Page 156 of The Liar's Reckoning

“Interference is à la carte.”

“I’ve got deep pockets. I’m not asking you to mingle, but keepan eye on my dad, okay? Text me if it looks like he’s looking for me.”

With that, she’s gone, leaving me too close to the food and without a body to hide behind.

Keeping my head down, I skirt the side of the lawn and make my way back up to the house. I catch sight of Lilah’s reunion with her childhood friend, sharing a long hug that shows no signs of stopping. Her father is outside, too, steering himself in Holden’s direction.

I slip into the house where there are fewer people, mostly the older ones, perched on luxurious furniture and giving me only a cursory glance. My current plan is to locate a bathroom, regroup, and find a place to ride out the rest of this party in relative obscurity. If that means hiding in a bedroom closet or behind a rock, so be it.

There’s a half bath off the entry hall, but the door is closed. I contemplate going upstairs, but then I see a long hallway branching off the main living area.

The first door is a reach-in linen closet. The second, a small guest room where half a dozen little kids are playing. The third, finally, is a large, full bathroom. I go inside, moving to close and lock the door, but before I shut it, a hand slips around the wood, and the force of someone entering shoves me back.

I stare in shock at Graham Lawther as he closes and locks the door behind him.

48

GRAHAM

I’ve managed to corner him, which begs the question: now what?

I should have thought this through, but the second I saw him, the only thing I could think about was getting him alone.

He doesn’t look happy, and God knows I know better, but my heart is fucking singing—a hymn of praises written just for him.

He opens his mouth to speak, but I hold up my hand, and words burst out of me. “Before you tell me to fuck off, please, please just let me look at you.”

“Are you kidding?”

“Silas—”

“Shut. Up.”

I press my lips closed, but I keep staring at his furious face, re-memorizing every centimeter.

“If you think there’s anything you can say to make me think you’re not the most disgusting piece of shit I’ve ever met, you’re wrong.”

I swallow hard on that truth. I guess I needed to hear that.

“What are you doing? You’ve got real witnesses here.” Hegestures at the few feet of space between us. “You can’t blamethison AI.”

“I didn’t—” Jesus, I’m about to lie to him again. I make myself stop. “I did post that. It felt like the only way.”

Silas shakes his head in disgust.

“No… I know. I don’t expect you to understand.”

His chest heaves with a breath, and he’s close enough for me to reach out and grab his shirt—pull him close. He looks so good.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“None of your fucking business.”

“Are you with someone?” He must be, and I know if I go back out there, I won’t be able to stop until I figure out who it is. I can’t go back out there. I can’t let myself picture him with someone else. Not today. Not when he’s here, and we’re—for lack of a better word—together.

He gives me a hostile glare, but he doesn’t tell me to leave.

I take a small step closer. He backs up. “What are you doing?”

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