Page 82 of Loving the Liar

“Ella.”

Heart dropping, I straighten up like a rod. How the hell did Chris know we were here?

My drunken self seems to feel suicidal tonight, so I widen my eyes and look at the others.

“Uh oh, guys. The real daddy is here.”

He looks angry. Really angry. Going-to-punish-me angry. I know how to recognize it because he becomes calmer than usual. Quieter. That’s before the storm comes in.

The words just escaped, but I don’t think that’s what annoyed him. He was already fuming before I even opened my mouth. My head buzzes as I think of what he caught me doing. The kind of punishment he could inflict…

“Oh, shit.” Peach bursts out laughing as she appears from behind Chris. “I knew she called him daddy.”

“I don’t!” I fight back, cheeks heating from the way my best friend is calling me out.

“Ella,” Chris says again. “I’m taking you home. Let’s go.”

“What?” I laugh. “I’m not going with you. I’m having fun with my friends.”

Henry helps stabilize me when I do an exaggerated twirl. “See? I’m dancing. I’m not allowed to try to make it a career anymore, so this will have to do.”

His eyes are stuck on Henry’s arm around my waist, and I suddenly feel uncomfortable with him touching me. In my state, I almost admit out loud that what I feel uncomfortable about is that the person touching me isn’t Chris.

It’s easy to know I shouldn’t be with him, that we don’t stand a chance. But it’s harder to put it into place when his body calls out to mine. When his strong words order me to do something.

And why am I so hot? Oh, I know. Must be Chris’s presence.

“You’re looking gorgeous, Christopher,” I say through a giggle. “But watch yourself. Your possessive behavior is showing.”

A silence falls on us all as he takes a slow, calculated step toward Henry and me.

He’s incredibly composed when he talks to my new postgrad friend, his voice as even as always. “You’re going to stop touching her now.”

Henry’s arm falls off me so fast it’s ridiculous. I roll my eyes dramatically even as I can feel my body being pulled to Chris’s by an invisible string.

I know this pull. I know this string. It’s deep red, like passion. It’s electrifying to the touch, like love. And it’s as unbreakable as a diamond.

Chris puts his hands in the pockets of his pants, looking Henry up and down. He shakes his head, tutting him like he’s scolding a child, though I know for a fact they’re the exact same age.

“That’s not how you spank a woman, Henry. You won’t mind if I take her with me and show her exactly how it’s done, do you?”

Before I can react, he’s got a hold of my wrist, gently pulling me toward him. I don’t even resist, but Henry is decent enough to try to defend me. He grabs my other wrist, stopping Chris in his movement toward the bedroom door, and I end up pulled at both sides.

“Uh…” I hesitate, the room now spinning. What the hell is happening?

“She’ll go if she wants to go. Right, Ella?” Henry asks.

I nod dumbly, but no words come out. Is it the alcohol making it so hard to talk?

I’m pretty sure there are real bullets shooting out of Chris’s eyes with the way Henry shrinks beside me. But he still doesn’t let go.

“Pew pew,” I whisper, wondering if one of those bullets will hit me. Then I burst out laughing.

“Is this guy even safe?” Henry calls out to the rest of the room. “Ella’s drunk.”

Peach looks at me with wide, questioning eyes, too drunk to react. She knows I’m not in immediate danger. She knows it’s just Chris. He would never hurt me.

“I—” I hesitate.

---