Page 31 of Loving the Liar

Feeling the sudden need to get out of this suffocating car, I nod at my brother.

“Oh, alright. That’s unfortunate.” I struggle to swallow, but keep a straight face.

“That’s one way to put it.”

“No. Yeah. It’s horrible. Please, wish him my best.”

I grab my bag, putting it on my lap. I gather my stuff, and as I zip my bag, I notice the case study Reeves gave me an extension for. My dad’s death was a good enough excuse for him, so he extended it to today.

“Shit!” I hiss as I look at the time. 2:57 p.m. His office hours end in three minutes. “Fuck. I have to run.”

Jumping out of the car, I sprint to the humanities building. The walk would be five minutes, and I don’t even know if I’ll make it by running.

I burst through the building doors, slowing to a fast walk before entering the hallway leading to the professors’ offices. Reeves thinks so highly of himself that he requested an office split into two rooms. He uses the first one as a reception room. I try the door at 3:01, praying for at least him or his assistant to still be here.

But what I pray the hardest for is for that assistant to be Rose.

Please let it not be Chris. Please let it not be Chris.

As I walk into the reception, Chris lifts his head from his desk.

I stop in my tracks, my heart squeezing in my chest. I wonder if the day will come when I don’t feel anything when I see this man’s eyes roaming over my body, or the way they light up when they see me. Maybe I’ll die wondering.

“Hi, Ella.”

That’s it. In a deep, soothing voice that welcomes me to follow it. Are my instincts broken? Is that why I want to sit on his lap and hug him? Is that why I want his strong hands on me?

What happened to your dad?

I almost expect an answer to my thought when he starts talking.

“Are you here to see Professor Reeves? His office hours are over, but he’s finishing with someone else. He might be able to get you in if he’s not in a hurry to leave.”

I want to ask why he’s acting all normal when he moved back to Stoneview because his dad is ill. How he can talk so calmly when I wasn’t there for him when he needed me?

“I have to…” I catch the papers on his desk, and I take a step forward, reading the notes he’s writing in red. “Are those the case studies from my class?”

He doesn’t even look up, simply nodding.

“Will you be grading mine too?”

Sitting back in his chair, he brings his red pen to his full lips. A little smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. The one that says I know things you don’t. The empathy I felt a second ago is gone. I’m now tempted to punch him. Make that front, slightly chipped tooth even worse. I hate when he looks at me like he’s got something over me. Even if he does.

“Maybe. It depends on what Reeves wants to do. He might want to grade it himself to be quicker. That way, you can get your feedback at the same time as everyone else.” He glances back at the door to the professor’s office. “Do you want me to have a look before you hand it in?”

His soft voice makes me feel like I’m wrapped in comfort. Warmth spreads from my belly to my chest, my body loving the way he wants to help.

I nod, keeping silent. But I don’t move, so he’s the one who has to get up from his seat, round his desk, and look through my bag while I stand still. My arms hang limply by my sides as he leans back against his desk. His long legs extend in front of him, to my left. A hair’s breadth away from my naked legs. Red pen pressed against his lips again, his eyebrows pinch as he focuses. Could he look sexier if he tried? I don’t think so.

I shake my head, trying to focus.

“You helping me with this doesn’t mean I’ll ‘be yours by the end of the year,’” I explain, quoting his words from earlier.

“Oh, I know, Sweets. ‘Not even if I was your last option on earth,’ right?” His eyes don’t even raise from the paper.

I guess if I get to throw his words back at him, he gets to do the same.

“That’s right.”

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