A Tangled Truth (Stonewall Investigations Book 3) Read online

  While I waited for Mark, I reflected on what we’d been through. It had been a really hard few weeks. I’d tried not to let it show, I tried to keep a positive outlook against the intense darkness that wanted to swallow us both, but it was really damn hard. I knew that I had to be Mark’s source of strength, even though seeing him in so much pain hurt me to the core. Every day was a struggle, but every day started getting better and better. Mark was smiling more and actually laughing out loud instead of huffing every now and then. I was seeing the light come back in his eyes. He still hurt, that part was clear, but it wasn’t the kind of pain that kept him up at night. He was actually sleeping, which was another sign that told me he was feeling better. I didn’t mind not getting much sleep seeing as how I wasn’t exactly holding down a nine-to-five and didn’t need to be up early, but Mark had gone into zombie mode for the days after Collin’s death.

  With Mark and I both rested and feeling in better spirits, I knew it was time to do something special, something to really help Mark get his mind off things. Off everything. I didn’t even want him thinking about my case, which I was beginning to lose hope on anyway. So I also didn’t want to think about it. No, tonight was going to be about us, about our journey back into each other’s arms and the future we had ahead of us. I was going to crack through the despair and bring some real joy into both of our lives.

  “Hey there, cutie, looking to meet someone tonight?”

  It was Mark. I’d recognize his deep, stony voice anywhere. I turned, a smile already on my face. “Someone special, yeah.” We were inches apart. “You seen him?”

  “Don’t think I have, no.” He pursed his lips, shaking his head, eyes locked on mine. I’d seen him this morning before he left for work, but that felt like years ago. “Can I fill in?”

  “I think so, yeah.” I laughed. It was a sound reflecting the burst of happiness I felt in my chest. We kissed then, as the crowd blurred around us and the world shrank down to fit only the two of us. It was like that every time we kissed, but for some reason today felt even more special. I put a hand on his side as we pulled from our kiss, my body unwilling to be fully separated from him.

  “Did you see the marquee?” I asked.

  “No, I was so taken by the handsome guy underneath it.”

  I never blushed. Ever. Not once. And yet there I was, my cheeks getting all hot and flushed. “Look at it.” I pointed up, distracting him from my transformation into a human strawberry. He stepped back so he could read the full thing.

  Up on the marquee, the big bulbs flashing in a sequence around the words, was written “Love Me, Silly” and underneath it, “Private showing—Mark and Liam.” It was the new romcom everyone was raving about, and I had heard Mark talk about it a couple of times. I knew renting out the theatre for the both of us would make it that much more special, so I did. Thankfully, his reaction was the one I was looking for. His eyes got all wide and his jaw fell, and he looked up and then at me and then up again. “You didn’t.”

  “Come on. Let’s go get some popcorn.”

  “Did you seriously buy this place out right now?”

  “It’s not the Louvre,” I joked, reaching down for Mark’s hand so my fingers could twine through his. “Although I’d do that too if Beyoncé hadn’t already beaten me to the punch.”

  “Right,” Mark said, laughing, “that’s the only thing stopping you.”

  “Only thing.” I kissed Mark’s cheek. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to keep going, keep kissing him, from his cheek to his lips to his chin to his neck, etc. etc. It would sometimes hit me just how surreal it all was. That I had the ability to lean in and kiss my childhood love on the cheek, something I didn’t think would ever be possible. Even if I had dreamed it before, I hadn’t known the feelings were ever reciprocated. I thought that was just my developing hormone-addled brain crafting up stories and making emotions seem bigger than the world itself. But nope. It was all real, and it was as strong as ever.

  We walked into the lobby of the theatre hand in hand. Mark was looking so handsome in a dark blue polo shirt that fit tight around his sexy biceps and a pair of dark, almost black jeans that hugged his biteable ass. I could tell everyone’s eyes in the room were drawn instantly to the man at my side. He commanded attention everywhere we went, and today was no different. Meanwhile, the lobby itself was like something pulled right out of the history books. The dark red and brown rug looked luxe and was maintained extremely well, along with the spiral marble and gold columns that supported an elaborately painted ceiling with a surrealist scene of a night sky stretching from corner to corner.

  “This looks just like it did when we were kids,” Mark said, looking around.

  “Doesn’t it?” I said.

  “I haven’t been back here, even though my apartment’s probably like ten minutes away.”

  “This is my first time back, too,” I admitted, my hand pumping Mark’s. “I always thought it would be weird showing up here without you by my side. I even moved one of my movie premieres that was supposed to be held here. I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on the experience because all I’d be thinking about is all those times we sat in this theatre. Back when all I ever wanted to do was one of those yawn-stretch combinations and put an arm around you.”

  Mark’s eyes seemed to glow a little brighter. “We were literally thinking the same exact thing back then.” His grin grew wider and wider. “This was also the place where I told the Sean Nancy Hunstman to knock out all my teeth because it would be easier to blow him.”

