The Lies We Tell by Elizabeth Dunk Page A

you.” Jim winked, gave Mary a smacking kiss and got into the car whistling.
    “Come on.” Sienna began to drag Sia across the road.
    The pub was buzzing with young and old enjoying the beginning of the weekend. Sia excused herself to the bathroom, directing her sister to order her drink. When she found her friends in the main bar, she saw they were on the table next to her father.
    Frank was bent over an empty beer glass, expounding something with great enthusiasm to his fellow drinkers, who Sia didn’t recognise.
    She hesitated. She had invited her father to the exhibition, hoping the free alcohol would entice him to come. That he hadn’t come told her he wasn’t interested in seeing her at the moment. Being this close to him might ruin both their nights.
    But she couldn’t explain that to her friends without either humiliating herself or her father, so she sat down and took a long, deep sip of her wine with the hope it would relax her.
    “A toast,” Sienna said. “To my fabulous and talented sister. May you knock ‘em dead in the big smoke.”
    “To Sia.” Charles lifted his glass high.
    Sia smiled and sipped on her wine and hoped they’d keep the noise down so it wouldn’t draw her father’s attention. If they could get through one drink, Sienna and Mary may be satisfied and they could leave without Frank even knowing.
    “Can I join you?”
    The deep voice startled her. Sia looked up and tried to think of a reason why Todd Lansing would suddenly appear.
    “Sure, if you’re buying.” Charles grinned.
    “You all look pretty good to me. I’ll get the next round,” Todd said, and went to the bar.
    “Who is that?” Sienna hissed across the table. “He is seriously hot.”
    Sia didn’t want to answer. Thankfully, Charles did. “Todd Lansing. Back to help Paul look after their mum.”
    “Wow. Paul doesn’t look like that. Those shoulders are incredible.”
    “He’s a cop,” Charles said. “Unfortunately, he looked like that in high school too. Right, ladies?”
    “Todd was the cutest guy in school,” Mary confirmed. “But I only had eyes for you, remember.”
    “Yeah. Why was that again?”
    “Cause back then you were nice.”
    Todd returned and Sia was grateful he was stepping into the ex-lovers’ bickering and not Sienna’s homage to his beauty.
    He was beautiful. Not in a soft, pretty way. He was hard, and rugged, and etched like a marble statue. Edges and tone rather than flowing lines.
    The way a man should be.
    Sia took another sip of her drink. Just because it seemed Todd didn’t hate her any more wasn’t any reason for her to unleash the teenage crush again.
    “I hope you don’t mind me barging in.” His husky voice in her ear didn’t help to change the direction of her wayward thoughts. “But I had to see you, ask you something.”
    Sia slowly turned and her gaze was captured by his — pleading, unsure. She wondered when was the last time Todd Lansing had doubted what he was going to do.
    Todd opened his mouth —those full, stupidly kissable lips — to speak but then something thudded on the table, knocking Sia’s wine glass and spilling the red liquid over her lap.
    Her first action was to find a coaster or something to mop it up, but she stilled as she realised her father was leaning over her, glaring down at Todd.
    “It’s not you,” Frank slurred. “Can’t be you, you’re too young. And you’re dead.”
    Oh shit, Sia thought.
    “I’m Todd Lansing Jr.” Todd responded with admirable calmness.
    “The son. Right. Of course. You’re the freaking image of your dad.” Frank stood upright and swayed. He looked around, caught Sia’s eye and his first reaction was to frown, as always. Then his eyes lit up with an emotion Sia hadn’t seen for years — fear.
    Frank lurched forward again to plant his face inches from Todd’s. “What are you doing with my daughter?”
    “Celebrating the exhibition tonight. I didn’t see you there.”
    Sia’s eyes widened.