Page 31 of Twisted Liars

“Yeah, I saw him a few minutes ago.” Chris glanced around us with a slight frown. “No idea where he’s gone now.”

“But he was definitely here?”

“Yeah. You know what he’s like. Probably off in a corner somewhere.”

“Okay. Thanks, man. I’ll catch up with you later.” Jensen gave Chris a tight smile before leading me away from him.

“Wow,” I muttered, brows puckering in a frown. “Piper’s spreading those rumors really fast. I don’t even know that guy, but he obviously knows who I am.”

“Don’t worry about him. Or anyone else,” Jensen said, slinging an arm around me. “I’m going to get you out of this shit and clear your name for the whole world.”

“I know.” I exhaled deeply, shoulders slumping. “It’s just hard knowing what everyone’s saying and thinking about me.”

“Yeah, I know. It sucks,” he said softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “But you have to try not to stress about it too much. It probably isn’t good for the…” He trailed off and cleared his throat. “The baby we’ve barely talked about.”

I swallowed hard, looking down at my abdomen. It was too early to see or feel anything down there, but my breasts were swollen and tender, providing me with a constant reminder of my situation. The ever-present nausea had the same effect.

“Hey.” With a gentle touch, Jensen lifted my chin, drawing my gaze back to him. “I want you to know something.”

“What?”

“I meant what I said at the hospital the other day. No matter what happens, I’ll support you.”

I bit my bottom lip. “Even if I end up having the baby?”

“Yes. Any decision you make, I’ll be there for you the whole way. You can count on that.”

“That’s really sweet, Jensen,” I said softly. “But we’re only eighteen.”

“I know.”

“Well… are you sure you’ve really thought all of that through? Possibly tying yourself to someone with a kid that isn’t yours when you have the whole world in front of you?”

“Not much of a world without you in it, is it?” he replied, rubbing my left arm with a warm hand.

The ease with which he spoke about the subject filled me with warm reassurance and wiped out the insecurities that I’d been too scared to voice until this very moment. He’d never said he loved me before, but I was certain he did. I felt it with every look, every word, every soft caress.

“Thank you,” I said, lips curving in a shy smile. “I’m really lucky to have you.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but our conversation was interrupted by Chris striding up to us. “Hey, I just talked to Ben,” he said. “He said he saw Teddy heading further in a few minutes ago.”

“Cool,” Jensen said, clapping him on the back. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem. Have fun, guys.” Chris lifted his beer bottle in a ‘cheers’ motion and turned away.

“What does that mean?” I asked, staring after him. “Further in?”

Jensen dipped his chin toward the far end of the chamber. “There’s other caves in here. You have to go through that little hole to get there.”

I squinted at the rocky cavern wall and spotted a small black opening at the base. “Is it safe?”

“Yeah. Bit of a tight squeeze, but it’s fine.” Jensen glanced over at the table. “I should take a drink for Teddy. That’ll get him talking.”

He grabbed a bottle of beer and motioned for me to follow him. He went before me, showing me how to slide feet-first into the low, tight hole in the granite wall. I followed him, heart hammering, and glided down the smooth, sloped passage. It terminated in a tiny cave.

A small amount of the ambient, flickering firelight from the main chamber filtered down to the cave, allowing my eyes to adjust quickly. A pool of dark water lay on the left side of the space. Hanging over it was a ledge, where a young auburn-haired guy in a blue jacket and jeans sat with hunched shoulders. His feet dangled right over the tunnel that sucked water in and out of the cavern, like he was daring the murky sea to rise up and suck him under too. Empty bottles and cans were littered on the ground behind him.

“Hey, Teddy. Brought you a beer,” Jensen called out, lifting the bottle in his left hand.

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