Lie Next to Me Read Online Free Page A

stronger. I spent most of my days sitting on the beach or by Ian’s pool. Ian spent his days at the office , and I still didn’t know what he did. He didn’t offer any information and I didn’t ask. When he’d come home, he’d shower, change his clothes, and go out on his nightly dates. More often than not, he’d bring the women back here, but they were always gone in the morning. The strange thing was the way he looked at me every time he left for the night. It was almost as if he was apologizing. Thoughts of him burned through me every second of every day.
    As I was sitting by the pool, I heard Adalynn’s voice coming from inside.
    “There you are. I was looking for you.”
    “You were? Why?” I asked as I opened one eye and looked at her.
    “Because I want to know if you’re up to going out?”
    “Going out? Where?”
    “It’s a surprise. Just tell me yes or no.” She smiled.
    To get out of this house sounded like a wonderful idea. But I was kind of scared at what Adelynn had planned, and I’d only met her that one time at breakfast. I agreed anyway because I was desperate to get away from here for a while, and I wanted a friend.
    “Just let me run upstairs and change.” I smiled.
    As soon as I changed my clothes, I met Adalynn in the front, where her town car was waiting for us. “The first thing we’re going to do is get our hair done. I thought we’d have girls’ day out with some shopping and pampering.”
    “But I don’t have any money,” I said.
    “Aw, sweetie, don’t worry about that. Ian is paying for everything.” She winked.
    “Does he know about this?”
    “No, not yet, anyway.” She laughed.
    I was really starting to like Adalynn. She was funny and she had an aura about her that gave off friendly vibes. “If he doesn’t know, how’s he going to pay?” I asked in confusion.
    “Ian Braxton has accounts all over town. Don’t worry, sweetie. He won’t mind.”
    “How long have you and Ian been friends?”
    Adalynn looked at me and smiled as she took a hold of my hand. “Ian and I have known each other since college. I’m sure he didn’t tell you, but I’m his ex-wife.”
    My stomach dropped. “You and Ian were married?”
    “For a short time. Only a couple of days.”
    “Why? I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t he introduce you to me as his ex?”
    Adalynn laughed. “We don’t talk about it. Ian and I have been good friends for years. Friends with benefits, if you want to know the truth, and one weekend we went to Vegas. We got really drunk and Ian said we should get married. I agreed, or should I say, the alcohol agreed, and we went to the chapel and got hitched. After we realized what we did, the next morning, we had it annulled the minute we got back. Neither one of us wanted marriage. It was just a random act, one drunken night.”
    “How many friends with benefits does Ian have?” I blurted out.
    “Well, if you’re asking if Ian and I are still doing it, the answer is no. We stopped all that a couple of years ago. I’m currently dating someone and we’re very much in love.” She smiled.
    A sigh of relief washed over me when she said that. I didn’t, in any way, feel threatened by her. I was just glad she wasn’t sleeping with Ian. One less woman in this rich town to worry about. We pulled up to the salon and, once inside, we were immediately taken back to our stylists. Adalynn introduced me to her stylist, Renee. As I sat in the chair next to her, I heard a boisterous voice from behind.
    “And you must be Rory!” he exclaimed as he clasped my shoulders with his hands. “I’m Benny and I’m going to be styling you today. Now, tell me what you’re thinking.”
    “Nice to meet you, Benny. I just found out I was coming here, so I didn’t have a chance to really think about what I want. What do you suggest?” I asked.
    He ran his fingers through my long, brown hair, examining the ends. “Hmm...I’m thinking about two inches, long