The Lies Between Us

REMI - Nearly Four Years Ago

"Stop eating those." I froze with my hand halfway to my mouth. Slowly, I turned my head.

Asher Davidson stood in the kitchen doorway, his arms folded across his chest. His hazel eyes were fixed on the chocolate brownie in my hand like I'd personally offended him.

I took another bite. Deliberately. His eyes narrowed. "That was the last one." I glanced down at the half-eaten brownie before looking back at him. "That's unfortunate."

"For you." I snorted. "What are you going to do? Make me spit it out?"

One side of his mouth lifted, stupid smile, stupid hazel eyes, stupid messy hair that somehow always looked good, even after he'd spent half the afternoon in the pool, and stupid me for having a crush on someone who'd known me since I was little enough to believe worms could drown when it rained.

Nobody knew. Especially not Asher, and nobody ever would.

"You've got chocolate there." He pointed towards my face. My hand immediately flew to my cheek, his smirk widened. "Other side." I wiped the other cheek. "Still there."

"Asher!"

He laughed as I grabbed a napkin from the counter and scrubbed it over my mouth. "Is it gone now?"

His eyes dropped to my lips for the briefest second. Something changed in his expression, then it was gone.

"Yeah. It's gone."

I frowned at him, that was weird. Before I could ask what was wrong, Dad's laughter carried in from the garden, and Asher glanced towards the open patio doors.

Our families had been doing this for as long as I could remember.

Birthdays, barbecues, Christmases, and random Friday nights that somehow turned into everyone staying until midnight.

Dad and Mr Davidson had been best friends since before Portia or Asher were born. Mum joked that they spent more time talking to each other than they did their own wives. Now they were going into business together too.

Dad hadn't stopped talking about it for months, something about expanding, Investment, contracts. All the boring stuff adults got excited about.

I just knew it meant we'd probably be seeing even more of the Davidsons, not that I was complaining.

"Your dad was looking for you earlier," I said. Asher groaned. "What does he want?"

"How would I know?"

"Because you're nosy."

"I'm observant."

"Same thing."

"It really isn't." He pushed himself away from the doorway. At nearly eighteen, Asher had changed a lot over the last couple of years. Taller. Broader. More serious about swimming.

More annoying. Unfortunately, he'd also become ridiculously good-looking, not that I'd noticed.

Obviously.

"Come on, Walker." He nodded towards the garden. I frowned. "Where?"

"Outside."

"I'm comfortable here."

"You're hiding."

"I'm eating."

"You ate the last brownie." I smiled sweetly. "And it was lovely." He shook his head, but he was smiling as he turned away. "Asher?"

He glanced back over his shoulder. "What?"

"You're still not getting it back." He laughed, then he disappeared outside. I stood there smiling like an idiot for at least five seconds before I caught myself.

Pathetic.

*********

A couple of hours later, what was supposed to have been dinner had turned into another late night at the Davidsons'. It wasn't unusual. It had happened enough over the years that nobody thought twice when Mum and Dad decided we'd stay over rather than head home.

By the time everyone started settling down for the night, I was exhausted. I'd changed into my pyjamas and tried to sleep, but after lying there for twenty minutes staring at the ceiling, I gave up.

I was thirsty.

The house was quieter now as I made my way downstairs. The laughter from earlier had disappeared, replaced by the occasional murmur of voices somewhere in the house.

I padded into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard, I was filling it at the tap when a scream ripped through the silence. I froze. The glass slipped from my fingers, it hit the kitchen floor and shattered.

For one second, I didn't move.

Then voices exploded upstairs. "What the hell is going on?" Dad.

I knew his voice immediately, but I'd never heard it sound like that. I ran. People were already appearing as I reached the hallway. Dad was halfway up the stairs, with Mr Davidson right behind him.

"Asher?"

The panic in Mr Davidson's voice made my stomach drop, I followed them. "Remi, stay downstairs!" Mum called after me.

I didn't.

By the time I reached the landing, Dad was standing outside Asher's bedroom, his whole body was rigid. Mr Davidson stopped beside him, then I saw her.

Kendra.

My sister was sitting against Asher's headboard, clutching a white sheet tightly around herself, her hair was messy, her cheeks were wet.