  I snorted at that, the memory hitting me in full force. “Yesss, so that is what you were going to say! I don’t think we ever talked about it again,” I said, cracking up. “And then his mom showed up, and he got so embarrassed. What a loser.” I shook my head, still smiling. “He would have really liked this.” I smiled and leaned in for a kiss. I had previously hated any PDA moments with the men I’d dated in the past, probably because of some fucked-up internalized hate stemming from that very moment with Sean, but with Mark, I just couldn’t get enough of him no matter where we were. I didn’t care who else cared, and that was a powerful feeling.

  I looked into Mark’s captivating eyes. “That one’s for the two scared little kids who’d flip the fuck out if they saw their future selves right now.”

  Mark laughed at that and then moved in for another kiss, this one a little bit longer, a little bit more tongue. “That one’s for Sean.”

  I laughed at that. “Come,” I said, squeezing his hand again as I started leading us to the concessions counter. We got our popcorn (which I slathered in butter and salt, something Mark also loved, thank god) and some water and were then guided to our seats by a friendly older gentleman with the lightest gray eyes I’d ever seen. He also had a scar on his cheek, which we had learned from the short walk to our seats was from his time in the army. He pointed us to our seats and told us the movie would start any moment. We thanked him and settled into the comfortable red velvet seats. The theatre was just as grand as the lobby area, with a marble column on either side of the screen holding up a thick and shimmering dark red curtain. The screen was massive, so big that the theatre had a balcony level for people to sit in.

  “This is crazy,” Mark said, looking around as the lights dimmed. Our hands were still held together as I put them on his thigh, happy with feeling his warmth embrace me. It was a little uncomfortable though, so I broke the handhold for a moment and lifted the armrest between us. I scooched in closer to Mark and grabbed his hand again, resting it back on his thigh.

  Pure happiness flooded through me. This was all I needed in the world. If we were encapsulated in amber at that very moment, keeping us frozen for the rest of time, I would have been so perfectly fucking happy. With my hand in Mark’s, all of life’s problems seemed inconsequential. And us sitting down, getting comfortable in a place that we’d come to so often as kids, somewhere we had felt so safe and still did, it was magical.

  A fairy tale. Almost
like this shouldn’t be happening; it was all too good.

  But it was happening. It was too good. And I was going to make sure I didn’t take a single second of it for granted. I knew how my life was like without Mark in it. I had gotten a taste of it, and I’d hated it. That was never happening again.

  So we sat there in the theatre reserved for only us, and we laughed and gasped and even got teary-eyed at some parts. And I did it all feeling like I was on top of the world. We were watching this film from our own little slice of paradise.

  Just me and Mark—he was all I ever needed.

  28 Mark Masters

  The movie ended, the lights came on, and both of us wore wide, silly smiles.

  The trip down memory lane with Liam was fantastic. Exactly what I needed. Even if Liam hadn’t rented out the entire space just for us, even if we were sharing it with a big, popcorn-munching crowd, that would have been totally fine, too. Just holding his hand was enough to teleport me somewhere else. Crowd or no crowd, I wouldn’t have noticed. I was just tuned into Liam and having a good time with him. It didn’t hurt that the movie was a blast and had us both cracking up throughout most of it. It also did a great job at tugging at the heartstrings, with the final scene of the movie showing the two star-crossed lovers settling down in their alpaca ranch.

  “That was so good,” I said, clapping a hand on my thigh. “Thank you for this. Seriously, Liam. I needed it.”

  “We both did,” Liam said, smiling. He leaned in for a kiss, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck.

  “Life’s fucking wild, isn’t it?” Liam said, grinning, licking his lip as our kiss broke, his hand still holding my head but with his fingers sliding up through my hair now. “Would you have ever pictured this happening when we were teens?”

  “Pfft,” I exhaled. “I could barely picture what I was going to have for lunch the next day.” I shook my head, his fingers on my head feeling so good. I rolled my neck some more, sliding his fingers around my scalp. He got the message and started gently massaging. “But no, no way in hell would I imagine you buying out this theatre for our own private date. You and me. Wow. I mean, I pictured things that weren’t exactly this, pictured us together, but I never let myself believe any of those thoughts.”

  We kissed again, his fingers still gently rubbing my head, waves of serene pleasure washing over me. If I didn’t break from that kiss, I knew I’d melt right into the theatre seat.

  “And the best part? The night’s not over.”

  “Oh no?”

  “No way,” Liam said, his eyes glittering, “I’ve got a bottle of rosé waiting at home in a bucket of ice, and it has kiki written all over it.”

  “Kiki?” I asked, not catching the reference.

  “‘Let’s Have A Kiki’? No? Oh okay, we need to go right now. I’ve got a Scissor Sisters album I need you to listen to about two hundred and sixty-three times.”

  “Let’s do it,” I said, not entirely sure what sisters had to do with scissors but still excited to see what Liam had to show me. He never failed to entertain me, and over the years it seemed like his taste in things hadn’t changed. He always knew what was good and what wasn’t; it was a gut instinct Liam had had since we were kids. It was probably what contributed to making him such a good director. He didn’t have to second-guess himself, and that confidence showed in all the films he had made.

