“Everyone’s not perfect like you, Liri. Hell, even Hayley has fucked around. She fucked Woodrow before she got with Liam.”
Liam punches the side of the house and storms off as Hayley bursts into tears.
“You’re a real asshole, Killian,” my cousin seethes at him.
“I’m leaving,” I announce and run around the side of the house making for my car. I can’t fucking believe him right now. He had all day to tell me. The whole time we were together this afternoon he was pretending everything was fine. I suck in a breath and slide into the driver’s seat of my car.
Killian is chasing after me, but I lock my door before he can jerk it open.
“Liri!” He slaps his palm on the window, and I jump at the anger in his eyes. His eyes are nearly black as coal as he screams for me to open the door. “Open the door.” He jerks on the handle and I cry harder. I can’t do it. If I open that door I’m going to crumble.
I shake my head at him and start my car. He takes a step back, and I pull out before I give in. I can’t be here right now. I feel punched in the gut. Liam lied to Hayley for Killian and Jackie. My best friend may have lost her boyfriend over this shit. I would have taken the news better had he been upfront about the situation, but I feel like he was trying to hide it from me. That hurts more than the fact that Jackie was pregnant by him. I thought I wanted to give him my virginity. I knew Killian would hurt me, but I never imagined it would ever feel like this. I feel as though a hot poker is repeatedly stabbing me in the chest where my heart should be.
I cry and I drive. I can’t go to campus because he’ll just show up at my dorm. My phone starts blowing up with missed calls and text messages. I know it is Killian. I need to clear my head. A voice in the back of my head urges me to call Hunter, but I don’t want to unload on him about Killian and hear I told you so.
I stop off at a gas station to fill my tank up since I am leaving with Hayley to go to her mom’s in a day. Maybe we could skip our Friday classes and go first thing in the morning.
I get back in my car and I ignore all the messages from Killian.
Liri: Can we just go ahead and leave early to your mom’s?
Hayley: Yeah. Killian left. I’m still here at the frat house. Liam wants nothing to do with me.
Liri: Is it because of Woodrow?’
Hayley: Pick me up. I will fill you in on the way. I’m standing at the end of the driveway.
I stop my car long enough for Hayley to get inside and pull out while she buckles her seatbelt.
“Tonight was royally fucked wasn’t it?” She gives me a sad laugh.
“Whatever we need we can buy it on the way. I should tell you something.”
“What?”
“I lied to you about my credit card. My stepfather is loaded.”
“I knew that. Mom told me that a long time ago, but I get why you wouldn’t want anyone to know.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“Of course.”
“So, what happened after I left?”
“Killian had to come back in the house to get his keys. I smacked him for outing me like that and lying to you. For using Liam like that. I had no idea about Jackie, obviously or I would have told you.”
“I know. Same here.”
“Anyway, he just grabbed his keys. I am assuming and went chasing after you. Liam refused to speak to me, and he left. Woodrow confessed that he only told me about seeing Liam and Jackie together because he has a thing for me and thought if he got Liam out of the way there would be a chance I’d go out with him again.”
“God, I hate boys,” I tell her.
“Me too.” She wipes at her eyes. “Liam wouldn’t even look at me or give me a chance to explain. I never told him about Woodrow because it happened way before we started talking. I didn’t want him to think differently of me. He assumed I hadn’t dated anyone he knew, and he liked that about me. I didn’t want him to think I was like Jackie.”
“You could never be like her.”
“That’s true. I do have self-respect.”