“No?”
“No,” she says, pulling a small knife from the waistband of her shorts and twirling it like she’s done this before. “I was expecting surveillance screens, weapons, maybe a corpse or two. You’re kind of disappointing, actually.”
“My housekeeper’s got Mondays reserved for body disposal,” I shoot back, watching the flex of her fingers, knowing she could launch at me at any moment because she’s fucking unpredictable. “Are you planning on doing something with that?”
“Still deciding. Now sit.” I blink becausewhat the fuck. “Dude, I’m serious. I’ll fucking gut you if you keep standing there like that. You’re what, six feet? Now sit your giant ass down while we talk.”
I raise my hands in surrender and drop onto the couch, biting back a laugh. “I’m actually six-three.”
She groans, dragging the blade’s handle across her forehead. “Of course you are. Jesus, she never stood a chance.”
“Listen, I’m an open book. Whatever you want to know, ask. But I’m not leaving her. Am I clear? That’s not up for debate. I’ve been here this whole time, and that doesn’t change just because it makes other people uncomfortable.”
She crosses her arms, eyes narrowing. “Why would you keep doing this to yourself? If she wanted you, she’d be with you.”
“Come on, you know better than that. She still loves me. Maybe not in a way that makes sense to anyone else, but deep down, where it hurts?” I tap my chest lightly. “That part’s still mine.”
She holds my gaze, clearly irritated that this isn't going the way she thought it might. “I’m not your friend.”
“I figured.”
“And I’ll never go against her.”
“I know.”
She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “But I think you know too much for me to stand here and lie, so… yeah, maybe you’re not wrong. Doesn’t mean I like what you’re doing.”
“You don’t have to like it.”
“She doesn’t like it. That’s the point.”
I pause. “Okay, maybe that’s fair.”
“You’ve got to let her breathe.”
“I’ve been letting her breathe for years. I’ve stood back and watched her live some half-life, sleep in the wrong beds, fake her way through happiness, and let men touch her who didn’t deserve to even look at her. I waited while she tried to forget me. And it doesn’t work. It never does, so now things change.”
“But you’ve been watching her this whole time?”
“Yeah,” I admit, no hesitation, no apology. “I have.”
“That’s not fair to her.”
“You might not understand it, and I’m not asking you to, but I needed it for reasons I’ve already explained to Shannen.” I start to stand, and the flash of metal stops me. “Fuck me, really?”
“I don’t know,” she says dryly, twirling the blade once more. “I’ve read too many books, and you look like the type who’d get off on the threat.”
That actually makes me grin. “You’ve got a fucked-up sense of humor.”
“Comes from dealing with crazy, obsessed bastards like you.”
“Devoted.”
“Delusional.”
“Semantics.”
Lianna exhales hard, setting the knife down on the TV unit with a little clink.
