Circle of Lies (Red Ridge Pack) by Sara Dailey, Staci Weber Page A

sight. She stood up and stretched, looked at her watch and said, “We need to eat.”
    She was right. I hadn’t realized I was even hungry, but I was.
    Together we made our way downstairs, and I could hear someone rustling around in the kitchen. Part of me hoped it wasn’t Aiden. The other part of me prayed it was.
    Just before we entered the kitchen a gorgeous woman popped her head around the corner. She looked like she belonged on a commercial for some expensive facial cleanser. She was absolutely flawless, just like Alli but older.
    “Oh, Alli, you didn’t mention you had a friend over. I was wondering whose car that was.”
    “Sorry, Mom. This is Teagan. We’re working on a project for school. Is there anything to eat? We’re starved.”
    As if on cue, the back door swung open. In walked a man holding several pizzas. “Dinner is served,” he announced. His eyes reached me. A look of uncertainty washed across his face; then, just like that it disappeared. He smiled brightly and asked, “Alli? Who’s your friend?”
    Her father, I assumed. He reached out his hand and introduced himself to me as Paul. Alli’s mother was equally polite, but as we grabbed a box of pizza and some Cokes to take upstairs, Alli’s mom stopped her.
    “Alli, can we talk to you for a minute?”
    Alli turned to me and said, “I’ll meet you upstairs in just a minute, ’kay?”
    I nodded my head. Balancing the pizza box, I made my way toward the stairs but couldn’t help pausing when I heard my name. Before I knew what I was doing, I’d moved back closer to the kitchen to listen.
    “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, hon.” Mrs. Wright was speaking.
    “What’s the big deal? It’s just one night. And we’re doing homework.”
    Mr. Wright: “I know, honey, but what if Marcus finds out?”
    Marcus? Who the hell was Marcus?
    “Exactly,” Alli’s mom said. “I’m not sure how he’d feel about her being here.”
    “Come on, this is stupid.” Alli again. “Are you really saying I can’t have any other friends besides the pack?
    The pack?
    “Of course not. But let’s keep their visits to a minimum. Just tonight, okay? Let’s not risk drawing attention to—”
    I thought I heard Alli coming my way, so I scurried up the stairs and prayed I’d successfully turned the corner before she saw me. I grabbed a piece of pizza and pretended I’d been up in her room all along.
    If she was suspicious, it didn’t show. Alli grabbed a slice, too, and after swallowing a massive bite announced, “So, my mom said you can stay overnight if you want. Then we can get more done.”
    I wasn’t sure what to think. It didn’t sound like her parents wanted me here. In fact, it kind of sounded like they were worried they’d get in trouble. Red flags were flying high, but I nonetheless found myself saying, “Sure, why not?” What was I thinking? I guess that it was nice to have a friend and feel normal.
    We finished off most of the pizza and went back to work. With our PowerPoint presentation well on its way, I started on the poster. Alli and I chatted as we worked, and I wanted desperately to ask about Marcus and “the pack” but finally decided I shouldn’t. I also wanted to ask about Aiden. I needed to keep my mind on the task at hand. Honestly, though, I couldn’t have cared less about stupid supply and demand.
    After an hour and a half of more work, we still had quite a bit to do but we agreed that it was time to take another break. It was after nine. Alli ran downstairs to grab something to drink, but I stayed upstairs, not wanting to see her parents again. Once was enough. Instead I took the opportunity to stretch my legs and wandered over to take a closer look at the framed pictures on Alli’s bookcase. They were all of her family, mostly snaps from when she and Aiden were young. The two kids had been both perfect; it almost looked as if the photos had come with the frames. Even when they were ten, they’d both been