Liar

Chapter Three

Anna’s POV

Liar

The word reverberated in every part of my being, and in that split second, I believed it. 

And I hated it. 

I turned around to face him, but that was a horrible decision as I didn’t realize how close he was. His grey eyes looked straight into mine, narrowed. I opened my lips and realized I had no idea what to say. In that moment, I was stunned. And it was very strange. No one could render me speechless. 

“Andre?”

His eyes darted towards her. “Cindy, darling, can you give us a moment?”

“Of course,” she drawled. I could tell she winked at him from her tone. “I’ll be by the oak tree. We have an unfinished discussion.”

I wondered what it could be. Had he tried flirting with her before? I wouldn’t put it past Andre Clark, because apart from being heir to a multi-million conglomerate, he was also a world-class player.

I just hoped Cindy knew that. 

His eyes returned to me, devoid of all emotions. His dark hair grazed his shoulders, and my eyes followed it. It had grown longer from the last time I saw him. It was the same length as my dream. 

He still smelled of pie. 

“You know I don’t like you, Andre, and you hate me too. So, why are you talking to me?”

He shrugged. “I know that smile on your face, Pope. The one you directed at Cindy.” His voice dropped into a whisper. “And it’s pretentious. You don’t want to be here. You are not happy to be here.”

The laughter that fell from my lips sounded foreign. “You think you know me?”

Andre shook his head. “I know you.”

How was this even happening? He’d been avoiding me since he got into college, so what changed? “Why are you here, Andre? Shouldn’t you be with… whoever you are sleeping with this week?”

“Oh.” A mischievous glint darkened his eyes. “Don’t tell me you are jealous.”

“Get over yourself, Andre Clark.”

“I will,” he said casually, making no move to step away. “But before I get around to that, you might want to know where your boyfriend actually is.”

My eyes perked up. “You know where Cole is?”

He shrugged. “How much are you willing to pay for it?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“You know, Pope.” His feet moved slightly, yet he was still in front of him, the heat from his mouth teasing my face. My eyes dropped to his lips. “You are right. I should go meet my date. You’ll figure it out.”

Andre turned to leave, and I didn’t think about it, my hand jutting out to stop him. He cocked his brows as he stared at my hand on his wrist. I swallowed, letting it drop to my side awkwardly. 

“I’m sorry. I just … “

“I won’t say this again,” he started. “But Cole…”

That was when I saw him, from the corner of Andre’s head. 

Cole.

He looked flushed, his hair messy like he had run his fingers through it repeatedly in frustration. He covered the remaining distance in a few seconds, pulling me into his arms.

I sighed in bliss, the familiar scent of oud washing through me. He wrapped a hand around my waist, my face buried in his shirt. There was a slight tease of another scent. Jasmine. 

“Don’t tell me you guys are finally putting your enmity behind you,” Cole teased, pulling me gently away from him. He looked at his best friend, an unreadable expression on his face. “Are you?”

Andre looked at me for a second. “Have fun, you two.” And without another word, he stalked away, grabbing a beer from a cooler in the middle of the open air. 

Cole turned to face me, his hands on my shoulder. “I messed up, babe. I know. But let me explain.”

“I’m not mad at you, Cole,” I whispered, wrapping my hands around his neck and pulling him closer. “I’m just glad that you are safe.”

“But are you and Andre fine?”

He pulled away slowly. “Why?”

“I don’t know. Earlier, he….”

“You know, Andre,” Cole laughed. “He is always broody and angry. He’s good.”

***

The party had kicked up in full swing, and I had my hands wrapped around Cole’s waist, while he laughed with his old friends who had come for the bonfire too. I tried to be a part of the conversation, but I knew nothing about what they were saying. 

My eyes scanned the area quickly, looking for Cindy. 

“Cole,” I whispered, nudging him slightly. “I have to go find Cindy. I’ll be back.”

“Okay, babe.” He planted a chaste peck on my lips before turning back to his friends. He didn’t even offer to help me find her.

Sighing, I got on my feet and dusted the sand off my butt before heading further away from the group. 

But Cindy was nowhere around. 

Wait. 

The oak tree. 

“No,” I whispered to myself, my feet carrying me to the side of the house. It wasn’t possible. Cindy was smart enough to stay away from Andre. Everyone knew about him. 

Yet, I also knew something more compelling.

The inability of people to resist him.

A dry wood crunched underneath my shoes as I walked down the sides of the wall, the oak tree within distance. From where I stood, I couldn’t see anyone. But I kept going, because for some reason, I couldn’t let it go.

After a few more seconds, I stood under the tree, my eyes searching. “Cindy?”

He turned around then, at another tree a stone’s throw from the one I was standing. 

“Did you get bored with Cole so quickly?” he muttered, bringing his bottle to his lips.

In that second, I forgot all about Cindy. “No,” I breathed. “He has… he just has a lot of catching up to do with his friends.”

“Is that what you’re telling yourself to feel better?”

“Andre, what are you saying?”

And then, he stretched a bottle over to me. “Beer?"