67. Lies

Genre: Paranormal romance, drama

Type: Series
Characters: Leigh & Jesse

Prompt: 88. Lies

Word Count:  560 +

Warning:  coarse language

Rating:  M- (coarse language, adult situations, nudity. N.B-Applies to the whole series)

Summary: Leigh and Jesse get ready for their biggest perfomance

88. Lies

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Barnacle Bay, present day...

 “You look incredible,” Jesse murmured when he walked into the room. He closed the bedroom door, their eyes locked in the mirror.

“You shouldn’t be here. Don’t you know it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride?” She asked with a lightheartedness she didn’t feel.

“It would be, if the union was real,” he gave her a lazy smile, before making his way to her. He pushed her dress in place, and brushed a loose tendril of hair behind her ear before trailing a gentle thumb on her quivering lip. He knew she’d start bawling her eyes out. Her lower lip trembling was always the big give away, a sign of her emotional distress.

“Shhh…don’t cry, you’ll ruin your make-up and Janice won’t be impressed with you,” he whispered softly, pulling her in his arms. Janice was Shaun’s friend, and she had gladly volunteered to be her maid of honor.

Janice was also in on the big lie. Jesse justified all their actions, insisting it was for Ruth. Fulfilling her dying wish would give her peace of mind. Shaun was more honest, calling it like it is. And she was just swimming along in the sea of deception. Where would it end? When would the madness stop?

“It’s not too late to stop this. Jesse I don’t think-”

“Yes you can,” he stopped her before she could change both their minds.

“How is everything outside? And all the guests? Did you get to speak to your parents?” She asked, as she sat on the couch.

“I have nothing to say to those people!” Jesse groaned, dropping beside her. He hated his parents as much as they hated the idea of him being bisexual, and if it was up to him, he would not have invited them. But Ruth had insisted. She wanted her whole family under one roof, for what she believed would be their last reunion.

“Doesn’t this bother you? The lies? The deception?” Leigh asked, gazing outside the window. She heard the prelude music, the faint sounds of Kenny G’s Havana drift through the window from somewhere below, in the garden, and she knew the wedding guests were now being seated.  In exactly an hour she would have to give her best performance ever.

“Of course it does…How do you think I feel? But what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. You saw how she is, she’s barely hanging on Leigh,” he replied, taking her hand in his.  They were so close to making Ruth happy, so close to getting his inheritance. He felt horrible for lying to his grandmother, but it was too late to start growing a conscience now, they were too far gone in their deception, in too deep with the lies. There was no going back.

“You’re right,” Leigh lied. There was nothing right about the whole mess. It was her wedding day and she was miserable. She wished things were different. She wished it was Krisis she would be walking down that aisle to meet. She wished it was his lips she would kiss when the minister announced “you can now kiss the bride.” Oh how she wished!

“Can you give me a moment please? I just need some time alone,” she cried, blinking back her tears. Jesse stared at her for a long time before leaving the room without uttering a word…

Continued in prompt 87. Kiss...read more