  We got up from our seats and started making our way out of the theatre. It was surreal being the only two walking up the aisle, toward the golden doors, the handles a pair of roaring lion heads. There was a theatre employee waiting on the other side, thanking us and smiling as we walked past and went through the lobby. Outside, the city was still as alive as ever, the streets packed and the air filled with the scent of a nearby pretzel cart. We went over and I bought us two steaming hot pretzels covered in chunks of salt. Liam ordered a car to come pick us up, and we waited with our pretzels on the corner, chatting about what we liked and didn’t like about the movie. By the time the car made it to us, both of our pretzels had disappeared and the conversation had changed to slightly heavier topics. There was just no way of avoiding it, especially since my interview with Diana was still fresh on my mind.

  “So she actually talked to you?” Liam asked as we buckled in and the driver honked his way back into traffic. It was something like nine o’clock at night and the streets were still congested as if it were rush hour. “Did she say anything we can use to put that asshole behind bars?”

  “Not necessarily,” I said, making sure I didn’t get Liam overly excited for something that might not pan out. “I did find out somethings about someone else though that was interesting.”

  “Huh?”

  “Marah Kim, the actress who said she had a short thing with Johnny during his second marriage. Turns out it wasn’t so short. Diana said she’s been around since the first wife was still alive.”

  “Shit,” Liam said, his head falling back on the headrest. His hand was resting in the space between us. I reached out and put mine over his, rubbing my thumb over him. “She’s the one that said she overheard Johnny’s homophobic rant toward me, right?”

  “Exactly.”

  “So…”

  “She may have been lying to me because she felt ashamed she was with him for so long.”

  “Or?” Liam said.

  “She could have been lying because she had something to do with Johnny’s ex-wives and she didn’t want any links.” I squeezed his hand. “She’s also back in the picture. Diana said that they’ve been seeing each other more and more. Apparently he’s getting her ready to audition for a big role. I think Marah sees her big break coming.”

  Liam looked out the window. “And if she serves up my career on a plate to Johnny, her big break is guaranteed… She wrote that email?”

  I had to rein things in a little. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. I’ve still got more digging to do. But I want you to know I’m getting close, okay, Liam? Don’t lose hope. We’re going to get to the bottom of things and deliver justice where it needs to be delivered.”

  He looked at me then. We were driving past a few brightly lit storefronts, the light bouncing off his face, highlighting those sharp features that made him seem like a storefront mannequin. But then that smile of his gave him such a warm, boyish charm, with the way his eyes crinkled and his pearly white teeth showed on full display, his pink tongue peeking through. He smiled at me then. Not one of the big ones I was so in love with, but a smaller, more contained smile. “I believe in you one hundred percent, Mark. Always have, always will.”

  “We got this,” I said, pumping his hand again. I wanted to close this chapter in Liam’s life, because then he’d be able to go on and focus on the next one, where he could regain control of his career and a sense of normalcy again. It would make more space for our relationship to grow, too.

  This conversation was lighting my fire again. It was lighting it and pouring a gallon of pure, combustible gasoline on it.

  By the time we got to Liam’s building, both of us were ready for that bottle of coco or whatever Liam called it. We thanked the driver and got out, the big glass doors sliding open as we walked into the lobby of Liam’s building. It was a little, eh, bigger compared to mine.

  Hah, who was I kidding—this place was like a museum compared to the lobby in my building, which had enough room to hold three annoyed tenants searching for mail in their tiny mailboxes before it got stuffy. Liam’s lobby had four different lounge areas, an entire check-in desk like some kind of hotel, two security stations, and, to top it off, a small indoor garden with a waterfall that fell into a koi pond. It was extravagant, and Liam lived on top of it all.

  I followed him through the lobby, saying hi to the faces I recognized from coming here so often. Liam pushed the button to call the elevator. It was only us two waiting, so I couldn’t help but reach out and sneak a squeeze. Liam jerked forward before realizing it was me pinching his butt and not some random stranger wal
king by. He smirked, his eyes locking with mine. Without saying a word, a fire was lit between us. The grab had just been a playful one, but now, suddenly, all I wanted to do was reach around and get a handful of his ass so I could pull him to me.

  “Is that a kiki?” I asked, nodding toward his butt, which Liam had plenty of. He was blessed with a bubble butt that looked good in whatever he was wearing (and better when he wasn’t wearing anything).

  “My ass?” he said, craning his head to look around, grabbing his own butt. “No, honey, a kiki is a party. It’s for calming your nerves and spilling some tea.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “I still don’t think I get it.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be the detective?”

  “Yeah, that doesn’t mean I’m omniscient. I never said I wouldn’t look into it.”

  Liam cracked up at that. The sound of his laugh was intoxicating. I didn’t need the champagne waiting for us to feel drunk. Being with Liam did the trick every time. The elevator arrived then, opening and letting out a crowd of residents. Liam knew a few, who he nodded and smiled to as we got into the dim, mirrored elevator, just us two.

  It was a well-maintained elevator, so the ride was going to be fast, but we still managed to gravitate toward each other like desperate magnets. Our hands locked together, and my lips fell on his. This time, I kissed him much harder than I had back in the theatre. This time, my tongue pushed into his mouth as I went for the full taste. This time, I pushed my hips forward, rubbing myself on him, feeling how he was already getting hard for me.