Page 52 of Knot Really Engaged
There’s some blond guy standing in front of Audrey, her mom, dad, and some of her relatives gathered around them. The tension in the room is palpable, a crackling electricity that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
“I left her for you,” the guy says. His eyes are fixed on Audrey, desperation etched onto his face.
Audrey’s eyes widen, fear flickering in their depths. She takes a step back, her body pressing against mine as if seeking my help or at least some support. And as I take the whole thing in, I think we might’ve been caught.
Fuck.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Liam
You can do this.If they caught us, we can get out of this one in one piece,I tell myself.
“What’s going on?” I step closer and pull Audrey to me, my arm wrapping protectively around her waist. My heart races, a sickening sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach.
“Who is he?” The new guyasks, his brow furrowed in confusion. He looks between Audrey and me, his gaze accusatory.
“Why does this man say he’s your boyfriend?” Mrs. McCallister questions, her voice rising with each word. She crosses her arms over her chest, her face flushed with anger. “I thought you said you were dating Liam.”
“Babe, I’m here like I promised. It just . . . I swear I’m getting a divorce. Whatever she said to you is a lie.” The guy steps closer, trying to touch Audrey. I give him a warning glare, my jaw clenching with barely contained rage.
So this is fucking Ben. My blood boils, my fists itching to connect with his smug face.
“Is it true? You were dating him?” Her mom asks, her voice laced with disappointment and disbelief. She shakes her head, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“Maybe she’s dating both. It’s a new thing,” Aunt Carol says with a disapproving voice. She sniffs, her nose wrinkling in distaste. “Lucy would never do something like that.”
Audrey gives me a pleading look, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. At that moment, Max enters, his brow furrowed with concern. “What the fuck is going on?”
“I need you to escort this asshole out of the house—maybe the state,” I say, my voice low anddangerous. “He’s Ben so you don’t have to handle him gently.”
Max’s jaw tightens, understanding who the asshole is. His eyes narrow, a cold fury radiating from his very being.
“But Audrey you need to—” Ben starts, his voice whiny and pathetic.
“You want him here, Sis?” Max asks, cutting him off with a sharp look.
She shakes her head. “Nope.”
“You heard my sister. You’re out of here.” Max gives me a sympathetic look. “Good luck with the rest. It’s such a shame I won’t be able to watch the show.”
“Which one is the lie?” Audrey’s mom asks, her voice cold and accusing. She taps her foot impatiently, her gaze boring into us like a laser.
I put Audrey behind me as if trying to shield her from the onslaught of questions and accusations. “It was me. I asked her to lie for me. She didn’t want to do it, but I convinced her because it was for Grandma. I just wanted to make her happy while she’s going through her treatment. Make her believe that soon there’ll be a wedding, and I . . .” My voice cracks, emotion welling up in my throat.
“Oh, Liam,” Mom says, her expression softening with understanding. “You didn’t have to.”
“But she lied to us,” Mrs. McCallister insists,her voice sharp and unforgiving. “And who is that man who came claiming to be your boyfriend? An actor you paid to pretend to have someone in your life?”
Audrey steps out from behind me, her shoulders squared and her chin lifted in defiance. “Nope. I dated him for almost a year but discovered that he was married just as I was about to board the plane,” she confesses, her voice steady despite the pain in her eyes. “I dated him because I thought he’d be someone you’d approve of and not because I loved him.”
“So there won’t be a wedding. I told you she’s weird,” Aunt Carol says, her lip curling in a sneer.
“I’m not weird. I just like to be myself, Aunt Carol,” Audrey retorts, her eyes flashing with anger. “I really don’t care if other people don’t approve of me, though it hurts that my mother doesn’t either. Which is why I’d rather live on the other side of the country—to avoid all of you.”
She takes a deep breath, her voice growing stronger with each word. “So no, I’m not perfect like Lucy, thank fuck. I’m me. I lied to help a friend who needed me and at the same time, I took advantage because it would help me keep all of you off my back.”
“Audrey . . .” Mrs. McCallister says her name, but nothing follows. Her voice trails off, uncertaintyetched onto her face. Mr. McCallister looks at us in confusion. Everyone is now speechless.
