This story is the twelveth story in the Alphabet Challenge. For those you that don't know, the Alphabet Challenge is a story writing contest I'm doing with Love's Crash Test Dummy.

Here's the rules for it:

1) We go through the alphabet writing stories based on a word that begins with each letter.

2) Although we are both doing 'A', we will start alternating each letter when I do 'B'. Then she will do 'C' and so on.

3) We always pick each other's word. (Except this time. We both picked our own.)

4) All stories have to be 500 words in length.

5) Five day time limit from when the other author posts her story.

6) My stories will always be Payson/Nicky and her's will always be Kaylie/Nicky.

After the contest is over, there will be a poll on both of our profile that ask which story in the contest is your favorite.

Check out the other 9 stories!

Alone by me

Apples by Love's Crash Test Dummy

Barbie by me

Carnival by Love's Crash Test Dummy

Dying by me

Elope by Love's Crash Test Dummy

Future by me

Girlfriend by Love's Crash Test Dummy

Inconvenient by Love's Crash Test Dummy

Jealousy by me

Kaylicky by Love's Crash Test Dummy

If you don't want to have to look for the stories, Love Crash Test Dummy made a community for all the stories. It's called Alphabet Challenge.

Liar

Honesty is the best policy

Kim Keeler had always told her two girls that no matter what situation they had gotten themselves into, honesty would only make things better.

Payson Keeler found herself repeating her mother's favorite saying in her head over and over as she was pulled from her thoughts by a pair of strong arms being wrapped around her body, surrounding her in warmth. 'Well,' Payson thought to herself as she snuggled closer to her fellow Olympic gold medalist, 'Mom never thought either of us would get ourselves into something like this.'

"Are you awake?" she heard from behind her.

"Yeah," she whispered very quietly.

Payson felt the bed move slightly as Austin Tucker sat up. She follow suit, pulling the uncomfortable hotel comforter and sheet up with her to cover her bare chest. Austin put his hand on her arm, but Payson moved away from him, shielding her face from his with her long blond hair.

"Payson," he started to say.

"Don't, Austin. Just don't." With that, Payson bent over the side of the bed and grabbed the outfit and undergarments she had worn the previous night. She tossed the comforter off her body, but kept the sheet wrapped tightly around her. Then she stood up and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Wait," Austin shouted at her just as she was turning the doorknob.

Payson pushed open the door and walked through it. Then she stuck her head out the door way. "Last night was a mistake, Austin. It never should have happened. I'm in love with Nicky."

Austin sighed sadly when he heard the bathroom door close behind her. Leaning back against the pillow, he closed his eyes and let the sound of water running in the shower gently lull him back to sleep.

...

Payson stayed in the shower for at least an hour, just letting the warm water fall softly against her back. She scrubbed her entire body a good five times with Austin's expensive shower gel, yet she knew the dirty feeling she had would not go away with simple soap and water. Guilt, Payson discovered, was impossible to wash away.

Nicky was the perfect boyfriend, and Payson thought she was in love with him.

That was just how things were supposed to be. They were going to get married, have three kids, buy their own gym, and coach future Olympians together. That was the plan, at least.

And Austin Tucker just did not fit into Payson's life plan.

He was the love 'em and leave 'em type, never dating the same girl for more than a week at a time. In the two years she had known him, the only girl Payson had ever seen Austin stay even remotely intertested in for a long period of time was her good friend Kaylie Cruz. Kaylie was a bit smarter than Payson when it came to boys, though, and the former National Champion had managed to fight his sexy smirk and alluring grin, only breaking down and kissing him twice.

Payson sighed to herself and sat down in the shower, water cascading down on top of her head. 'Why me?' was the only thought that came to her mind. 'Out of every girl at that damn party last night, why did I have to be the only one dumb enough to go upstairs with him?'

An image of her boyfriend flashed through her mind, and Payson started to sob.

She had been secretly dating Nicky for almost a year and a half. When he finally came back from his brief time training in Denver, Payson just couldn't pretend like there was nothing between them anymore. She wasn't going to make the same mistake twice and risk loosing him to Kaylie again. So Payson Keeler told Nicky Russo that she loved him. Maybe seventeen was too young to admit that to someone, but Payson had thought it was true.

Yet, less than twenty-four hours after she became the All-Around Olympic gold medalist, when she should have been celebrating with her boyfriend, Payson had woken up naked in bed with Nicky's biggest rival in the gymnastics world.

The night before was a complete blur to her, but when she thought about it, she managed to conjure up a fuzzy image of Nicky and her standing in the ballroom fighting. Or maybe they were just talking. She couldn't really tell.

Payson sighed a little and stood up. She turned off the water in the shower, and pulled open the shower curtain. After grabbed one of the soft towels from a rack, Payson quickly dryed off her body and put on her clothes. Then she opened the bathroom door, ready to face Austin.

"Took you long enough," she heard his rough voice say as soon as she was out of the bathroom. Payson sighed a little and walked over to the bed where he was still laying. She sat down on the corner of the bed, facing him with an expression on her face Austin couldn't quite read.

"We need to talk about this," Austin told her quietly.

"No, we don't. Like I said last night was just a stupid mistake," she said, her face contridicting her words.

Austin sat up and moved over beside her. "If you really meant that, you would have left already," he said.

"I do mean it."

"You do not."

"Austin, I don't even remember anything about last night."

"I do."

"Then maybe you should forget too, and we both can just get on with our lives."

Austin took her hand in his own. "Payson, last night wasn't just us having drunken sex. We hung out all night after your fight with Nicky. He made you cry, Pay! And I was there for you. Me. Not him."

Payson jerked her hand away from him, blinking back the tears that were threatening to escape her eyes."You sure were there for me, Austin. I fight with my boyfriend of eighteen months, and you use the opportunity to get me in the sack. You're real pal."

Austin threw his head back in frustration. "You really don't remember anything? Not even your fight with him?"

"No. I remember going to a victory party with Nicky, us talking for a while, then waking up here. That's it. Tell me what happened."

"It's not my place to tell you that," he told her regretfully. "But it is my place to tell you that I'm crazy about you, Keeler."

"Austin-"

"No, let me finish. You maybe may exact opposite, but there's just something about you that makes me want to be with you. I don't know what it is, but it's there. I know what you think about me, that I'm just a womanizing slacker, but that's not true. I can be a good boyfriend. I love you, Payson," Austin said.

Payson's heart caught in her chest at his words. She looked into his earnest blue eyes, trying to remember the last time she had felt the butterflies that were floating around in her stomach. Then she just shook her head and stood up.

"I'm sorry," she told him as she walked toward the door. "But I don't love you."

Then she walked out the door, closing it softly behind her. She cryed the whole way down the hallway and the whole elevator ride to the floor where Nicky's hotel room was. She knocked softly on the door, another sentence replaying itself in her head.

Honesty may be the best policy, but Payson Keeler is a liar.

I think this is my least favorite story I have ever written. No joke. I just don't like the flow of it, but I've tried every way I can think of to fix it. I even rewrote it twice. So please don't be too harsh with your reviews.

PLEASE REVIEW!