Page 14 of Loving the Liar

“Chris is right. Go to your room.”

I take a step back, shaking off the pain. “Go to my… What am I? Five? Don’t kick me out of here. I’m as much of an adult as you are.”

“No. You’re not. You’re a college student, whose biggest worry until this morning was being popular in college and that we made her drop dancing. Go to your room and let us handle this.”

“We’re talking about marrying me right now,” I snap. “Don’t do this to me, Luke.”

“We’re not marrying you,” he barks back, losing patience. “I didn’t work so fucking hard at protecting you to just hand you over. Go to your room, Ella. Now.”

Panting, he angrily points at the door.

“Well done.” I swallow thickly and struggle to hold back tears. “Dad’s been dead for a few hours and you’re already well on your way to replace him.”

The way I slam the door could have broken it. I hate all of them.

I love you

You’re my first thought when I open my eyes, my last when I fall asleep, and the main character in every single one of my dreams.

Chapter Five

Chris

Monster - Shawn Mendes, Justing Bieber

“Christopher.”

My eyes reluctantly leave the door Ella just slammed to turn to the plea coming from Celine Baker.

“You have to marry her. You have to bring the Baker family back into the Circle.”

I feel my features twisting in a sorry face. This woman is desperate enough to marry her only daughter to a Shadow when she’s experienced exactly what it entails for most of her life. It says a lot about her or her predicament. Or both.

“Mom, that’s enough,” Luke snaps next to me. “For the last time, we are not involving Ella in this. She’s a fucking kid.”

She’s twenty-two, I don’t say. She’s his little sister, so he’s always seen her as a baby.

“And”—he gives me a quick tap on the shoulder—“no offense, Chris, but there is absolutely no chance in this fucking life I’m letting you anywhere near my sister. Ella, whenever she’s ready, and whenever she wants, can introduce a guy to this family who isn’t part of a secret society, and isn’t a man I’ve seen fuck countless women. Thank you very much.”

I’ve fucked your sister countless times already. That I definitely don’t say.

All of Luke’s friends got the talk when Ella started high school. We were in senior year.

Stay away from her unless she needs help. Don’t touch her. Keep other guys away from her. And do not, under any circumstances, have sex with her.

We had been neighbors our entire lives already; he should have said something before I fell for her. And I fell hard way before high school.

“She deserves a chance at staying out of all this mess, okay?” my friend insists. “Give me some time, and I’ll find a solution.”

“Time?” Celine starts laughing hysterically. “The Circle killed your father today, Lucas. I don’t think you understand time has already run out. We need to get back in, or we’re dead. We need to choose her a husband.”

“There is still a possibility he killed himself.”

“You’re so naïve.”

“Celine.” Cutting off their useless back-and-forth, I move toward the door Ella closed.

It’s automatic for my lungs to inhale deeper when I stand where she was. I want to smell her. Her perfume of sweet vanilla with undertones of lavender feels like a bittersweet memory. The sweetness of the vanilla brings out who she really is, and the touch of lavender reminds me of spring. Like Persephone herself gave her the fragrance. It’s her favorite season. She always says when she sees flowers on the trees, everything starts all over again.

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