Page 68 of Hidden Echoes

She shakes her head, her mouth twisting like she bit into something sour. "He’s just a boy from my past."

"Is that what you want him to be?"

“Yes.”

“Why?”

"Because he said, and I quote, ‘I don’t fuck desperate girls.’" Her voice is sharp, brittle. Then she scoffs, shaking it off. "It doesn’t matter. I’m with Will now. He’s good for me. I don’t have time for his shit."

"Hey, if you give me his number, I can still defend your honor and behead him for being an asshole," I offer.

"You are twisted. I love it." Audrey grins. "Thanks for offering, but I can deal with the asshole myself."

"Okay, but if you change your mind, I’m here."

She looks me over like she’s seeing me for the first time. "Are you from here?" she asks, then squints. "Your English—I can’t really place your accent, but it’s definitely not from LA."

"I’m from…" Dallas? Maybe? I don’t think I have a Dallas accent. I was raised by an American-Hispanic woman, and my father has a thick accent. "To be honest, I don’t know."

"Oh." Audrey tilts her head, like she wants to ask more, but thankfully, she doesn’t push.

"What about drinks?"

Yes. Drinks.

We head to the bar, and they order for me.

One drink. Then two. Then three.

And before I know it, I’m spilling my entire life story to them.

“My family… I’m not sure if it’s right to call it that. It’s not a conventional family, you know? I was promised to some random guy when I was fourteen.” The words come out flat, but there’s a weight in them, something I don’t really want to share—how I didn’t handle that news very well. The part where I beheaded the guy? Well, that’s irrelevant to the point I’m trying to make.

Liv’s eyebrows arch, and she hands me another shot of vodka, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I get that part. I’m going to have an arranged marriage too.”

Her voice is light, but there’s something in her eyes—a flash of something unspoken. The tension lingers in the air, and I can’t help but wonder what kind of family she’s been promised into.

“I’m trying hard to understand all of this, but it’s… it’s difficult to deal with these weird relationship dynamics. I mean, when he said, ‘Let’s get married,’ I thought, ‘Why not?’ It was already a plus to be able to do it with someone I actually liked.” My voice betrays me, coming out sharper than I meant, and I quickly try to soften it. But the frustration is still there, bubbling just under the surface. I don’t want to unload it all on them, especially not the details, so I leave out the names—the part about him being someone I never expected to fall for.

“Wait, rewind,” Audrey interrupts, clearly amused by something. “You got married drunk in a chapel?”

“Yeah,” I reply, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

“That’s actually pretty cool,” she says, her eyes sparkling as she smiles, clearly impressed in a way I didn’t expect.

I laugh, the sound of it strange and brittle in my own ears. “That’s what I thought too… But his business partner says I ‘took advantage’ of the situation.”

“Fuck him, his opinion is irrelevant,” Audrey growls, her tone hardening. There’s a raw intensity in her voice, and I can feel it—like she’s not just talking about him. “Maybe I should beat him up for trying to butt into other people’s relationships. I hate those kinds of people.”

Her words ring with something deeper, something personal that I can’t quite place. It’s almost like she’s venting more than just anger at this one guy.

“I think Audrey has a point, Mia,” Liv adds, her voice soft and calming. “It’s not like this guy has the power to read your husband’s mind and know how he feels about all of this. This is something you need to address directly with him—and him alone.”

"But the things he said…" I begin, the words tripping on my tongue, unsure how to explain the mess I’m feeling inside.

Liv shakes her head, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. “Those are his thoughts, not your guy’s,” she says firmly, like she’s trying to ground me in something real, something solid. “You have every right to feel what you feel, but I think you need to hear it from his mouth before you jump to conclusions.”

I open my mouth to respond, but the words don’t come. Something about the way she says it makes me pause, makes me realize I’ve been holding onto this angry little knot in my chest for too long, twisting it tighter without even thinking.

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