Chapter 5

“Hello, Nina. It’s really nice to meet you.” Liam responded with a smile on his face.

I could hear his voice echoing in my ears while my mind played back events from last night. It felt like my favourite memory had suddenly become a nightmare that I was living in.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Daniel asked, turning slightly so he had a good look at my pale face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

For a brief second, I wished my belly would burst open and I’d be rushed to the hospital immediately. One thing I was grateful for was the fact that no one could hear how fast my heart was beating.

“I’m fine,” I answered, forcing the worst smile anyone had ever seen before shifting my eyes back to Liam, my stranger from last night.

“You’re welcome to our home.”

“Thank you,” his eyes pierced through my soul to see how uneasy I was. “Daniel here never told me the woman he married was the goddess of beauty herself.”

The entire room erupted in laughter, and Daniel shook his head with an amused grin. “Relax, man. I already married her.”

“Just stating facts,” Liam replied, lifting his hands to surrender peacefully.

I laughed along with them so things didn’t seem even more awkward. All I could think about was how his lips had been on mine just a few hours ago. Was the universe punishing me for being happy for a few hours?

“Alright,” Daniel said, clapping his hands once as he looked around the room. “Who’s hungry? Cause I’m starving.”

The energy shifted immediately as everyone moved toward the dining table. Chairs scraped softly against the floor, glasses clinked, and voices overlapped as they settled into their seats. I found myself sitting beside Daniel, directly across from Liam, which felt less like a coincidence and more like some cruel design from karma.

“Man, it’s been too long,” George said, leaning back as he stretched his arms slightly. “Work really did scatter us all across the country.”

“No kidding,” Dennis, their African American friend added. “You barely get time to breathe these days while trying to make a living.”

Liam let out a low laugh as he reached for his glass. “At least we’re all here now, and it took George getting married to make that happen.” He nodded toward him on the side of the table.

Daniel chuckled. “That’s true, tell us how you met this woman who finally locked you down. Whoosh, it’s gonna be a good story.”

George smiled from ear to ear, clearly enjoying the spotlight he was receiving from these men. “Nah, it’s not that interesting.”

“That’s a damn lie,” Liam cut in smoothly. “It’s always interesting so you better start talking.”

As the story began, I tried to focus on anything other than the man sitting across from me. I picked at my food, nodded at the right moments, and tried my best to avoid those damn eyes of his eyes but I could feel his attention like a weight I couldn’t shake.

When I finally looked up, I realised he had been watching me the entire time while the others were busy listening to George. I quickly dropped my eyes back to my plate like a little child, hoping the movement hadn’t been too obvious.

“…so I bumped into her at the supermarket again,” the man continued, gesturing as he spoke. “Literally bumped into her and our groceries were everywhere in seconds.”

“Of course you did,” Daniel laughed.

“And you helped her pick everything up, right?” Liam added.

“Duh! What the hell were you expecting? That I’d be some jerk.”

“That was really smooth,” Liam said with a small shake of his head.

The food in front had slowly started failing at being a distraction. That was when I felt something brush against my ankle. At first, I told myself it was accidental, but when it happened again, slower, I looked across from me and saw Liam staring at me with a freaking smirk on his face.

Was he trying to ruin me?

Making him get a reaction from me wasn’t going to work, even as the sensation moved lightly along my leg to the rest of my body. My fingers tightened around my fork, and I forced myself to look down while I turned red as hell.

How could he eat peacefully? Did he know I was Daniel’s wife when he came to me at the bar? Was this all an elaborate plan? What the hell was happening here?

“Nina?” Daniel’s voice broke through the moment.

I fidget like a child with a stolen toy at the sound of his voice. “Yes?”

He frowned slightly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Trying my very best to keep my tone steady. I had claimed that Daniel was sleeping with his secretary when I had no proof. Meanwhile proof of adultery was sitting just across from me.

“You sure?”

“Yes,” I said again, offering everyone a small smile that felt practised. “Sorry guys, I’m just a little tired.”

“Cut her some slack, Daniel. Maybe she’s just had a long day,” Dennis suggested.

“Yeah,” I added quickly, grateful for the interruption.

Daniel nodded and turned back to the conversation, but under the table, Liam hadn’t stopped teasing me with his feet like we were kids.

My lungs had slowly started to fail because of the tension going on. If anything, I was hoping God in heaven would send an angel to take me away from this situation.

Was Liam the angel God had sent to me? .

“Nina, get it together,” I whispered to myself under my breath.

Dinner continued with stories and laughter, the kind that should have felt warm and familiar, yet I experienced it from a distance, like I was watching someone else’s life unfold. Every now and then, I felt Liam’s gaze return to me, subtle but persistent, and each time it did, it reminded me of everything I was trying not to think about.

When the meal finally ended, I stood up almost immediately, needing an excuse to move, to create some kind of distance between us.

“I’ll clear the table,” I announced, reaching for the plates before anyone could object.

“You don’t have to,” Daniel began.

“I want to,” I replied, already gathering the dishes.

“I’ll help you then,” Liam said as he pushed his chair back.

“That’s not necessary,” My eyes landing on him with rage in my eyes. I could tell he was trying to ruin my marriage at this point.

He stepped closer anyway, his tone calm but firm. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Daniel laughed lightly. “Go on, man. Help her since you’ve been praising her cooking all night.”

Liam smiled. “I’m just being honest. You should try it sometime.”

I didn’t respond as I carried the plates towards the kitchen, doing the walk of shame while he followed behind me closely. He left some distance between us while we walked and I could tell he was only doing that to have a good view of my body. Every hair on my body was standing at his point thanks to his gaze.

The moment we stepped into the kitchen, I set the plates down and turned around. Before I could second-guess myself, I pulled him, reached back and shut the door, the soft click sealing us into the space alone.

For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. Then I stepped closer, trying my best to lower my voice so the words wouldn’t come out louder and angrier than I had intended.

“Jesus Christ! What the hell are you doing in my home?!”