroyed the one thing that has ever meant something to me.”

That pulled at my heart. Why was I punishing him so much? Was it because I cared too much for him, knowing how easily I could be broken again if I lost him too? Or was it because I did want to be with Josh and I was trying to push Clint away? My mind couldn’t find clarity. Too much had happened in such a short span of time and nothing seemed to be making sense about how I really felt.

“Norah, I know you feel it too. What we have is special. Don’t walk away from it.” 

I turned my face away so he couldn’t see.

“Let me look at you please.”

I turned my face back around and tears had fallen onto my cheeks. My body went limp in his hold as he took my face in his hands.

“You are so beautiful, do you know that Norah? Crying doesn’t make you weak, it tells me that you are just as affected as me, and I thank you for that. It gives me hope.”

Damn my body and my inability not to suppress those tears.

“Do you have any idea what you are saying Clint? I don’t think you grasp the severity of what being with me means. Do you know what my father has done, what type of man he is? People will always think differently of me because of my name. Normality in a relationship will never be possible with me.” Tears continued to streak down my cheeks as I spoke.

“I don’t want normal Norah, I just want you any way I can. Normal would never feel right with someone as precious and unique as you.”

“Clint, don’t.  I’m not quite sure. I just need a little more time. I’ve still got to sort out this thing with the Lappell before I even think about a relationship”

I stepped back from him and wiped my face with my arm.  I had to get my emotions back under control.  

“I told you that I’m sorting it out for us, my trust…”

My palms flew up in the air halting what he was trying to say.

“No, I won’t allow you to do that.”

He stepped towards me, trying to get close again. “But it’s my choice.”

I closed my eyes, sighed heavily and opened them to look at Clint. He had to understand that using his trust was not the way out of this situation.

“It’s the wrong choice Clint. That money is your future, and I’ll feel like I’ve been bought.”

“That’s not my intention.”

“I know that, but there must be another way.” I finally turned around and headed for the door and walked out of the cabin. I had to leave the conversation where it was. Emotions were running high and I had exposed myself more then I should have. 

Clint started the long drive back to my apartment. I closed my eyes for a few minutes, trying to steady the millions of thoughts racing through, and when I opened them, I saw we were rounding the corner to my apartment block. I had been asleep in his car for nearly two hours. 

My next priority was to try and decide the best course of action with the Lappell, and then I would focus on my heart. Slowly, as we drove down my street, I noticed a figure emerging from the entrance of my apartment building. As I looked closer, I realized it was Josh.

“Uh oh,” I said out loud. I could see Josh’s eyes squinting as he recognized Clint’s car. Josh was standing wide eyed on the footpath, looking at me through the windscreen, a look of shock on his face. I took a deep breath.
This was going to be ugly.
 

I tried to open the car door when we pulled up, but Josh had already run over to my side, whipping the door open and helping me out as if trying to save me from the clutches of hell.

“Norah, where have you been? Are you OK?” His eyes focused on mine, trying to sense if I was distressed. Clint watched as Josh pulled me into his arms and his body flinched. He raced over to my side of the car and pulled at Josh’s shoulders as he held me close to his body. It was all happening so fast I could barely get any words out.

“Let go of her Hollows.” Clint demanded.

Josh’s head instantly turned and glared at him. “After what you did to her? I don’t think so,” and he increased his hold on me, my face buried in his chest even more. I couldn’t even talk. My mouth was pushed into Josh’s T-shirt. Clint looked at Josh’s hands, rubbing my back and he pulled at Josh's shoulder again.

“I said. Let. Her. Go.” Clint's voice was even angier then before.

I pulled out of Josh’s embrace, feeling the heated display of testosterone in the air. “Stop you two, just stop.” They both looked at me as I tried to calm them down.

“What lies has he been feeding you Norah!” Josh blurted out. Clint lunged at Josh, but I held up my arm, halting him to a standstill.

“Josh, stop. Clint just wanted to explain a few things to me.” Josh saw my face soften as I looked at Clint. I was thinking about all the beautiful things he had said at the cabin.

“You can’t honestly tell me you believe him do you? C’mon Norah, he only does what the Lappell and his mummy and daddy tell him to do.”

That hit a nerve and Clint lunged again, both my arms stopping him this time as his weight shifted into my palms. “Motherfu..” and I cut Clint off.

“Stop. Josh don’t.” But it was like neither of them could hear me.

Clint's voice lifted in rage, “And what about you Hollows? You dragged her to all our parties knowing they could have easily found out who she really was. Perhaps Wickburn got to you too; maybe I wasn’t the only one he asked to pull her in.”

I put my arms down and turned to stare at Josh, not even considering that possibility, and now the feeling of being side-swiped was hitting me all over again. 

“Where have you been for three days Josh? I needed you.”

I saw Clint’s fists tense as I used those words. 

“Norah, he is trying to manipulate you, don’t you see. He is a liar. He has an agenda.” Josh was trying to talk some sense into me. Clint saw the confusion in my face and took another stab at Josh.

“Are you sure it’s me with the agenda?”

Clint’s eyes darted to Josh as did mine. Josh look horrified, “Are you serious Norah? You have known me forever, through everything,” and he placed his hand on my cheek.

Clint’s face was seeing red.

“I never encouraged you to join the Lappell, you know that. I took you to those parties because you are my best friend, and…” He stopped, looked behind me to Clint and then back to me, tilting his head ever so slightly. “I’m in love with you Norah, wholly and solely in love with you. You know me and I know you. The good and the bad. Our kiss; it’s all I’ve thought about. I took you to those parties so we could take the next step in our friendship. I’m sure you know that.”

My heart skipped a beat.
I did know that.

