Page 63 of Loving the Liar

“Like I had your word the Circle wouldn’t get their hands on her? What’s your plan now?”

He’s pacing again, looking like he wants to kick something. I would let him if Megan wasn’t so insane. If there’s something out of place, she’ll take it out on the house personnel.

“I didn’t have the power I have now. But I’m initiated. I’m a Shadow,” I explain. “I’ll make sure no one touches her.”

And for once, I’m not lying. No one will touch her. Except me. I’ll be touching her. I’ll be keeping her so busy no one else will get a chance to even approach her.

He’s almost panting when he finally stops, looking at me.

“I’m sure Megan loves the idea of you defending Ella. Her jealousy must take it well.”

I can’t help it. The second her name is mentioned when it’s unnecessary, my heart hardens. I’m an empathetic man, but not for her. I feel nothing but contempt when it comes to that woman. It’s so obvious who my heart belongs to that I could never feel anything more than contempt for my current fiancée.

“Megan doesn’t matter.” And before I know it, the words have escaped my mouth. “I wish I was marrying Ella, believe me?—”

The silence swallows the air in the room. Luke doesn’t react well to shock. He needs time to process things. And I’m not used to fucking up. Yet I keep doing so when it comes to Ella.

Eyes narrowed into slits, he tilts his head to the side. “What did you just say?”

I chuckle, pretending this is no big deal. If I have to gaslight my best friend, I will. And it’s probably the most innocent thing I’ll do to get her back.

“I meant, if I’m forced to marry someone to enter the Circle, and if it had been a way to save Ella from this current situation, I would have done it.”

“You told my mom you wouldn’t. Keep it that way.”

“Of course. But when I said that, it was because we were trying to stop Ella from initiating altogether. The situation is different now. And if one of the solutions would be to marry her, and Megan wasn’t part of the picture, I would. All I mean is, I’ll always help in any way I can.”

“Absolutely fucking not. You wouldn’t marry her even considering the new situation. Because I wouldn’t let you.”

It’s rare to see such coldness coming from Luke, but it’s not surprising when it comes to Ella. She means everything to him. In a family where no love is being passed around, they held on to each other like their lives depended on it.

“Luke, this is ridiculous. You’re telling me if there was no other option to save your sister, you wouldn’t let her marry me to save herself? Your family?”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you. My warning still stands. None of you fucking touch her. Last option or not.”

I can’t help but notice he’s the second Baker to tell me this. And it’s starting to hurt my feelings. In fact, hurt my feelings is a rather small thing to say when someone tries to snuff out the hope I have to get Ella back. Rip my heart out of my chest would be more accurate.

“I understand.” I didn’t know a simple lie could feel like chewing glass. “If you don’t mind, I have to leave for class. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

I never wanted to feel distant from my best friend. I never wanted to manipulate him. All I ever wanted was to love his sister in peace.

No one is letting me love her in fucking peace.

It’s unfortunate that Ella will forever be paying for something she has no control over. She can’t control how much I need her to breathe, and she can’t control that I’ve always been too much of a coward to tell her brother. My mood was already horrible when I walked into Reeves’s undergrad class on this nightmare of a Monday, and the only person who can ever make me feel better is her. Problem is, I don’t believe she wants to.

When I have to witness her leaning against a desk with her ex—or whatever she names this one since I’m the one who always gets called the ex—so close to her he’s probably breathing the exact air that comes out of her lungs, I know my beautiful girl isn’t going to like my reaction.

Matias Roberts is some random jock-like lacrosse player who kissed her in front of everyone when he tried to make things official.

I know a few other things about him.

He’s twenty-one years old, broke his wrist when he was seven, has two younger sisters, got two concussions from lacrosse since he started college, majors in biology…and apparently walks into classes he doesn’t attend before they start. Just so he can talk to a woman who doesn’t belong to him.

Interesting, since I thought she was done with him. But that’s her problem. She’s too forgiving.

“Christopher,” a voice calls out right behind me. “Hey.”

Unfortunately, today I can’t pretend I’m even interested in talking to someone else, so I ignore them. There’s a woman I need to warn against flirting with other men. Especially men she slept with before. Consequences could be dire. I make my way to the desk Ella is leaning against while she talks to Matias, a satisfying rage simmering in my blood. I told her no other men. How many times can I say things calmly before it’s time to teach her a real lesson?

---