Page 59 of Right Number

Oliver kissed my shoulder. “Hate is a powerful emotion that can still lead to mind-blowing intimacy, Anna. Let me show you.” Oliver softly nibbled at my neck, which elicited another involuntary moan from me. My mind was swimming in far too much champagne and heartbreak to be thinking clearly. “I know you like this, Anna. I can feel you responding to my touch. Come home with me,” he whispered into my ear before caressing my earlobe with his tongue.

The thing was, Oliver wasn’t totally wrong. It did feel good and it had been a really long time since I’d been with anyone. I’d already screwed things up with Liam and Mason. What was one more bad decision to add to my growing list?

“Anna?”

My eyes flew open at the sound of someone saying my name. Liam was standing a few feet from me with a look of deep concern etched onto his face. I instantly felt a crushing wave of embarrassment and shame wash over me as Oliver continued to grope me in front of him. It was wrong…all of it was so wrong. “Liam?” my voice sounded shaky and my speech was slurred. It was obvious I’d been drinking. Everything was so messed up. What the hell was I doing? I needed to get out of there.

“Are you all right, Anna?” Liam took a few steps closer as Oliver tightened his hold on my arms and continued to kiss my neck. I wanted to say something but the words were stuck in my throat.

Oliver lifted his head up. “Back off, pretty boy. She’s fine,” he hissed.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Liam snapped back at Oliver. “Anna? Are you OK?” he repeated.

Suddenly, I started to panic. Had I really been considering sleeping with Oliver? What the hell? The gravity of the completely messed-up situation I was in finally started to sink in as I found my voice. “I need to go,” I whispered in a shaky voice.

Oliver pulled me tighter against him. “You’re going with me.”

“Is that what you want, Anna?” Liam asked. All I could do was shake my head. As soon as I did, Liam reached his hand out towards me. “Why don’t you come with me? I’ll make sure you get home safely.”

Oliver took a few steps back, pulling me with him. “I already said she was coming with me!” He was gripping my arms so tightly it started to hurt and I let out a small shrieking noise. I could feel the panic starting to rise higher and higher. It was bad. Really bad.

“Oliver,” Liam said in an authoritative voice. “She’s had way too much to drink. Don’t be an asshole. Let her go. Now.”

“Since when did you become the knight in shining armor?” Oliver sneered.

“Get your fucking hands off her, Oliver! She said no! Don’t make this worse than it already is!” Liam turned his gaze to lock his eyes with mine. “Anna, I’m here if you want help getting home.”

I wiggled free of Oliver’s grip and tried to take a step forward. I felt Oliver put his hands on my back and give me a shove from behind. I stumbled forward into Liam’s arms. I grabbed the front of his shirt with both fists as I buried my face in his chest. Liam wrapped his arms around me, causing me to instantly feel safe.

“Don’t come crying to me, Anna, when you’re all alone,” Oliver said viciously from behind me. I didn’t even lift my face from where it was buried in Liam’s chest.

“Hey, it’s OK,” Liam said softly, completely ignoring Oliver. “I’m going to get you home now. Are Bree and Sarah at your apartment?”

“I don’t know,” I mumbled into Liam’s chest.

“Do you want me to call them for you?” Liam asked as he kept his arms wrapped around me. I nodded and pulled away from him to retrieve my phone, which had fallen to the ground. With shaking hands I picked it up and handed it to Liam. Before taking it, Liam shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. I looked up as he adjusted the jacket around me and then gently took the phone from my still trembling hands. He quickly scrolled through the numbers and called one of them. When they answered, Liam spoke so softly I couldn’t tell who he was talking to or what was being said.

After a few quick moments, Liam hung up the call and handed my phone back. “All right, Bree is at the apartment and she’s calling Sarah to meet us there.”

“Thank you,” I choked out. I owed him more than a “thank you” but I was too shaken up to form fully coherent sentences.

Liam gave me a soft smile as he stepped closer. “You’re welcome. Now, let’s get you home.”

He was being so nice. Liam was such an incredibly good person and I knew I’d hurt him when I ended things. Despite that, he was still there with me, after saving me from a really awful situation, making sure I was taken care of. I’d like to blame it on the champagne, but once again I started crying. “Liam, I’m so sorry for everything,” I sobbed as I waved my hands around attempting to make sense of what I was trying to say.

Liam closed the distance between us and took my flailing hands in his. “Anna,” he said in a soothing voice, “it’s probably best we don’t have this conversation right now. You’ve had a lot to drink, and just went through an awful experience. I don’t want you to regret anything in the morning.”

I gave Liam a weak smile through my tears. “Too late for that.”

“Can you walk home?” he asked.

“Sure.” I took a few steps forward and stumbled. Liam caught me before I fell and I squeezed my eyes shut in embarrassment. I was never drinking champagne again.

“Here,” Liam said, moving so his back was to me. He turned his head and spoke to me over his shoulder. “Hop on my back. I’ll give a piggyback ride to your apartment.”

I laughed. “Are you serious? I’m too heavy.”

Liam chuckled. “Don’t insult my manliness, Anna. Of course I can carry you. First of all, you’re not ‘heavy’ and second, I don’t spend all my time in the art studio. I do hit the gym occasionally.”

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