Page 111 of Loving the Liar

“I think it’s not the same person it used to be.”

“How?” My surprised gasp gets me a shh from Mrs. Davis, and I offer her an apologetic smile.

Peach rolls her eyes before focusing on me again.

“We can’t know for sure, but I think someone else has taken over the Hermes account. Someone who hates you.”

Her eyes widen, pointedly looking behind me, and I turn around to see what she’s hinting at. Megan, Chris, and some other students are sitting at a table not far from us. It will never get easier seeing her with him, and I struggle to swallow the jealousy. After our moment at the studio, I’ve never felt more like I should be the one sitting by his side and studying with him.

“Megan?” I bring my attention back to Peach. “What, she somehow knows who Hermes is and convinced them to take over the account?”

“Or she hacked it?”

“But then Hermes would have said something about it.”

“Would they?” she insists. “If they did, they would not only take the risk of being found, but also reveal they have a weakness. I think the real Hermes hasn’t posted anything in a while.”

I feel my eyebrows pinching, running through the possibilities in my mind. “Would Megan even know how to hack an account?”

“What do you know about that woman? She transferred this year and is somehow everywhere, knows everyone, is already top of her class. The bitch could work for NASA for all we know.”

I snort. “That comes with being Chris’s girlfriend, Peach. He might have gone away for undergrad, but he’s always been a Stoneview god.” Going back to my article, I mumble, “It doesn’t matter. Whether it’s the original Hermes or her…I’m fucked either way. The whole college hates me.”

“I don’t hate you. Alex, and Wren, and Achilles don’t hate you.”

I smile softly at her, but my gaze drops, the feeling of everything slipping through my fingers and being unable to do anything about it so strong that I’m helpless despite her words. “I love you.” And to stop the pity party, I stand up. “I’m going to get a few books and then we should head home. I feel really unwell.”

Another sneeze escapes me, and I bow my head to avoid Mrs. Davis.

I walk for almost five minutes before I finally find the back aisle where I know my books are. And of course, it’s at the kind of height people like me can’t even reach in their wildest dreams. I jump a few times, but I don’t manage to grab it. Looking around, I notice the rolling ladder attached to the shelves.

Here’s to hoping heeled cowboy boots and a rolling ladder don’t make for a deadly combination. I pull it to where I need, grab the wooden bars, and make my way up. I’m too focused on looking for the exact two books I need to notice the presence behind me.

“Any other man seeing this view would have ended up worse than dead. You’re lucky I’m the one who followed you here.”

I jolt, my fingers gripping the ladder harder. Looking down at Chris, I see his eyes stuck under my skirt, a smirk spreading on his gorgeous lips.

“Don’t follow me when you’re supposed to be with your girlfriend,” I huff out. “And don’t look up my skirt.” I press a hand just under my ass to keep the material close to my skin as I take a step down.

He moves closer. “Nothing I haven’t seen before, Sweets.”

I freeze. He stepped too close, and I can’t keep going unless I want my ass to sit on his face.

“What are you doing?” I hiss. “Get out of the way.”

His hands reach up, strong fingers wrapping around my upper thighs, under my skirt. “Don’t you ever tell me to get out of the way when your ass is involved.”

“Chris, I’m not joking. We’re in a library.”

“Never stopped you before.”

Looking over my shoulder, I narrow my eyes at him. “Why do you know so much about the things that have gone on when you weren’t a student here?”

“Because I kept tabs on you. Bite me.” He illustrates his words by pushing my skirt up and biting the curve of my ass, the sting littering my body in goosebumps.

“Get off me.” I take one hand off the ladder to try to push him away, barely reaching his head. “I’m serious.”

“Keep it down,” he orders in a low voice. Grabbing my waist, he flips me around.

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