I round the corner into another hallway when my feet abruptly stop. Shit. Laura’s head snaps to stare at me, eyes like slits, with Caroline next to her and a group of other random twats I don’t care to know. Not what I was looking for today. I start to ignore them and walk by, because I have a task more important than them, but I stop short. No, I need to take care of this little crack in the crown. I am not led, I lead. Grey’s tattoo comes to mind, and I smile. Thanks for the reminder.
Turning toward the pack, I smile. “Let’s get this over with. Shall we?”
The girls glance at each other and stare back at me, with vapid looks and cruel intentions, as I lock eyes with Caroline. “Do you want an audience?”
I see the ambivalence in her eyes. She’s worried, and scared. She should be—she’s seen what I can do. Lifting my hand, I wave to the group behind Laura and Caroline. “Leave.”
But nobody moves. They’re doubling down. Fine by me. A tiny bit of smugness flares in Caroline’s eyes before I snuff it out, clapping my hands together and snapping viciously, “I said, get, bitches!”
Everyone turns, grabbing their things and pushing to scatter. Caroline says nothing, her head switching from left to right, watching her army of assholes run, but Laura rolls her eyes, still trying to play the role before she glances to Caroline to check if it was okay.
It makes me laugh as I speak. “Laura, I was going to speak to Caroline about you, since you don’t seem to have a mind of your own, but I think you should hear this firsthand.” She crosses her arms defensively.
“Stop allowing yourself to be used by boys who don’t respect you. They’ll never love you. Grey owes you an apology for how he treated you, and I won’t stand in the way of you getting it. But if you ever cross my path again, in a way that I don’t like…I want you to ask yourself one question.” My lips tilt into a smile. “Who’s my queen afraid of?”
Laura’s eyes drift slowly to Caroline, who looks pale, and then back to me.
A cleansing breath leaves me, and I nod. “This is the last time we have a conversation like this. Consider your ‘get out of jail free’ card used. Next time, it’s all consequence.” They swallow hard, and it’s clear they’ve received my message. “Okay, girls. You can go. We’re all done.”
Caroline turns without any remark, Laura following, both slowly walking away. I begin to turn back when Laura’s voice grabs my attention.
“How can you love him when you know who he is?”
I should deflect, pretend I don’t know what she’s talking about because we’re supposed to be under the radar, but I can’t. Denying that I love him isn’t something I’m capable of. And these girls know to never fucking cross me again.
“Because even a villain is someone else’s hero.”
The smirk on Caroline’s face is almost endearing. She gets it. Because she’s the villain and wants Liam to love her. I point a finger at her. “You and I—”
But she cuts me off. “We’re good, kitten. I see you.”
“Keep it that way.”
I turn away from them, leaving them to watch me, and walk down the hall, letting the moment drift away as I head to my destination. Two more hallways and a thousand more worried thoughts and I’m standing in front of the doorway. Please be here. I peep through the glass cutout and see Liam in the far corner with an oversized sketch pad, chewing on the end of his pencil.
Liam.
Trying not to startle him, I pull the door open slowly, but it’s old and squeaks as the hinges strain against the pressure, making Liam’s head pop up. He darts up to stand, surprised, staring at me and closing the top of his sketch pad quickly.
“Van,” he greets. Pulling the pencil from his mouth, he finishes, “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.”
“Why?” he questions, tapping the pencil against his leg as I move deeper into the room.
I roll my eyes, stopping in front of him, and cross my arms. “That’s a stupid question. Because you made me. You’re hiding.”
He scrunches his face and shrugs, as he sits back down in his chair.
“Can I sit?” I question, looking down at his broody face. He pushes a chair out with his foot across from him and nods.
“Are you going to talk to me or sulk? Because I have all day.”
He breaks, looking up at me, and grins, opening his sketch pad to an empty sheet. “Okay, you pose, we talk.”
My eyes almost pop out of my head as I let out a little squeal. “Deal.”
He stares at me, but I don’t know what he wants me to do. So I contort into ridiculous dramatic poses, making him laugh. “Am I doing it right?”
“Just be natural and talk. I’ll take what I want.” His fingers brush the pad, clearing it, before he stares at me again. God this is so awkward. Settling back into my chair, I stick my tongue out at him.
“Be serious, Van,” he gripes. Oh geez.
“Okay. How’s this for serious… Why are you avoiding everyone and punishing them when they want to apologize?”
“You don’t mean everyone, you mean Grey,” he answers levelly, tilting his head and looking at my jaw.
“Same difference.” My words make his eyes jump to mine.
He sits back in his chair, this time staring at me without the artist’s wonder in his eyes.
“No. It’s not. That’s your problem. You don’t know the difference.”
“What does that mean?” Now it’s my turn to glare back at him.
“It means, this is what you do. You always have. He does something atrocious, and you forgive him. As if it never happened.” I don’t answer, because I don’t know how to explain it. I do forgive him, but Grey does all the atrocious things for me, not against me. That’s what Liam doesn’t get.
“In the cafeteria… He treated you like dirt, Van. Likened you to a whore and…” His eyes move away as his words trail off. He can’t even look at me.
“Then fucked me like one…” His eyes snap back to me, guilt behind them, as I continue. “You don’t have to say it. It’s written all over your face.”
Liam stands, rubbing a hand over his head. “Why can’t you hold him accountable?”
“I do. And I can. He was acting out of desperation, and grief…he thought he lost me.” And I would’ve done the same. Tried to hurt him as much as I hurt.
He gives an empty laugh. “You can lie to yourself all you want. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. You’re just another Laura—just a bigger trophy for him to win until the next one.”
I shove to my feet and steel my spine. “Fuck you. I only forgive him blindly. Only him. So pay attention to what you say to me.”
His head drops down as he shoves his hands into his pockets. “Shit. I’m sorry, Van. I’m so angry. So mad that… He doesn’t deserve you.”
“And you do? Is that what you want to say?” His eyes dart away again, but I walk closer to him and take his hand. “You’ve always known that it was Grey.”
“I have. But I hate it.”
My arms wrap around him, pulling him into a hug. “I also want you. As my best friend, like you’ve always been. My person. The one who’ll laugh at my jokes and vice versa. Liam…it’s me and you. Please? You are so important to me and to Grey.”