A full house and a Lie

A full house and a Lie

Samantha POV

“Come in,” I said whilst stepping aside.

Asher walked past me and zoomed in. He looked so worried, scanning the room like he expected to see a crime scene. Well… technically, last night it was.

“Where is she?” he asked, his voice low but urgent.

And as if the universe had perfect timing, Camila stepped out of my room right then. Her hair was still damp, face scrubbed clean, and she wore one of my oversized sweatshirts that practically swallowed her whole. Apparently, I won't lie… she was looking more like a small fish. So skinny.

Asher froze. For a second, it was like time folded in on itself. Then he moved closer to her, bent slightly and pulled her into his arms.

“Camila.” Her name came out like a relief and a reprimand all at once.

My mouth slightly went open as I stared at them like I had just walked into some fairytale land. The hug was long — too long. He held her like someone who’d been worried sick, and she just stood there, her arms half-wrapped around him, eyes wide and looking straight at me.

And in that moment, while she was pressed against his chest, her gaze drifted to me and she signalled, ‘please don’t say a damn thing’.

I raised an eyebrow, pointing at them and mouthed, ‘when did this start?’

Camila’s eyes darted, and she mouthed back, ‘I don’t know’.

‘Liar’. I mouthed it too, quietly, the word forming on my lips like a secret joke.

Then I covered my mouth, stifling a laugh. God, the way she glared at me over his shoulder almost made me lose it.

When Asher finally let her go, his eyes trailed over her face, like he was trying to confirm she was real. Then down — his brows pulled together.

“You’ve lost weight,” he said, frowning. “What the hell happened to you? Samantha, are you starving her or something?”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

Camila jumped in fast, like she’d been expecting it. “No! No, I was just… on a diet.”

“A diet?” Asher repeated, looking skeptical.

“Yeah,” she said, nodding too quickly. “You know… too many carbs. I hardly do anything, so I noticed I started gaining too much weight. You see… so that's why I'm trying to keep fit.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh again. She couldn’t even lie with a straight face.

Asher looked from her to me. “You two are hiding something.”

“We ain't.” Camila and I jinxed

I snorted. “We’re women. We hide everything. Don’t overthink it.”

Asher stared at us for a while with that weird look that said ‘what the hell is wrong with you too?’. He didn’t look convinced though, but he didn’t push forward.

He just sighed and turned to Camila. “The scandal has been resolved, so there's nothing to worry about...” He paused and narrowed his gaze. “Wait, did someone threaten you or something? Did the media come at you again?”

Camila’s lips trembled for a second — barely noticeable — and she forced a smile. “I’m fine, Ash. I promise.”

I crossed my arms, leaning against the counter, pretending to look busy but watching every second. There was something fragile in her voice, something that cracked between the syllables.

And I wondered — for how long could she keep this façade up before it broke?

Asher finally exhaled and dropped his hand. “Fine. But you’re not running off again. Not until I get answers.”

“Answers?” I asked, casually.

He looked at me. “She disappeared without a word. You think that’s normal?”

I shrugged. “Nothing about Camila is normal.”

She shot me a death stare.

He smiled, shaking his head, and for a moment, the tension in the air thinned.

Camila stood there in my clothes, pretending everything was fine. But deep down, nothing was close to being fine.

And Asher… poor guy had no idea what kind of storm was awaiting him, in the nearest future.

The knock on the door was sharp this time, two precise taps. Before I could even move, the door swung open and Elias stepped in.
Of course.

I exhaled softly. Oh great. The more, the merrier.

“Sir,” Elias said, straightening his tie, “your meeting is in thirty minutes. We need to start heading back, now.”

I pressed my lips together, eyeing the scene. Yup, definitely a full house today — courtesy of my sweet friend Camila, who apparently has a thing for surprise visits and emotional wreckage.

Asher turned to her. “You heard him. Go get your things. We’ll leave together.”

Camila didn’t move.

Instead, she blinked, once, twice… then said softly, “No.”

The word landed like a dropped glass.

Every head turned. Elias froze mid-step, his hand still at his side. Asher’s brows shot up. And me? I nearly choked on air.

I widened my eyes at her, silently screaming, ‘What the hell are you doing?!’

She didn’t even look at me.

“Asher,” she began, “I think it’s better if I come by later in the evening or maybe after your meeting. I really don’t want to be a distraction — and besides…” she turned her head slightly toward me, “I still have a lot of catching up to do with Samantha.”

I blinked again, harder this time.

Catching up? Girl, we’ve been catching up on your trauma and mystery murders since last night, what else is left to—

Asher turned to me now, crossing his arms. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for work?”

I froze.

“Uh…” I cleared my throat, shifting on my feet. “True. I have too….”

Behind him, Camila was shaking her head at me so hard I thought it might fall off.

“—but,” I added quickly, “we have a—uh—a company-wide performance review today. Starts by twelve.” I forced a quick smile, scratching my neck. “So, I still have a little time before I need to leave.”

Asher squinted at me. He wasn’t buying it.

Then he turned back to Camila, his tone softening. “You’re not avoiding me, are you?”

Camila met his eyes. Her voice came out gentler now, almost fragile. “Of course not. I just want to spend a little more time with Sammy. That’s all.”

Sammy. She used the nickname like a lifeline, throwing it at me for backup. I gave a quick, awkward nod, pretending to agree even though my stomach was twisting.

Elias, who’d been silently standing by the door this whole time, watching the drama unfold like it was a soap opera, finally spoke. “Sir, we really should start going.”

Asher exhaled, long and resigned. He looked at Camila again, searching her face for something… an explanation, a lie, maybe both. Then he nodded slowly.

“Fine,” he said. “But I’m coming back for you later this evening. Don’t make me wait.”

Camila smiled faintly. “I won’t.”

He lingered a second longer, eyes flicking between the two of us, then turned toward the door.

Elias followed him out, and the door shut behind them.

I exhaled sharply. Thank goodness.