AllFreeNovel
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“He was holding me for ransom.”
She laughs. “How nice. You’ve got to love those trauma bonds. Hold on to it tight. Friendships like that are hard to come by.”
“It’s not as nefarious as it sounds. My boss owed him a few million dollars, and I was the pawn that helped Liam get it. Really, we sat around, drank beer, and talked about boxing.”
She forces a fake yawn. “Please, this is all so interesting. Don’t stop.”
“You’ve got a great sense of humor.” I laugh and take another sip of the dark brew in front of me, wondering what it would take to break down her walls.
“I think the term you’re looking for is cunt. And yes… I am. Now if you really want to help, you could give me the keys to your truck.”
“You like him too, don’t you?”
She pulls her head back. “What is with you gangsters always changing the subject? I just told you I’m happily engaged.”
“Okay.” I hold up my hand and grin. “I’m not trying to step on any toes. I just saw chemistry is all. That shit’s hard to fake.”
She huffs out a sigh and stares blankly ahead before looking down at the coffee mug on the table. “What you saw is two people who can’t stand each other.”
For a long while we sit in silence. Finally, she says, “Tell me something so obviously crazy that you couldn’t bare the thought of it being repeated.” She sips her drink. “And keep in mind that I’m a human lie detector test.”
“Okay.” I raise my brows gently, looking away then back toward her again. “Well… I once faked a broken leg so I could get out of doing a job with Liam.” I laugh. “By fake, I mean I broke my own leg, so I didn’t have to ride with the man while he collected on debts. Got a two-week hospital trip and loved every second of it.” I make a rainbow with my hands. “Jell-O as far as the eye could see.”
Her eyes both narrow and lift at the same time, like she isn’t sure whether to laugh or shiver in disgust. “Okay, that’s embarrassing for sure. And sadly, I think you’re telling the truth.”
“Liam still doesn’t know it was fake, so…”
“What did you do? How’d you break it?”
“I stabilized my foot in a vice and smashed it with a sledgehammer. It sounds bad, but trust me, it was better than the alternative. Besides, we had a girl at the time. Someone needed to be home with her.”
“We?”Beth’s brows narrow again. “Wehad a girlfriend as in you and Liam shared a girlfriend?”
Fuck. That wasn’t something I needed to say.
“It’s not a thing. There was this girl we shared. I shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t know what Liam wants you to know and I—”
“No. You have to tell me this now. You can’t take me to the edge and leave me there.” She takes another bite of food, relaxes, and for a second it really does feel like we’re at a slumber party trading secrets. Or at the very least, what I’d imagine it to be.
“I think you owe me a secret first,” I press. “That’s how these things work, right?”
Her brows dim and her gaze drops before drawing back up slowly. She’s thinking something over, mulling how much to say. Finally, she exhales. “I like him too.” She bites the inside of her cheek. “Everything. The banter, the attraction, the weird way he keeps pinning me against walls. I think it’s supposed to be intimidating, but it’s turning me on. I’m sick. I know I’m sick. Don’t judge me.” She stares down at her coffee and chews at the end of a stirring straw.
“Why is it sick? Because you’re engaged?”
Her words come out fast and anxious. “Because I’m engaged. Because I’m engaged to the nicest man on Earth. Because Liam is fucked up. Because we met while he was carrying me out of my house kicking and screaming.”
“Have you ever thought about polyamory?”
She can’t hold in her laughter. “Nope! I’m not as crazy as you two. That sounds like an absolute train wreck.”
“It wasn’t a train wreck. It was nice while it lasted.”
“While it lasted, being the keywords here.”
“Just because it didn’t work for us, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t for you.”
She cocks a brow, holding her coffee against her palm. “And how does that work exactly? How is anyone satisfied in that scenario?”
