Page 36 of Wants and Needs
“You’re right,” I pipe up, really not liking his attention on Liam, and not commenting at all on the wholedatething. He doesn’t need to know we’re only friends. “Your nameisridiculous, Dick.”
“It’s Dirk,” he snaps at me, and I smirk up at him.
“That’s what I said,” I tell him mildly, still thinking about what this implies in the back of my head.
I didn’t know Liam was queer, but Dirk, the dick who robs graves, clearly does.
He turns to Liam again, and I bite down hard on my molars at the mock sympathy on his face.
“It took you a long time to get over me, huh?” he says, so patronizingly that I let my instincts take over.
“We’ve actually been together for almost two years.” My voice sounds so damn calm. Inside me it’s like one of those videos fromAnimal Kingdom, where you can see the cheetah crawling toward the hoard of antelopes slowly, stealthily, right before it jumps out and sinks its teeth into their throat.
The image of Dirk being eaten by a cheetah flashes through my mind, and I don’t mind it one bit.
Seems I have a vicious side.
It’s only then it occurs to me that they could’ve been together back then, two years ago, and fuck, I hope they weren’t. Liam’s completely emotionless face tells me nothing, but at least I get Dirk’s attention away from him.
“I can empathize with your plight,” he says, his voice once again dripping with fake empathy. “I wasted a whole decade putting up with him only to get nothing in return.”
I’m up and shoving him away before I can even think about it.
“Listen you slithering wanker, you better walk the fuck away while you still can.”
I enjoy, very much, the way he has to tilt his head way back to keep looking me in the eye. His eyes are full of fury, but like he’s a damn psycho his whole demeanor changes instantly, and he takes a step back and looks at Liam around my arm.
“I hear you’ll be going to the Mayor’s Ball next week.” His smile right then is the same as one of those ugly little lizards. “See you there,” he sing-songs, and even waves his little fingers at Liam, who hasn’t looked up since Dick the grave robber first spoke.
I watch him walk away and sit back in my chair as he walks out of the restaurant alone.
Only when he’s completely out of sight do I turn back to look at Liam, who’s just finishing putting on his earbuds.
I let out a sigh, knowing Liam needs time and music to destress and decompress. I feel like I might need that too. The waiter comes over and pours water for both of us, then leaves without saying a word.
Fucking hell, were they really together for a whole bloody decade?
How?
Seriously, how in the hell is that even possible?
Liam is so fucking nice and that asshole is anything but.
Another sigh leaves me, because I don’t know what the hell I was thinking and what I just got myself into.
Is this what happens when people try to make new friends?
Is this Karma for wanting one friend who isn’t all loved up?
I can’t know how much I shit the bed until Liam feels safe enough to talk to me.
If he ever does . . .
Thinking about what I did, what I said, it would be logical I suppose, for him to be right pissed at me. I wouldn’t blame him.
He has his eyes closed now, and when I look closely enough I see his eyes moving behind his eyelids.
What does he need?
