The Weight of a Lie

Yvienna sat in the front seat of her cousin's car, her gaze drifting out the window as they drove toward the nearest grocery store. She didn't want to be here, but her mother had insisted, and that fear was enough to make her obey. As they cruised down the street, her eyes caught sight of a familiar car in the rearview mirror. She couldn't tell for sure if it was following them, but the unsettling feeling lingered in the pit of her stomach.

She shook her head, dismissing the thought. The car came to a stop, and Yvienna's eyes widened in relief when she saw the grocery store. Finally, they were here.

"Get out on your own," her cousin said, his voice detached.

She rolled her eyes but did as he asked. Stretching her arms, she followed him into the store, where he grabbed a pushcart.

"Where's the list?" he asked, his eyes scanning the store.

Yvienna blinked, confused. "What list?"

Her cousin shook his head, exasperated. "The list of groceries. Where is it?"

"Oh, that list," she muttered, pulling a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and handing it to him.

Her cousin's jaw tightened, clearly frustrated, but he kept his cool. "I'll push the cart. You pick the groceries on the list, okay?"

Yvienna nodded, and he handed the list back to her. They began to walk down the aisles, picking out items, when someone suddenly interrupted them.

"Oh, I guess you're too busy to reply to my messages?" The voice was unmistakable.

Yvienna froze and slowly turned, her jaw dropping when she saw him standing there. Kyle. What was he doing here?

"Yvienna! Let's go!" her cousin called, annoyed.

Yvienna glanced at him, ready to follow, but before she could move, Kyle grabbed her arm, holding her in place. Her cousin's confused gaze flickered between them.

"Let's go," her cousin said, grabbing her other arm to pull her away. But Kyle wasn't letting go.

"Let her go," her cousin ordered, his voice sharp.

"Why would I?" Kyle smirked, not backing down.

"Just let her go!" her cousin insisted, pulling harder, but Kyle did the same. The tension escalated until her cousin finally managed to break free.

"Who are you?" Kyle snapped at her cousin, his eyes blazing with anger.

"I'm her boyfriend, so back off!" her cousin replied, his words sending a shock through Yvienna.

Boyfriend?! Her cousin just said they were together. Yuck!

Kyle's eyes narrowed, and after a tense moment, he scoffed. "Oh, okay." With that, he let go of Yvienna's arm, his expression still filled with fury.

"Let's go, babe," her cousin said, tugging her along, and they walked away together. Yvienna couldn't help but look back at Kyle, his gaze following them. He turned away as soon as their eyes met, his posture rigid with frustration.

"Aw! Why did you pinch me?" her cousin yelped, rubbing his arm.

Yvienna gritted her teeth. "You're not my boyfriend! Why did you lie to him?!"

Her cousin chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation. "I knew it. You two have feelings for each other!"

"Shut up!" she snapped, pinching him again.

"Ouch! Stop it, babe!" he teased, winking at her.

Yvienna recoiled. "Yuck! Don't call me that!"

Her mind wandered back to Kyle. That look in his eyes... the anger, the intensity. But why was he so angry? Did he have feelings for her?

"He loves you," her cousin said casually, breaking into her thoughts.

Yvienna shot him a skeptical look. "You're lying."

"I'm not. Trust me. He's jealous because he doesn't know we're cousins."

Yvienna ignored him, still thinking about Kyle. She was sure he was just using her to get to Cassandra. He couldn't possibly have feelings for her. If only he knew she had a boyfriend, maybe he'd finally leave her alone.

After finishing up their shopping, they headed to the counter to pay for the groceries.

Later, in the car, Yvienna tried to shake off the unsettling thoughts. Her cousin glanced at her.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

Yvienna didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the road. He sighed, clearly sensing her mood. "If you love him, then let it be."

"I'm scared," Yvienna admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You're brave, Yvienna. I know you can face it. I can feel it—he loves you."

She looked at him, puzzled. "But he's just using me."

The car slowed to a stop, stuck in traffic. Her cousin didn't seem to buy it.

"I don't believe it," he said firmly. "He's in love with you, and you need to face it."

She couldn't help but smirk. "Being all mature doesn't suit you," she teased.

Her cousin stuck his tongue out. "I pity him. He's in love with a childish brat."

"Who's a childish brat?" she snapped.

He smirked but didn't answer. The car moved again, but the conversation left her restless.

When they reached her house, Yvienna felt the familiar poke on her cheek. She groaned, her eyes barely opening as she glared at her cousin.

"Stop poking me!" she gritted out.

Her cousin, ever the troublemaker, pulled her out of the car. "For your information, dear cousin, we're here. So, get out."

"Aw! Don't pull me!" she protested, about to punch him in retaliation, but someone else interrupted them.

"I'll get the groceries," Yaya said, taking the bags from her cousin.

Yvienna yawned, barely able to keep her eyes open as she walked inside the house. All she wanted was some rest.

She headed straight for her room, throwing herself onto her bed. The moment her head hit the pillow, her eyes closed, ready to drift into sleep.

Her peace, however, was short-lived. The shrill ring of her phone shattered the silence.

Annoyed, Yvienna grabbed the phone without checking the caller ID. "Hello?! Who the hell is this?" she snapped.

"Miss me?" came the voice on the other end.

Her heart skipped a beat. Kyle?

"Kyle? What the hell is your problem?" she demanded.

"Break up with your boyfriend."

Yvienna froze. Was he serious?

"Why would I? As far as I know, you're just using me to make Cassandra jealous!" Her words came out before she could stop them, and as soon as they did, she regretted them.

There was a long silence on the other end, and then, in a calm but deadly voice, Kyle replied, "I'm not using you. Break up with him, or else I'll take you from him."

The call ended abruptly, leaving her in stunned silence.

Yvienna lay back on her bed, her mind racing. She wanted to forget Kyle, to ignore him. But no matter how hard she tried, his words echoed in her mind.

I'm not using you.

I'm not using you.

I'm not using you.

It repeated over and over again until she couldn't escape it.