Liars Like Us

Liars Like Us MORALLY GRAY BOOK 1 J.T. GEISSINGER Contents Playlist Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author Also by J.T. Geissinger This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Text copyright © 2023 by J.T. Geissinger, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by J.T. Geissinger, Inc. ISBN-13: 979-8-9853168-8-9 Editing by Linda Ingmanson Cover design by Lori Jackson Cover photograph of Eric Guilmette by Michelle Lancaster @lanefotograf www.jtgeissinger.com To my white knight. Your elf queen loves you. Find what you love and let it kill you. ~ (Falsely attributed to) Charles Bukowski Playlist Listen on Spotify “Killer” Valerie Broussard “Big Bad Wolf” Roses & Revolutions “I Want To” Rosenfeld “Devil Devil” MILCK “Animal” AG, MOONZz “Devil I Know” Allie X “Bad Guy” Billie Eilish “Secret” The Pierces “Lunatic” UPSAHL “Watch Me Burn” Michele Morrone “Choke” Royal & the Serpent “Monsters” Ruelle “Joke’s on You” Charlotte Lawrence “A Little Wicked” Valerie Broussard “SHE” Winona Oak “Goddess” Jaira Burns “Wicked as They Come” CRMNL “Trustfall” Pink One The yellow balloons bob in a cheery arch over the open glass doors of ValUBooks as a steady stream of customers passes through on their blissful way to kill my soul, my family’s legacy, and every dream I ever dared to dream. “It’s not that bad,” says Viv brightly. My sweet employee, she of the freckles and strawberry-blonde hair, stands beside me at the window of my shop as we watch the throng of people outside make their way to fatten the already fat bank account of my arch nemesis. I’d say competitor, but there’s no competition. ValUBooks is a Fortune 500 company with over a billion in assets, operating more than 1,000 successful retail outlets across the country, and employing over 30,000 people. My company, Lit Happens, has one location, five employees, and “assets” that include an assortment of feral cats that wander in and out and an ancient espresso machine possessed by a fire demon that once burst into flames just as the city health inspector arrived to conduct the annual inspection on the tiny café inside the store. I mutter, “Sure. In the same way a brain tumor isn’t that bad.” Viv shoots me a glance, examines my expression, then turns back to the view of the sunny July morning and continues trying to reassure me. “Don’t sound so depressed. It’s opening day. They’re bound to be busy today. I bet tomorrow, it will be slower. Then next week, it will be totally dead.” Dead like my business. Dead like my future. Dead like my love life, which came to a screeching halt six months ago when my boyfriend Ben suddenly declared it was over between us. Then he blocked my number as if I were a bill collector he was trying to avoid. I still have no idea what happened. When I went to his apartment to try to talk to him, his neighbor across the hall said he’d moved. He didn’t leave a forwarding address. He didn’t even give the landlord notice. He just cleared out like a criminal on the run from the law. He probably had a premonition that my life was about to end, and he didn’t want to get dragged down into the depths of bankruptcy and self-loathing with me. “Oh God. It’s Channel 4 News!” Horrified, I point to the blue-and-white van with the satellite dish affixed to its roof that’s pulling into the parking lot. Viv says hopefully, “Maybe there’s a gas leak.” I scoff. “Thanks for that, but the news doesn’t show up to cover a gas leak. They’re reporting on the grand opening.” “Maybe it’s a big gas leak. Maybe the building is about to be evacuated. Maybe ValUBooks is going to explode!” That’s Viv in a nutshell. Little Miss Sunshine, always looking on the bright side, even in the face of imminent disaster. I could point to a gigantic asteroid entering the atmosphere directly over our heads that was about to obliterate all life on the planet, and she’d say something chipper about how at least there are no income taxes or internet trolls in the afterlife. “Nothing is exploding around here except my sanity. I need a drink.” Despondent, I turn away from the window and cross the store, stopping behind the counter where the register sits. From beneath it, I pull a bottle of whiskey. I unscrew the cap and take a slug right from the bottle as Viv watches me, her pretty face pinched. She says tentatively, “Isn’t it a little early for a drink, Em?” “Don’t judge me. My life’s falling apart. Liquor is the answer.” “Liquor is never the answer. Especially at ten o’clock on a Friday morning.” “Ha! Says the infant with no problems.” She looks insulted. “Twenty isn’t an infant.” “Pfft. Get back to me in a decade and we’ll talk.” I take another swig from the bottle, cap it, then put it back under the counter. Because although I’d never admit aloud that my young and unjaded employee is right, she’s right. Ten o’clock is much too early to drink. I’ll wait until noon to really get started. The front door of the shop swings open. A tanned brunette wearing a gold USC hoodie, cutoff jean shorts, and flip-flops bursts