Page 8 of Justified Lies

“You should,” he muttered, but then stood there expectantly.

Lianna was never very good at chicken and balked first this time as well. Climbing behind the wheel, she shut the door a little harder than necessary. As she started the ignition, Lianna watched in the rear-view mirror as Darren turned and took the steps two at a time until he was out of sight. If he didn’t hate her, she would have almost thought he was waiting to make sure she got into her vehicle safely.

That fast, Lianna’s bubble burst. She quickly locked her doors and sank back into her seat.

“He’s such an asshole,” she said aloud to no one.

Then she managed a half-smile at the image of her literally kicking him in the ass. Taking several deep, centering breaths, she closed her eyes and acknowledged her lack of confrontation skills. She promised herself that she would address it.

He can’t control your feelings.She channeled the mantras from Dr. Viktor Frankl. Having two psychologists as parents, she had memorized the doctor’s work as a teenager. His wisdom helped her get through so much in life, and now she reminded herself that while she couldn’t control Darren, she could control the way he affected her.

With a newfound resolve to have her pleasant Friday restored, she turned her thoughts to a Spanish latte and vanilla donut. Luckily, her favorite bakery happened to be around the corner. Deciding she should be grateful for the excuse to stop for a treat, she turned on the music and left all thoughts of Darren behind in the parking garage.

Chapter Four

The October sun was working its hardest to break through the dense Saturday morning clouds, as Gabe sprinted down the dead-end road. As he reached the end of the pavement, he slowed to a jog, aiming for the gap in the line of evergreens. There, about ten yards beyond him, was the top of the wooden stairs.

Gabe loved this part of his workout, descending the two hundred and fifty steps that led to the Pacific Ocean below. Mother Nature’s reward for burning a few calories. His job no longer required him to be in the same shape that his football days did, but he still felt his best when he was pushing his body physically to the brink.

The breeze was crisp as he trotted down through the thick foliage that lined the cliffs. Branches full of scarlet, auburn, and golden leaves reached out as he passed them by. At the bottom of the stairs, he picked up the pace again. He headed up the last bit of trail that would take him under the train tracks and out to the roaring waves.

A blazing maple tree protruded onto the path, and he widened his course to accommodate it. This section of trail was barely wide enough for his linebacker shoulders to fit between the cliffs to the right and the tree to the left.

Gabe heard the crunch of footsteps coming towards him with only a moment to react. Trying to slow down, he lifted his arms in a defensive position to soften the blow from the unavoidable collision. In the flurry of movement, he registered dark hair and heard a startled yelp as his forearms sent the unfortunate person flying into the tree.

“Goddamn it,” he huffed.

With his forward progress finally stopped, he turned back to help the jogger. If physics hadn’t stopped him in his tracks,the woman in front of him would have. Lianna was bent over, her weight leaning against the tree. She hadn’t acknowledged him yet, and his concern for her wellbeing had him hurrying over to help. Gently gripping her shoulders, he helped her stand upright.

“You okay?”

Gabe held his breath as Lianna tried to catch hers, panting irregularly. Dread started to creep in.Of course, she’s not okay.She’s not made for run-ins with two-hundred-year-old maples or two hundred thirty-pound men. To be fair, while Lianna was slim, she was no waif. The muscles she did have were toned. She looked like a tall ballerina—long, lean, and elegantly shaped.

To his relief she finally gulped a mouthful of air.

“Holy crap! Why do people keep sneaking up on me?” Then on her next breath, “I mean, how can someone so big be so quiet?”

Recognizing she was okay, Gabe released her shoulders. Lianna linked her hands on top of her head and tried to regain her composure.

As Gabe watched her breathing return to normal, he couldn’t help but study her picture-perfect traits. At this proximity, he could see every freckle that stretched across her flushed face. The adorable dots started high on her cheekbones and were smattered imperfectly across her exotic face. They added a soft innocence and youthfulness to her glowing skin. Full, pouty lips accompanied eyes that were almost as dark as her jet-black lashes. A long thin nose that sloped just at the tip was the exclamation point on an already captivating face. He could stare all day and still not get his fill.

On a breeze, he inhaled a hint of the vanilla scent that was so uniquely Lianna. His primitive brain couldn’t handle herpanting mixed with the delicious smell wafting to his nose, so he took another step back, focusing on his own composure.

“How is your shoulder? You hit that tree hard.”

Lianna grimaced. “I think I’m fine, just a bruise probably. Are you okay? I hit you hard.”

The look he gave her conveyed that he didn’t think it was a question worth answering. When she propped her hand on her hip, continuing to stare, he smirked. She rewarded him with a fabricated scowl.

“Such a tough guy, huh. Can’t admit a girl hurt you?”

The fact that she was genuinely concerned about his wellbeing was so damn cute he couldn’t help but grin. She smiled in return, and they stood there panting and smiling like idiots.

Lianna broke the spell when she rubbed her injured shoulder. Despite his better judgement he stepped forward, taking her slim arm into his hands again. He might as well be holding a live wire the way her skin jolted him. Ignoring the sensation that ran straight to his groin, he turned her so he could get a good look.

She was wearing a black t-shirt that looked about as old as she did. It had a faded logo on it and the sleeves were cut off at the shoulder giving him a clear view of the damage. An angry looking scrape extended halfway down her upper arm. She would be sporting a mean bruise in the morning.

“Shit, Lianna, I’m so sorry.”

---