Truth or Lies? by A. Gomez (books to get back into reading TXT) 📕

number was at the very bottom of the card, however the numbers were scratched out. I could somewhat see it was her number. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised. Well, this explained all those phone calls my mother was getting and why she was constantly on the phone.

“Why did you scratch the number out?” I asked.

“I didn’t want anyone else to have her number. She did say it was her personal cell number so I memorized it and got rid of the evidence.” He took the card from me and held my hand. “I called her every hour we were apart, multiple times within that hour at times. She took every one of my calls and answered all my questions. Most of the time, I didn’t have to ask anything. She would just give me an update of what was happening.” He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around my back. “She saved me, you know. I was having trouble recovering from the bullet wound. So much so that the doctor was thinking of taking me back to ICU. But then your family walked in and saved me.” He took my hands, kissed them both and then placed them on his shoulders. “Once I started talking with your mother I felt relief, I felt hope, she encouraged me to have patience with you. So, I listened and just kept calling her. She brought me back from despair. She was right,” he said with a grin. “You’re here now and I’m never letting you go.”

I placed my hands on his face, feeling the roughness of his sandpapery stubble, I kissed him gently on each of his eyes and then whispered in his ear, “You have to shave for me if you want me to keep kissing you. I feel like my face is bleeding.”

He laughed. “I will do whatever you want, baby. I do have to call the nurse for that, however. I’m having trouble lifting my arm because of the pain.”

“I know what you mean.” I rubbed my left arm unthinkingly.

“That’s right, I heard you got shot in the arm,” he said as he kissed my wound. “I’m glad it wasn’t anything worse. Hey, why don’t you come down for lunch and you can help me shave?” He sounded enthusiastic.

“Sadly, I can’t, I don’t know how I can manage another lie to Ben today…plus I have to meet David for lunch.”

His expression quickly turned serious, asking, “Why would you need to do anything at all with that cocksucker?!”

“I thought you said you knew everything?”

“I haven’t spoken with your mother today…yet, so this is news to me.”

“Okay, so, what do you know about David?” I asked.

“The Bureau thinks someone around him or close to him tried to kill you by overdose.” I could see the anguish twist his expression. “So, they’re watching him and those around him.”

I gathered that’s all my mother told him. I didn’t want to undo all the work she’d done with him so I didn’t react. She’s a good psychologist and I’d always told her to go back into practice instead of teaching. But she always answered the same way… “What? And miss seeing my students’ fresh and eager faces?” She had always preached the importance of mental health and how it can also affect the healing process in an illness or a physical injury. I wanted Josh to recover without complications but if I didn’t tell him everything, he might not forgive me a second time if he discovered the truth.

I placed my hands on his face, kissing his lips gently and inhaling his scent before I began. “Josh,” I said, between kisses. “Ben suggested that if I were David’s love interest then perhaps that could lead them to the possible Triad member in the hospital.” I stopped kissing him to see his reaction. “So, David thinks we’re a couple and I told him I may be able to have lunch with him today.”

Josh didn’t react. He just kept gazing at me. He pulled me to his chest and began to kiss my neck, jaw and behind my ear. My pulse quickened and my breath caught in my chest. I pressed my lips against his, parting his lips and filling his mouth with my tongue. He greedily took it, sucking and gently tugging. He hastily shoved his wet tongue in my mouth. I entangled my fingers in his messy hair, pressing my body closer to his. I could feel his erection against my navel and groin. I wanted him. I wanted him inside of me. He started to groan a painful groan and held his side.

I pulled away. “Josh,” I said, in a panic, “what’s wrong?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” He was leaning back in bed, raising his legs. “It’s just my wound, the pain meds must be wearing off.”

I covered him and fluffed his pillows, relieved it was nothing serious. I gingerly climbed into bed with him, taking care I didn’t jostle him or move the bed too much. He opened his good arm to let me lay on his rock-hard chest. As he turned his head to smell my hair, I peeked up at him and kissed his sandpapery chin. I sighed thinking I didn’t know if I could act like I was interested in David.

“Joshua?” My voice was quiet.

“Hm…”

“You didn’t react one way or the other when I told you about David. Are you all right with it?”

“No, of course I’m not all right with it. I hate how he looks at you and the thought of him touching you in any fashion makes me want to shoot him.” His voice was menacing. “But, your mother did explain, in detail, what had happened to you…” He trailed off, his arm gripping me tighter. “…and I trust Davis to make the right decision.” He sounded helpless.

“So, you understand that I have no feelings for