All The Truths (Lies & Truths Duet #2) - Rina Kent Page 0,37

What happened, Gray?”

Ari is the only one who calls me by my middle name. It started when we were young and she decided Asher was too hard. Besides, Mom named me Asher after our late grandfather, and Ari wasn’t a big fan of him.

“Practice.” I grin. “How was my favorite girl’s day?”

I don’t want to throw my shit on Ari. For her, I’m only supposed to be the brother she can rely on—unlike our father.

“Boring.” She sits opposite me. “And that can’t be from practice.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m worried about you.” She stares at her lap. “You’re the only one I have, and I feel like I’m losing you to your obsession with Reina.”

I freeze, my chest tightening with tension. Maybe I haven’t been discreet enough; maybe my moods are affecting Ari.

Fuck. Her therapist told us not to expose her to too much stress.

“It won’t happen anymore.” I soften my voice. “I’ll be cool.”

It’s a lie.

This thing won’t stop.

Call it an obsession, an addiction, or sheer insanity, but it just won’t stop.

It keeps pulsing under my skin like a fucking beast, destructive and deadly.

“I understand why you’re like that with her, you know.” She peeks at me before she focuses back on her nails, clinking them against one another.

It’s her nervous habit.

“Reina is special, but she doesn’t love anyone.” Her voice fills with sadness. “Not even you, Gray.”

My jaw tightens and I force it to loosen up.

Don’t affect Ari.

Don’t you dare affect Ari.

If she’s too stressed, she’ll just start doing stupid shit like walking in the night and crying out of nowhere.

We barely got her stabilized, with Reina’s help. We can’t go back to that phase.

“But you just can’t help it, right?” she asks slowly.

“I can.”

Her eyes light up. “You can?”

I would do anything to keep Ari happy. Fucking anything.

“Of course. I’m only with her because of Alexander and Gareth’s deal. Reina means fuck to me. I never even liked her that much.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” I lie through my teeth.

Ari needs to believe I’m keeping it together in order for her to follow through. She emulates me in everything, sometimes mood included.

“In that case…” She stares back at her lap. “I have a confession to make. You’re the first person I’m telling this, and…and…I-I don’t want you to judge me.”

She’s back to clinking her nails.

I force my gaze away from them and smile. “I’d never do that. I’m your Gray, remember? The cloud that protects you from everything.”

The clinking stops as she smiles up at me.

Even her smile is like Mom’s.

Soon after, she stares at her lap again. “When Reina came into our lives, she took care of me without asking for anything in return. It made me feel so grateful to have someone else besides you and Dad care for me. I thought…I thought only my family would ever love me, so when Reina did, it brought brightness to my life.”

I nod. While Reina changed toward me, she never treated Ari differently. She took care of her and stopped other students from bullying her.

And for that, I’m grateful.

“Over time…” She trails off then blurts, “The brightness intensified.”

“Right.”

“You don’t understand?” She peeks at me.

My brows furrow. “Understand what?”

“I love Rei.”

“I know you do.”

“No, not that type of love. I’m in love with her, Gray—romantically. Like I can’t live without her.”

I remain still as if someone spilled a bucket of ice water over my head.

In love with her.

Romantically.

What in the ever-loving fuck?

Ari goes back to clinking her nails manically. “You…you said you wouldn’t judge me.”

Fuck.

My pulse rises as if I’m coming down from an adrenaline high.

Am I surprised my baby sister prefers girls? Sure, a little, but I’m not judging her for that.

Not at all.

If she thinks she’s better with a girl, so be it. It’s her life.

But why the fuck does it have to be Reina?

Just why?

“Do you…do you hate me?” Her voice turns brittle. “Please don’t hate me. I’m so sorry, Gray. I didn’t mean to be like this and…”

“Hey.” I take her hands in mine, forcing my face muscles to stop clenching. “I’ll never hate you, Ari. You’re my baby sister. I’ll love you until you’re old and gray.”

“You’re okay with what I just said?”

“Sure,” I manage to say. “It’s up to Reina to decide.”

“You think I should confess?” Her eyes regain some of their brightness.

“Do as you like, Ari.”

I just hope Reina will turn her down gently. She usually has a good motherly instinct with her.

And I’m sure Reina won’t accept. She’s never showed interest in the same sex,