Asher stood several feet away from the bed. He was dressed for sleep in a dark T-shirt and grey pyjama bottoms, his feet bare. His hair stuck up at odd angles, like he'd just dragged his hands through it or had been asleep minutes earlier.

His face had gone completely still.

"What the hell happened?" Mr Davidson demanded, looking between them. Kendra made a broken sound, Dad immediately moved towards the bed. "Kendra? Sweetheart, talk to me." She looked at him through her tears. "I told him I wasn't sure."

My stomach twisted. Asher's head snapped towards her. "What?"

Portia pulled the sheet tighter around herself. "He told me to come upstairs." Asher stared at her. For a second, he didn't seem to understand what she was saying. Then his expression changed. "What? No. I fucking didn't."

"Asher," his dad warned sharply.

"I didn't!" His voice rose as he pointed towards the bed. "I was asleep. I woke up and she was just... there."

Kendra started crying harder, Dad turned towards Asher. I'd never seen that expression on his face before. "You stay the fuck away from my daughter." Asher's jaw tightened. "I didn't touch her."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Yes!" Asher stared at him in disbelief. "I didn't even know she was in my fucking room until I woke up!" Dad stepped towards him, Mr Davidson immediately moved between them, putting a hand against Dad's chest. "Back off."

"Get out of my way."

"Not while you're going for my son." Dad shoved his hand away. "Your son—"

"My son said he didn't touch her."

"And my daughter says he did!"

The room erupted.

Mum pushed past me and rushed towards Kendra, Dad and Mr Davidson shouted over each other, Mrs Davidson appeared at the top of the stairs, her face pale, and Asher—

Asher wasn't shouting anymore.

He was staring at Kendra, the confusion had disappeared from his face. Now he looked furious. "You weren't supposed to be in my room." Kendra flinched, Dad immediately stepped between them. "Don't fucking speak to her."

Asher looked at him in disbelief. "She was in my bed! I didn't invite her up here."

"Asher!" Mrs Davidson snapped.

"It's the fucking truth!"

"Enough!" Dad roared.

Silence fell. My heart hammered against my ribs, I looked at Kendra, then Asher, then back at my sister.

Something felt wrong.

I couldn't explain it, Kendra was crying, Dad believed her, and Mum was already wrapping her arms around her.

I should have been moving towards my sister too, but my feet wouldn't move, because I'd known Asher Davidson almost my entire life.

I'd seen him angry, I'd seen him lie about stupid things, I'd seen him blame me when we'd broken one of his mum's plant pots years ago, I'd seen him wind Dad up just because he thought it was funny, but I'd never seen him look like this.

"Remi." Dad's voice made me jump, I looked at him. "We're leaving."

"What?"

"Now."

Mum was helping Portia off the bed, keeping the sheet wrapped around her, Dad pointed towards the stairs. "Get your things."

"But, Dad—"

"Remi." The warning in his voice ended the argument before I'd even started one, I turned towards the stairs.

"Remi." Asher. I stopped, Dad did too. Dad turned towards him. "Don't." Asher ignored him, his eyes were fixed on me.

Only me.

There was anger there, but underneath it was something else. Something I didn't understand until much later.

He wasn't asking me to stay, he wasn't asking me to defend him, he was waiting.

Waiting to see which side I chose. My throat tightened. "Asher, I—"

"Remi. Now." Dad took hold of my arm, I let him lead me downstairs.

I was fifteen, Kendra was my sister, Dad was furious, Mum was crying, and I didn't know what I was supposed to do.

So I did the only thing I could. I went with my family.

At the front door, I looked back, Asher stood at the top of the stairs, his dad beside him, and his mum behind him.

Two families that had spent years sharing birthdays, Christmases and Sunday dinners now stood on opposite sides of a hallway.

Asher wasn't looking at Kendra, he wasn't looking at Dad, he was looking at me. I opened my mouth. Three words sat on the tip of my tongue.

I believe you.

Dad pulled me through the doorway before I could say them, the door closed between us. I didn't know it then, but that was the last time I'd see Asher Davidson for nearly four years, and he would spend every one of them believing I'd chosen her.