Page 83 of The Lies We Steal

Did I want to go with him to this? Possibly. Easton was cute, he was likable, and everyone loved him. I’m sure he’d be a perfect gentleman, hold the door open for me, call me pretty when he saw me in my dress.

There wasn’t a reason to say no, not anymore.

Yet, I still wanted to say no and not just because I’d have to ditch him once we arrived. I was attracted to Easton, I just didn’tlikehim. Not enough to date him. When you think about guys you like, you are supposed to think about what it feels like for them to kiss you, how your body will fit with theirs, the way they make your heart race.

All I think about with him is platonic friendship.

“I’d love to, but I—”

“She already has a date.”

The squealing of chairs ring in my ears, the one directly beside me gets pulled out roughly before someone’s weight is dropped into the wooden seat. Rook, slides into the chair next to Lyra, a smirk on his lips as he rolls the match around with his tongue.

My shadow returns behind me, casting over everything else around me. He absorbs it all, stealing all the light and pulling me deeper into the dark with him. That’s where he wants me. Right there in the shadows with him. They always said in movies the light defeats the dark. That good wins over evil, so why is it that he is able to destroy anything that even tries to challenge him?

Good, light, it was no match for him.

“Ladies.” Rook offers with a sly wink. I watch Lyra, look at him out of the corner of her eye, picking her chair up and moving it farther away from him.

“I’m sorry, what?” Easton asks trying to play catch up with this situation. I’m sure when he thought about asking me, Alistair Caldwell and his friends were not a part of the equation.

“I said,” Alistair grabs the edge of my seat, tugging it closer to him, pulling me further into his web, “She already has a date.”

I feel his head, right next to my head. The way he leans into my body smelling my hair and I only make it worse by falling into his chest. Completely by accident of course, the jolt of sudden movement rattles my balance.

His toned arm slinks over the top of my shoulder and around my neck, dangling over my body, his fingers swinging confidently right above my belly button.

I bite hard on the inside of my cheek, “Easton this isn’t, he,” I wave my hands softly, trying not to make this look any worse than it already is.

“He isn’t what? Your boyfriend?” He spits out, disgusted that I’m even allowing Alistair to touch me. Even though he probably has more money than Easton could imagine, he still looked down on the man behind me. Like he was somehow better than him.

“No, he’s not,” I grind my teeth, turning my head a bit to throw a sideways glance over my shoulder. “We are just…” I drag out the word tasting funky on my tongue, “Friends.”

I feel his lips move against my hair, tilting up into a smirk.

Cocky fucking bastard. When Easton walks away I’m punching him right in the dick for this. I knew we had to look friendly so it wasn’t strange to anyone why we were together at the ball, but this was crossing a line.

“Come on, Little Thief. We’re more than friends,” he whispers for only my ears, “You haven’t told the golden retriever about how your little pussy was dripping on my knee the other night? Practically begging me for it.”

I shiver and not because it’s cold.

“She’s mine, Sinclair. I’m sure you can find another hopeless girl you can con with your whack ass knight in shining armor act.” Alistair says loudly, never moving his head from next to mine.

Easton’s eyes have become a hurricane of anger. The once light blue color that looked like happy skies, have become dark, veracious warning signs before a storm tears through the land.

“This is the kind of guy who you want to spend your time with, Briar? A fucking asshole with no morals? His own family can’t even stand him, he’s a nobody.” Easton slings the harsh words out like a whip, hoping to clip someone in the process.

I didn’t know much about Alistair in the family department, but I also didn’t think it was Easton’s place to be judging other people. He has no idea what goes on behind the closed door of the Caldwell home.

Was Alistair a hellion with anger issues that made me what to run far away from him? Yes.

But I doubt he became that way after being raised by a loving family.

Everyone has secrets. Everyone has a story.

Even the heroes.

Even the villains.

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