Page 98 of Loving the Liar

The fact that I’m wearing a uniform and they’re walking around in their elegant clothes accentuates her insult.

I hear some laughter, and I feel myself blush when I realize we’ve caught the attention of a few bystanders.

“Chris,” I croak. The plea in my desperate voice is so ridiculous I’m ashamed of myself.

Where’s the power I used to have over the people around us? And why does Megan now hold it so tightly in her grip?

He can’t ignore a whole conversation, but when he finally jumps in, I wish he’d never opened his mouth.

“Ella.” The unyielding way in which he says my name makes me want to drop my gaze, bow my head, listen. “Worry about your studies, will you? That’s what your brother asked of you. And when I don’t give you attention, it’s because I don’t want to. Don’t desperately ask for it, it’s very unbecoming.”

He wraps an arm around Megan’s waist, mumbling a quick “come on” before they move again. She doesn’t forget to slip a few words in my ear before she leaves.

“I’ll forgive the misstep because you’re a dumb thing who doesn’t get it. But let me make things clear for you: Aphrodites get used at the temple. They don’t get to fuck a Shadow whenever they want. Don’t let me catch you anywhere near him unless you’ve been called to whore yourself out where you know belong.”

I’m left standing in the middle of the hallway, barely able to breathe. A mix of heartbreak and visceral fear keeps me frozen to the spot. And then the flight instinct kicks in.

As I push people out of my way, I’m not hearing the jabs thrown in my direction anymore. Fuck holding my head high. Nothing is as important as fleeing this awful building.

I sprint down the pathways leading to the other buildings. My feet slap against the wet ground, and I’m soaked when I finally reach the Arts and Performance department. I fly through the doors of the old building and straight to the locker rooms of the dance section.

I need my safe space. I need the place where every thought goes away and only my body stays alive. Striding toward my locker, I’m already starting to undo my tie and shirt, but my breath freezes in my lungs when I get there.

“No,” I choke. I drop to my knees in front of all my stuff on the floor.

Lockers are reserved for the dance students, but even after I had to drop out, I was respected enough that everyone in the class insisted I keep mine. Not anymore.

They took out all my belongings and left them on the floor with a note.

No pervs or murderers allowed here.

Why would anyone do this? They have no proof of anything. Those people used to be my friends. We danced and cried and celebrated together. They left all my tutus, dance shoes, and leotards here with no consideration for them whatsoever.

A ball tightens my throat, and I swallow past it a few times before tears gather in my eyes.

Why?

Why is Hermes unleashing on me?

I take hold of my pointe shoes, bringing them to my chest. Everything is falling apart. The death of my dad created a whirlwind of consequences I wasn’t ready to face. Even in the afterlife, that man manages to ruin me. And now Chris being back has become a push-and-pull of emotions I can’t handle.

What happened between the moment he decided he would make me his and today?

What goes on in his head when he hurts me? Does he get a kick out of breaking my heart?

I tremble mid-breath, something hitting me in the gut. Sometimes, the body knows before the brain reacts, and this is it. That feeling deep inside me that Chris did something wrong, and I’m paying for the consequences.

Wiping tears that are attempting to roll down my cheeks, I take out my phone to look at the post again.

Hermes wants people to believe I’m the only thing Enzo and Matias had in common. But there’s something else. Yes, they both dated me, and that means they both did something my ex can’t stand.

Heart racing, I gather my dance clothes and shove them in my bag. There’s no more space for my shoes so I keep hold of my pointe shoes by the ribbons and rush down the hallways.

I walk into Reeves’s office, and Chris is sitting at his assistant’s desk. His face falls when he sees me, and he’s about to say something, but I cut him off right away.

“Did you hurt Matias?”

Chapter Twenty-Four

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