Page 99 of Black Ties and White Lies

He roughly grabs my jaw, forcing me to look at him again. “You will,” he seethes, his eyes flicking to my lips.

No, no, no.

I attempt to push him off one more time, but it’s no use. He's much stronger than I am. His lips press to mine angrily, his tongue swiping over my lips aggressively. I almost throw up, my hands punching at his chest to get him off me.

It doesn’t work. It fuels him as he assaults my mouth with his. Not knowing what to do, I bite down on his lip, doing anything to get him away from me.

“You bitch!” he hisses, pulling away and grabbing at his bleeding lip.

I run. Not looking back at him as I stumble on my heels, running toward the doors. He yells after me, but I don’t stop until I run right into Beck.

“Margo?” he asks worriedly.

I bury my face against him, letting out a large sob as his arms pull me into his body.

“What is it, baby? You’re worrying me.”

I hiccup, rocking my face back and forth against him. “Carter, he—”

Beck’s entire body tenses as he tenderly cups my face. A horrified look crosses his face. “Where is he?”

I don’t have to answer him because something over my shoulder catches his eye. Not something.Someone.

“If you fucking touched her,” Beck seethes, pulling me into his chest and shielding Carter from my view.

“She fucking bit me.”

A loud growl comes from Beck’s throat. “What I’ll do to you ismuchfucking worse.”

“No,” I plead, just wanting to leave. To not cause a scene in front of all the people here for the engagement party. “I just want to leave.”

Beck doesn’t seem to hear me. He’s busy glaring over the top of my head at his brother.

“Beck,” I plead, grabbing the lapels of his suit to get him to look at me. “I want you to take me home.Now.”

His shoulders rise and fall in a deep exhale. The tips of his fingers twitch against my neck as he opens his mouth to speak. “We’re not done here,” he threatens. “You’re lucky my fist isn’t already shoved down your throat.”

I cry, shaking my head. I look underneath his arm to find all of our guests watching us closely—too closely. Plastering on a fake smile, I try to get my shit together.

I will not fall apart here. I take a calming breath, pulling away from Beck. He doesn’t let me go far. His hand stays firm on my back as I make eye contact with those watching us closely. “I’m suddenly not feeling well,” I tell the bystanders. If it were just me standing here, they might actually believe me from all the blood that has drained from my face, but with Carter’s bleeding lip and Beck’s angry scowl, there’s no mistaking something else is happening here.

Emma shoulders through a cluster of people, her eyes pinned on me. She doesn’t look at a single soul as she bounds toward me, a determined set to her shoulders. “Mar,” she says softly. “Are you okay?”

I look at Beck, unable to wonder if Carter’s words were lies or not. “I’ll take her home,” he announces to the crowd.

“Are you okay with that?” Emma asks cautiously. Winnie stops next to her, watching me with anxious eyes.

I nod up and down, leaning slightly into Beck. I need to know that Carter lied about everything. That us getting in a fake engagement wasn’t part of some elaborate scheme of his to get revenge on his brother.

My stomach sinks all over again at the prospect of everything about us being even more fake than I’d already imagined.

We exchange goodbyes with those needed. Beck talking for me the entire time as I try to get my breathing even again.

When we slide into the car to go home, I melt into Beck’s arms instantly. I have so many questions for him. But for a few minutes, I want to take comfort in his embrace. I want to pretend none of that just happened, and that Carter hadn’t just thrown out accusations that could change everything.

If it weren’tfor Margo’s desperate plea to leave our party, I’d probably be sitting in jail for assault on my own brother. I don’t know what happened between him and Margo, I’m afraid to ask for the risk of going mad with rage. Whatever happened has her messed up.

She doesn’t utter a single word to me in the car. Ezra even tries to make a joke as he opens her door in front of our building and she doesn’t even crack a smile at him.

---