7

CHAPTER Seven

Reid

I am supposed to be out here, I kept telling myself that even as I listened to Arlyn pour out her pain. For the record, I felt guilt…though not enough for me to walk away.

When Arlyn's eyes had looked directly into mine moments before she walked out, I had caught a glimpse of the hurt in them, and I knew in that instant Liam wasn't being truthful. I tried not to be affected, but there was no way I could ignore what I had seen in the depth of her eyes.

So when Bradley told Ella to check up on her, I waited for a bit and followed at a distance. Not sure why I did that though… Maybe I was just acting impulsively.

The next thing I knew, I was standing behind a line of trimmed hedges in the garden, listening to the sound of her voice as she narrated her ordeal to Ella.

I knew I should have walked away, but I didn’t. My feet were rooted to the spot, and I was curious to know what Liam had done to her.

Everything inside me went still when Arlyn started talking about Liam.

She spilled everything out, leaving nothing unsaid… the betrayal, the shock, the pain. The purse is in the car. The girl in their bed. The excuses she’d made for him.

Every single detail hit harder than the last, each word painting in vivid colors the pains she was feeling.

By the time she was done, I was beyond furious.

Liam.

My best friend. The closest thing I had to a brother, someone who I had known all my life and thought I knew.

He hadn't only cheated on her in the worst way possible but had broken her, and still he had the gall to sit across from her and lie through his teeth, pretending everything was alright.

The guy was a beast.

I felt cold fury creep in beneath my skin as I clenched and unclenched my fists numerous times. I had the strong urge to step out of my hiding place and approach her, but I resisted the pull.

Ella's reaction, though, was worth seeing.

“The pig…,” she said, followed by a string of curses that Bradley would have been appalled to hear her say. “He cheated on you, and he’s here acting like a saint? Ugh! I knew something was off about him and that phony smile of his.”

She went on in that same breath, calling Liam ‘a trash bag of a man’ and ‘a walking red flag,’ vowing she was going to avenge Arlyn.

I smiled.

Attagirl…

Arlyn laughed, a soft bubbly sound, as she hugged Ella to herself, thanking her for her anger.

“Thanks, kiddo. I needed someone else other than me to say that.” She said to Ella, still holding her tight to herself like she was scared the girl would drift away with the wind.

Something twisted hard in my chest.

I didn't want to feel anything at all… Be it pity or anger, I did.

“I hate that he still affects me after what he did to me. I hate it.” Arlyn whispered over Ella's head, looking right at my hiding spot like she knew I was there.

I stepped back, the weight of what I’d overheard settling over me. My pulse hammered in my veins like I had just run a mile instead of hiding in the shadows and listening to a girl's pain.

I needed distance and fast. But instead of heading to my room, my leg took me to the one place in the house I knew it would be.

The gym. He loved his body so much that he spent most of his waking hours in the gym, whipping it into shape.

I shoved the door open without knocking.

Liam was inside, sitting on one of the gym benches. His phone was in his hand, and he had on a smug look as he tapped his keyboard.

He looked up. “Reid. Man—”

“Get out,” I interrupted, leaving the door open.

He blinked at me confused. “What?”

“I will only repeat myself once. Get out… now.”

He laughed, though it wasn't his usual confident type. “Dude, what’s your PROBLEM? What's—”

I crossed the room before he finished.

I grabbed his gym vest and forced him to his feet.

“You are trash, and you know I can't stand trash.” I said into his face.

Understanding came into his eyes slowly. “I guess she told you everything.”

Silence. I didn't bother answering.

His jaw twitched. “What did she say?”

I still didn't respond.

He swallowed, looking away. “Okay, fine. So I messed up—”

“You didn’t ‘mess up.’” This time I spoke up. “... You humiliated her. Lied to her. Manipulated her. And then you had the audacity to sit at my family’s breakfast table and lie to our faces?”

Liam bristled, pushing the hand away. “Why do you care so much anyway?”

I didn't trust myself enough to speak. Instead, I slammed him back against the wall behind, pinning him there with a hand across his throat.

“Stay away from her.”

He eyed suspiciously. “What—are you into her or something?”

I growled low in my throat.

It was a warning, one I hoped he would ignore so I could slug him.

He chuckled. “Reid, she’s using you. She’s using your family. Girls like her come from nothing. This is a step up for her—”

I hit him. Hard.

But not hard enough to break anything, but enough to silence the filth pouring out of his mouth. His head snapped sideways, and I let go of him, stepping back.

His hand went to his cheek, eyes burning. “You hit me?”

“I don't want to ever see you again.”

He straightened up slowly, massaging his swollen cheek. “You think she wants you? You should have seen the look on her face, man. God! It was so—”

“Seems I should have broken some teeth with that punch.”

I grabbed his clothes again, pulling him close enough that he could see exactly how much restraint it took not to tear into him.

“You’re leaving,” I said, voice quiet but serious. “Now. And you’re never coming back.”

He yanked himself free and picked up his belongings.

“You’ll regret this.”

“No,” I murmured, stepping aside. “I won't.”

He brushed past me, muttering curses under his breath, but he left. The moment he stepped out of the gym, I locked the door and exhaled shakily, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror.

What the hell had gotten into me?

I would very much like an answer to that.

I had been wrong earlier when I had pegged her as trouble.

She was far more dangerous.

I dragged a hand through my hair and sank into the chair Liam had occupied earlier. The leather groaned beneath my weight.

I sat there in silence, listening to my own breathing and wondering just what it was about her that bothered me.

A soft knock sounded at the door, and I looked up.

At first I ignored it, not wanting to be bothered, but there it was again.

Instinctively, I knew it was Arlyn. Had to be.

Might as well answer and see what she wants.

“Come in.” My tone was gruff and unappealing, but she came in nonetheless.

She walked to me and stood timidly before me with her hands behind her, and I glared at her.

“What do you want?” I demanded, eying her.

She opened her mouth to say something several times, but no words came out.

“Never mind. This was a bad idea…coming here, I mean,” she said, turning around and leaving me to myself.

I sighed and dropped my head in my hands, wondering what was wrong with me.

The truth: I was attracted to her… I am attracted to her.

But even I knew that was a taboo…

A line that should not be crossed.