The Lies We Tell
846 Words
,Location: Isla’s Apartment – Midnight
The dim glow of the bedside lamp barely lit up Isla’s room. She sat on her bed, knees drawn up, staring at her phone screen. The message stood out in bold letters.
Unknown Number: "Meet me tomorrow. You’re in danger."
Her fingers trembled as she re-read it.
Another warning. Another mystery.
Her mind swirled with a thousand questions. Who was sending these messages? What danger? And most importantly—why now?
She exhaled slowly, placing her phone beside her. Every time she thought things couldn’t get more complicated, something new happened.
Ethan’s sudden return.
Ryan’s constant warnings.
Her father’s secrets.
And now… this.
She pulled the blanket around herself, but no warmth could ease the cold fear settling inside her.
Tomorrow, she would find out the truth.
She had to.
---
Location: Ethan’s Apartment – Morning
Ethan stood by the window, gripping his phone so tightly his knuckles turned white.
He had sent Isla three messages.
No reply.
His heart pounded.
She was slipping away, and he couldn’t let that happen.
Not again.
He grabbed his jacket and stormed out. Today, he was going to tell her everything.
Even if it meant risking everything.
---
Location: A Café – 11 AM
The café hummed with soft chatter, but for Isla, the world felt silent.
She sat across from Ryan, arms folded, her expression unreadable.
"Why are you really doing this, Ryan?" she asked.
Ryan leaned forward, his gaze steady. "Because I care about you."
She scoffed. "Or because you want me to hate Ethan?"
Ryan sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Isla, he lied to you. He walked away from you."
"And you think I don’t know that?" Isla shot back. "But why does it feel like you’re pushing me to hate him?"
Ryan hesitated.
For a moment, his eyes darkened.
"Because I know him." His voice was low, intense. "He’s dangerous, Isla. He destroyed you once. I won’t let him do it again."
Isla felt a headache creeping in.
Ryan had always been there for her, always the one picking up her broken pieces.
But did that mean she could ignore her own questions?
The sound of the café door swinging open caught her attention.
Her breath hitched.
Ethan.
The café seemed to shrink as his stormy eyes locked onto Ryan.
Ryan’s posture stiffened.
Ethan walked over, his presence commanding. "We need to talk, Isla."
Ryan stood. "She’s already talking to someone."
Ethan ignored him. "Alone."
Ryan scoffed. "Right. So you can twist her mind again?"
Ethan’s jaw clenched. "You don’t know anything, Ryan."
Ryan smirked. "I know you left her without a word. And I know she cried for months because of you."
Ethan flinched. "I had my reasons."
"Then maybe you should finally tell her."
Isla felt the weight of both their words pressing down on her.
She had had enough.
"Enough!" Her voice cut through the tension.
Both men turned to her.
"I’m done being caught in the middle. If either of you actually care about me, stop this damn war and just tell me the truth."
A silence fell between them.
Then Ethan exhaled. "Fine. You want the truth? Meet me tonight."
Ryan’s eyes darkened. "Isla, don’t go."
But she had already made up her mind.
---
Location: Ethan’s Apartment – Night
The door opened before Isla could knock.
Ethan pulled her inside, shutting it behind them.
"No more secrets," he said, voice tight. "I swear."
He walked to his desk, pulling out a thick file.
He handed it to her.
Her hands trembled as she opened it.
Old letters. Documents.
And then—her father’s signature.
Her stomach twisted.
"What… is this?" she whispered.
Ethan swallowed hard. "Proof. That your father forced me to leave you."
The room spun.
"You’re lying."
"I wish I was."
Her eyes darted over the words.
Legal threats. A restraining order.
Her father had done this.
Not Ethan.
Not even fate.
Her own father.
Tears burned in her eyes.
"Why didn’t you fight for me?" she whispered.
Ethan’s expression shattered. "I did, Isla. But I was young, and he… he destroyed everything I had. I had no choice."
She closed her eyes, gripping the file.
Years of pain. Of anger.
All because of a lie.
She looked up at him.
"I don’t know if I can forgive you."
His face fell.
"But I want to try."
Hope flickered in his gaze.
But before he could speak—
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: "You’re not safe. He’s coming for you."
Isla’s blood ran cold.
Ethan snatched the phone, reading the message. His face turned to stone.
"We need to leave. Now."
Before Isla could ask why—
A loud bang echoed through the apartment.
Her heart stopped.
Someone was trying to break in.
Ethan grabbed her hand. "Run."
---
Location: Outside Ethan’s Apartment
A sleek black car sat idling in the shadows.
A man in a dark suit stepped out, his sharp eyes locked onto the apartment building.
A smirk curled on his lips.
"Let the real game begin."
- Writer