In an instant I was cast aside for a fight yet again, as Clint pounced on Josh. They began to wrestle on the grass and I helplessly watched on as my lover and best friend threw punches at one another. I tried to pull Clint off Josh, but he seemed determined to pummel Josh into the ground. He tried to move his shoulder to stop me from grabbing onto his shirt, but when he looked around and saw I was desperately trying to pull them apart, he stilled, allowing Josh to roll away.

Josh was the first to his feet, “Norah I’m going to fix this.”

Then Clint stood up next to him. “Like hell you are, I’m fixing this,” and their eyes met fiercely again as the heat flamed between them.

“I DO NOT NEED TO BE SAVED!” 

Stunned by my outburst, they both took a step back. I was completely wound up. 

“Both of you contributed to this problem, but I’m going to take care of this myself. I am not some damsel in distress. I don’t need a knight in shining armor to come riding in on a horse to save the day. I’m not helpless and I’m not some kind of prize either. The only thing you two have failed to give me, which was the only thing I wanted, was honesty. Clint, you lied to me because of some stupid order, and Josh, you lied to me because you wanted to get into a stupid society using my virginity. And I don’t pretend that I’m perfect. I’m the first to admit I’m hugely flawed. Hell, I don’t use even use my real name, but I lie for my own and everyone else’s safety, not to get what I want or because I’m following some stupid assignment.” 

They both slumped at my harsh words. “But nobody is perfect, and I care about both of you deeply. I’ve already forgiven both of you. What’s important to me now is seeing how you’ve both learned from those mistakes, and right now, these accusations you are both throwing around, only makes this situation worse!”

Josh tried to talk again, but I silenced him with my hand.

“No, no more today. I don’t want to talk about the Lappell; I don’t want to talk about my feelings. I just want to go upstairs, take a shower and forget about this for a few hours, alright.”

With that, I turned and marched into my apartment building, not looking behind me. When I reached my apartment, I headed straight to my bedroom and knelt down on the side of my bed near my bedside table. From underneath my bed, I pulled out a steel enclosed safe with a combination lock. With precision and determination, my fingers worked to open the lock. When it clicked, showing I had unlocked it, I pulled the safe open and stared at my Glock, which stared right back at me. Flexing my fingers, I carefully pulled it out of the safe and checked to make sure the safety was on. I held it tightly to my chest and mumbled to myself, “If it’s Lenorah Rossi the Lappell want, it’s Lenorah Rossi they will get.”

There was banging on my apartment door. I assumed was either Clint or Josh, so I ignored it until the persistent knocking ceased. I placed the handgun down on my bed and headed for the front door to ensure it was still closed. Since Samuel had somehow got all those flowers into my apartment, I was still a little concerned about how easy it must have been to break in. When I got to the front door, I saw that a white folded piece of paper had been slipped underneath. A note. Picking it up it, I read,

“Norah, I will take care of the Lappell. By tomorrow everything will be sorted out and things will return to normal. I’m sorry I didn’t contact you while I was away. I will tell you everything in the morning. Please stay home tonight. Yours, Josh.”

I scrunched the paper in my hand. I had different plans.

Chapter 19

Wickburn

“I can’t believe I’m doing this again,”
  I said to myself, as I picked at the window lock outside the east wing room of Arthur Wickburn’s mansion. Seems I was entertaining all my forgotten New York pastimes here in Morewell. I had to be extremely quiet.  The night was getting on and I wasn't sure what kind of security system I was going to be up against.

I had my Glock stashed behind my back in my jeans, and I wore a long fitted coat over the top that was still loose enough for me to apply my criminal-like behavior without restriction. I had been breaking in and out of windows since I was a teenager, so I knew what I was doing. When I heard the familiar sound of a ‘click,’ which signaled my success, I internally applauded myself for remembering those skills. 

I pulled the big glass window forward and started to crawl up and underneath it, swinging my knees up so I could propel myself forward and onto the floor.

As I steadied my footing in the dimly lit room, I noticed I was in a bedroom. It looked like a guest bedroom because there was nothing but a large king-sized bed and an antique-looking cupboard. No personal items. I opened the door of the bedroom and stepped into a long hallway which was well illuminated from shimmery lamps set above all the doors.  

I stood in the hallway, looking from side to side, feeling a bit lost about to where to go.  I hadn't completely thought this plan through. I started walking down the stretch of hallway which seemed to have more doors, hoping I would somehow run into Wickburn.

My ears pricked up as I heard Wickburn’s voice, which was coming from one of the rooms off the hallway. It was harsh and raspy and there was a strained kind of anger in the way he spoke. I followed the voice to the door it was coming from, cracking it open just a minuscule amount so I could make out what was being said. 

Through the crack of the door, I could see Wickburn, his back was to me.  He was wearing a pin stripe Burberry suit, leaning next to a dark stained wooden desk. He turned slightly, which allowed me to see he was on the telephone. His other hand was playing with the silver strands of hair that streaked his hairline. His body was hunched over the desk looking tense as he continued his conversation.

“Calm down. If he wants to buy his way out I’m not going to stop him.”

“It says so in our rules. No, from what I know they are not together anymore.”

“Yes I know he wasn’t supposed to sleep with her. He was only supposed to convince…”

“None of us knew he crossed that line.”

Wickburn's foot began to tap furiously as he held the receiver away from his head, not wanting to subject his ears to whatever abuse was coming through the line.  After a few seconds he brought the phone back to his ear.

“No! Of course she isn’t part of the agreement with his trust.”

“Yes I can convince her.”

“The only way we know how.”

“I’ll take out Hollows if I have to.”

I gasped. My body began to shake from hearing these pieces of Wickburn’s conversation that obviously had to do with me and Josh. 

Who was he talking to?

“Let’s just get Weston out and then deal with getting her in. I know that’s a lot of money. Stupid sap must really love her.’