Page 2 of Claiming Liberty

Essentially, I was his janitor. Sexy? Maybe not. Shameful? A little. But is it that embarrassing forhim? For his friends to know that my spoons are made of stainless steel rather than silver?

It hurts. A lot. My stomach feels like it arches into my chest, taking up the space my lungs claimed at birth, but I don’t voice this. I won’t yet. Not until we’re out of here, away from his friends.

Maybe he has a good reason for lying. Maybe he isn’t ashamed of me. Maybe he’s simply saving me from my own humiliation.

Maybe…

“I have to pee.”

Robert’s face hardens a smidge, and his grip on my wrist tightens. I lower my eyes to it and pull away.

“You’re going to thewashroom?” he asks. It takes several seconds for me to realize he isn’t confused by what I said. He’s correcting me.

“Yes.” I give a slight nod.

The couple laughs again, and I peek around Robert at them. They aren’t looking at us, but I get the gut-wrenching sensation that they're laughing at me. That the whole room is laughing at me. ThatRobertis laughing at me.

“Excuse me,” I barely get out on a breath as I break away. I weave through people, no idea if I'm getting closer to the bathroom or not, but I change destinations when I see a set of doors leading to the balcony. I practically run toward it, my heart thumping in my ears.

I burst through the door and stumble toward the balcony, slapping my hands on the rough stone and closing my eyes while I suck in gasps of air.

I don’t belong here.

Ireallydon’t belong here.

My eyes sting, and I suck in my bottom lip, my teeth sinking into supple flesh as I bite back tears. How pathetic would it be if I startedcryinghere?

I shouldn’t let these people do this to me.

At this thought, I suck in air through my nose, forcing my lungs to fully expand before letting out a slow exhale. I step out of my ridiculous heels and let them topple over onto the concrete.

What I wouldn’t give for some wedges right about now.

“Are you all right?”

I gasp and jump at the accented voice.

A hand flies to my chest as I spin to face the stranger, my lips lifting into a forced, chagrined smile. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry,” the stranger says, his honey brown eyes studying me like a lion watching a gazelle.

Instantly, I notice how handsome he is.

And instantly, I feel guilty for it.

“No.” I swat his apology away. “I just didn’t see you there.”

“You seemed preoccupied.”

My lips dip, and I swipe a loose strand of hair from my face, the maneuver giving me a brief reprieve from the stranger’s penetrating gaze. I don’t know that I could be any more embarrassed tonight.

I nervously chuckle and smile at him. “Right. I, uh… I just needed some air.”

“Were you having a panic attack?” He rests his forearm on the railing and casually leans against it. He sounds curious. Not at all concerned. I’d think he was an asshole if I wasn’t surrounded by worse people studying me, searching for reasons I’m not good enough to be here. At least he doesn’t have a slight curl to his lip like the others.

Still, I do havesomepride left.

I stand up straight, feeling more ridiculous without my heels than I did with them on, and shake my head.

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