Lie to Me (an OddRocket title) Read Online Free Page A

and dull. More blue tarps were strung over the railings. This boat needed a lot of work.
    "You don't want to hear about him."
    "Are you kidding?" he said. "If you don’t talk to me, I’m going to have to work on my boat in the rain or read books about financial derivatives. Come on, everybody loves break-up stories, especially when they've got their own relationship drama."
    "You have drama?"
    He shrugged.
    "Well," I took a breath and then I started talking. I told him how I'd known Nick forever, how quickly I'd fallen, the humiliating end the night of the bonfire. The words poured out of me. "Why wouldn't he just tell the truth?" I asked. "He ended it for someone else but he lied. So, why do they do it? Why do guys lie?"
    "Um... sometimes guys lie because it's the coward’s way out. He thinks that by not telling you the truth, he's being kinder."
    "Well, he isn't."
    "Maybe, maybe not. But I think you know it doesn't matter. You'll stop caring about him when you're ready."
    "I will?"
    "Of course," he said. "You're going to be all right. I can tell. I'm a heartbreak specialist."
    "You don't even know me."
    "True." He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. "But, I know you're a nice girl."
    "Oh, my God, not nice. Anything but that."
    "Well, you're probably still nice to this guy even though he doesn't deserve it."
    "How do you know all that?"
    "I'm good with people," he smiled and stood up outside the tarp, looking at an unexpected patch of blue sky. "Looks like you've got your sun break."
    "Yeah, I'm late." I stood up and nodded toward the restaurant. "Work."
    "You wait tables at the Hideaway?"
    "Yeah, family business."
    "Your parents?"
    "Mom. Dad died, so just Mom."
    "I'm sorry."
    "It's okay, I'm okay. I mean, it's not okay."
    "I get it," he said, "By the way, I'm RD."
    "Hi." I smiled. His eyes were so blue it made me think of shallow, clear water. Suddenly, he laughed and I realized I'd been staring. "I'm Cassandra," I said, my cheeks burning. I'd just stood there, mouth gaping, forgetting my own name.
    "Cassandra, the prophet," he said, his voice playful.
    "I think that was another girl."
    "You're not a psychic?"
    "Afraid not.” Through the hatch, I caught a glimpse of a yellow spinnaker and the edge of a blue star. He had stretched the sail out down below attempting to dry it off. I remembered the flash of color and the boat I'd watched crossing the Sound at the beach with Priya. "But I did see you sail in today," I said, pointing below deck. "Yellow spinnaker with blue stars."
    He laughed. "Oh, I get it. You’re just stalking me." Most people, when they talk to you, their eyes dart away and stuff, but not RD. He really looked at me. His eyes felt like a close-up camera focusing in on the smallest detail of my face.
    "It's kind of a hard sail to miss," I said. "And I'm definitely not psychic. I don't think psychics get dumped."
    "True. But you look like you're worthy of a myth or two."
    I shook off a wave of goose bumps. Was he flirting with me? I wasn't sure, but I liked how he talked, the way he looked at me, the way he joked with me as if nothing was over my head.
    "I better go," I said, pointing to the sun. "I can't claim lost at sea any longer."
    "Well, thanks for making my solitary morning a little less boring, Cassandra." RD held out his hand to help me off the boat.
    "Thanks for helping me work through a potentially embarrassing meltdown." I took his hand, amazed how small I felt being touched by him. His fingers were warm, I think from his coffee mug.
    After helping me over the rail and back onto the dock, RD sat back down, stretching his legs out. "I can tell you one thing for sure."
    "Yeah?" Even after he let go of my fingers, my skin tingled.
    "That guy will figure out he screwed up. Losing a beautiful girl like you is definitely a mistake."
    I could not move. Beautiful . It's such a powerful word, especially when no one's ever said it to you before. Nick called me cute. He called me sweet, but