Page 65 of Lies Like Love

“He would have—”

“You don’t know that, Jude.” His voice drops like a hammer. “There were more important things on the line than your feelings for her.”

“So you forgave him? After what he did—what they both did?” My fingers clench around my glass, and I feel like it’s going to shatter.

I want to break every piece of china in this room just to prove how fucking fragile it is in this world they cherish.

“Yes.” He nods once, downing the final splash of whiskey in his glass. “Someday you’ll understand. See you around, Jude.”

He turns to walk away, leaving me with more questions than I walked in here with. The way he casually disregarded what happened a decade ago makes it perfectly clear there’s something I missed.

And if that’s the case, walking away was pointless.

A waiter passes, and I trade one drink for another, wishing they were stronger. It doesn’t matter how much money bleeds from these walls, the richest people are cheap in some ways, and the liquor tastes like water.

I shoot it anyway and grit my teeth.

Coming here was a bad idea, but I knew that. Making myself known again in their world puts me back on their radar. They might have assumed I was still keeping an eye on them, but I maintained a safe distance.

Showing up tonight and walking up to Fel changed that. I placed the targets on both of our backs.

The girl makes me fucking reckless.

If I was smart, I’d walk away and hope for the best. I’d assume her grandparents are dicks, but they wouldn’t actually do anything to hurt her. I’d believe what her grandfather said about wanting her to have a real future.

Maybe it’s that I’m selfish.

Or maybe it’s that I know better.

But ever since Fel stepped in my path again, there’s no escape.

She finishes her conversation and turns. The diamonds on her dress catch the light from the chandelier and she’s a princess in a sea of vipers.

I’d know. I’m one of them. Wanting to get a taste of her goodness.

Her blue eyes lock on mine as she makes her way toward me, and I wonder if I can telepathically force her to run in the other direction because I’m too weak to say it out loud. But as she walks through the room, all I do is will her closer.

I draw her in.

I become her gravity so she can never escape me.

Maybe I am as bad as them.

“What did he want?” Fel stops in front of me, and her dress swishes one final time, showing off her creamy thigh.

This thing is too damn tempting. She’s too damn perfect. I’m going to make an absolute mess of her.

“Just saying hello.”

Fel frowns. “You expect me to believe that?”

She wants answers. She deserves them. But even so, I know better than to open my mouth, because it’s easier for her to hate me for keeping secrets than to learn the truth.

So I shrug in response.

She crosses her arms over her chest and her posture tightens. I feel her going rigid on me, and I’m tempted to pick her up and slam her against the wall just to make her soft again.

For a girl who pretends she can’t be reached, I studied her long enough to learn all the tricks. And even if I shouldn’t enjoy playing her like I do, sometimes I just can’t help it.

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