Chapter 21: Liam's Party

Caroline's POV

The salty breeze blew past my hair as Anderson and I climbed out of the car, the sound of waves crashing in the distance mixing with the laughter and music spilling from the beach.

I was putting on a silver sequined dress and Anderson wore a white trouser with a black shirt that had its sleeves up.

Liam, Anderson’s younger brother, was celebrating his birthday, and the party was alive as lights were fixed between palm trees, and people were dancing on the sand.

It should’ve felt like a good time, a chance to escape the mess of the past few weeks, but something heavy sat in my chest.

Ever since that kiss in Anderson’s office, things between us had been strange.

We didn’t talk about it, barely even met each other’s eyes, like we were both holding our breath, waiting for the tension to break.

It was obvious he was beginning to fall in love with me, and I with him.

He slammed the car door and turned to me, his voice calm but his gaze piercing. “By the way, our wedding’s on Friday. No delays.”

I stopped cold, my breath catching. Friday? That was only days away.

My mind spun, Mr. Alex’s offer flashing through my thoughts, the money, the chance to walk away from this chaos.

As we stepped onto the sand, I glanced at Anderson, and a pang of doubt hit me.

He didn’t know what I knew, about his uncle’s schemes or the truth Mr. Alex had told me about his mother, Mrs. Jones.

He was in the dark, fighting a battle he couldn’t win alone.

Part of me wanted to stay, to help him, but I didn’t say a word. I just nodded, keeping my storm of thoughts locked inside.

Anderson leaned closer as we walked, his voice dropping. “Be careful tonight, Caroline. Some girls might be here, ones I used to know. They might try to mess with you.”

I rolled my eyes, swallowing the sharp reply on my tongue. Of course, his past was never far behind. “I can handle it,” I said, brushing him off.

We hadn’t even reached he bar when Liam  appeared, a drink in his hand and a crowd of laughing friends behind him. He looked me up and down slowly , and his smile curle into something ugly.

“so this is her” he said loud enough  for his friends to hear, “The wife to be”.

“Happy birthday , Liam”, I said politely, holding out a small gift bag in my hand.

He didn’t take it, he glanced at it like it was something the water brought in.

“Put it on the table with the other rubbish.” he said.

His friends burst out laughing.

“Nice dress, by the way. Did my brother buy it for you, or did you manage to buy it yourself? Oh, sorry, I forgot you can’t even afford something like this.”

My face became hot with embarrassment.

“Liam.”

“Relax. I’m only saying what everybody is thinking.” He raised his glass with a fake smile. “Enjoy the party, Caroline. Just don’t get too comfortable. You won’t be here for long.”

Anderson tightened his jaw. “Watch your mouth.”

But Liam only shrugged and walked away, still smiling.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I wasn’t going to let him spoil my night. I wasn’t going to give any of them the satisfaction of knowing that their words had hurt me.

The party was packed, people laughing, drinks sloshing, music vibrating through the air.

My eyes scanned the crowd, and there she was: Solana. Her red bikini hugged her curves, her blonde hair tied behind her back.

She didn’t hesitate, heading straight for Anderson, who was already chatting with some guy near the bar.

My stomach twisted, but I turned away. I wasn’t going to stare. I wasn’t going to let it get to me.

I’d come here to have fun, to shake off the weight of everything, the divorce, the abortion, the lies piling up.

It had been hell, and I hadn’t been to a party in forever.

I grabbed a glass of wine from a waitress passing by, determined to blend in and forget, just for a little while.

But then I changed my mind. I had to know. I glanced back towards Anderson, searching the crowd. He was gone. So was Solana.

Anger flared hot in my chest. Were they off somewhere together? Kissing?

My grip tightened on the glass, my knuckles whitening. That was it, if I caught them, even once, I’d take Mr. Alex’s offer and leave.

I wasn’t going to stick around fighting for someone who couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

I tipped the wine back, the bitter taste burning my throat, and reached for another glass.

“careful “ a  light, and girlish voice behind me that made me pause., “Drink too much and you might start telling the truth “.

Liam learn against the bar, watching me like I was entertainment  he had paid for.

“Are you following me?” I asked.

“I’m just wondering how long it take a woman like you to get desperate “. He looks towards the crowd. “Looking for my brother ? Don’t bother. He’s probably somewhere with a girl who actually belongs in his world “.

I held my glass tightly. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know enough”. His eyes dropped to my dress, Then back to my face. His expression was cold. “Don’t act like you are one of us”.

Before u could answer, someone crashed h into me, so hard I stumbled, nearly dropping my glass.  

“Sorry, Miss Caroline,” a smooth voice said.

I looked up, startled. He was tall, with brown hair and a big nose that stood out on his face.

He smiled, but it didn’t feel real. “You look beautiful, by the way,” he added, his eyes lingering too long.

Heat crept up my cheeks. It had been a while since anyone called me beautiful, and the compliment threw me off.

 “Thanks,” I said, forcing a smile. Then I frowned. “How do you know my name?”

The music kicked up, loud and thumping, swallowing my words.

He leaned in, his breath brushing my ear. “What?”

“How do you know my name?” I asked again, louder this time.

He pulled back, grinning. “I’m Nial. Anderson’s best friend.”

I blinked, surprised. Anderson had a best friend? He’d never mentioned anyone named Nial.

Liam let out a short laugh beside us “well, look at that, she has already found someone else to play with. That didn’t take too long.”

 “Oh,” I said to Nail, ignoring Liam, keeping my voice even. “Nice to meet you.”

His grin stretched wider, and he nodded toward the water. “Want to go for a swim?”

“No, thanks,” I said, a flicker of unease crawling up my spine. "I can't swim."

“She can’t swim,” Liam repeated with a laugh. “Of course she can’t. Maybe someone should push her into the water and see what happens.”

Nial stepped closer, his voice lowering. “Anderson asked me to watch out for you, make sure you’re okay.”

I nodded, but I didn’t buy it. Anderson was too possessive to ask another guy to look after me, especially someone I’d never heard of.

 Something felt off. I glanced at Liam, hoping for a flick of concern, but he just sipped his drink and look  away, like whatever happened next I wasn’t his problem.

“Nice to meet you, but I’ve got to go,” I said, turning away.

Nail hand reached out, grabbing my wrist with a tight grip “Stay,” he said, his tone sharper now.

Panic went through me. Without thinking, I flung the wine in his face, red liquid splashing across his shirt.

 He let go, cursing, and I didn’t wait, I bolted, weaving through the crowd.

“Classic”, Liam called after me laughing. “Run Caroline, that’s all you are good at.”

My heart hammered as I glanced back. He was following me, his eyes narrowed with anger.

Fear clawed at my throat. I darted past a group of dancers, my breath ragged.

The beach stretched out too wide, too exposed, and I couldn’t spot Anderson anywhere.

When I looked back again, I didn't see him, he was gone. I sighed in relief, but I started losing interest in the party. Every fiber of my being screamed for me to leave, but where would I go? I couldn't leave without Anderson, we came together, and now I have to find him.

I turned sharply, hoping to look around for Anderson, but as I swung around, I slammed into someone else.