Page 19 of Taming Liberty

I always used to wear makeup.Always. On lazy Sundays, on sick days, on days Robert was out of town. Always. Robert made a comment when we were dating that my face was beautiful, but my lips were dull. I remember feeling my heart drop when he said he didn’t like my natural shade. I never went a day without putting on lipstick after that.

What a stupid thing to be insecure about.

I lower the stick and study my lips in the mirror. They’re fine. And yet I still have this impulse, this sense of nudity without it. A ridiculous source of shame.

The front door opens, and I blink before tearing my gaze away from my reflection. When the door shuts, I grab the cap and click it back onto the stick before tossing it into a drawer.

I flip my hair off my shoulder and step into the hallway as footsteps approach.

I’m expecting Angel, so I’m not surprised when he comes into view, but my eyes are drawn behind him. Naomi’s black hair hangs over one shoulder in a side braid that bounces against her chest as she walks.

“Hey,” I say, tears already stinging my eyes as I hurry toward her. I pull her in for a hug, and she pats my back.

“Good to see you too.”

Immediately, I want to cry. Tuck my face into her shoulder and weep. I want her to see the turmoil marinating inside of me, and I desperately need her to believe me when I tell her what happened with Desiree. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the other girls, and I’m not sure I ever will.

I pull back to look at her. “What are you doing here?”

Naomi gestures toward Angel. “Mr. A thought you needed someone to talk to. With everything that happened…”

“Oh.” I turn to Angel, swallowing the lump forming in my throat so I can speak. “Thank you.”

He gives me a tiny, uncomfortable smile. “You’re welcome.” He gestures down the hall where he came from. “I’ll give you both some time alone… I’ll be outside.”

I nod a few times too many. “Okay.”

He glances at Naomi before turning and heading down the hall. Before his footsteps even fade, I clutch Naomi’s arms.

“What happened with Desiree was an accident,” I say, flinching when the image of Desiree, flat on the patio, flies into my mind. Guilt sinks into my stomach, and I question how it wasn’t there five minutes ago. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours, and my mind is already moving on from what happened, too many other things taking precedence.

Like Angel. His betrayal and the revelation of who he is. He shouldn’t be more important than ending another person’s life.

“Please believe me.” I squeeze her shoulders and close my eyes. “I fucked up. I fucked up so badly, and—”

“I think he’s gone.” I open my eyes to see Naomi looking over her shoulder. She pulls away from me and creeps to the end of the hall. After peeking around the corner, she spins to face me. “Coast is clear.”

I open and close my mouth then let my lips sink into a frown.

“Hey, good acting, though. Seriously, that guy is either a killer manipulator or he’s eating out of your palm. I can’t tell which.”

She looks over her shoulder as if Angel might appear, then turns back to me. “Let’s hurry. We don’t know how much time we have.”

I blink, my lips parting as I shake my head. “What?”

Naomi comes up to me and places her hands on my shoulders. She peers into my eyes with an intensity that doesn’t look fitting for the circumstances.

She knows, right? She must know Desiree is dead.

“You aresucha fucking genius, Liberty. I underestimated the hell out of you.”

“Naomi, what…” I give my head another shake. “Didn’t you hear what happened last night? Desiree… She and I… We…”

Naomi hitches a shoulder. “Desiree went splat. Sawyer says the Spanish dude did it, but Lily swears it was you. Itwasyou, right?” Her eyes widen with what looks like excitement, but I can’t say for sure. I have no idea where her mind is at. “Oh my god, please tell me it was the Spanish dude. Did he kill her for you?”

“No.” I take a step back, shrugging her hands off my shoulders. “Naomi, what the fuck?”

She frowns, puzzled. “What?”

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