“And if I do?”
“I just want to know if I should expect to see random weirdos at the house that I’d need to keep an eye on.” He shook his head once. “You know that’s a really stupid way to get yourself into trouble, right?”
“Maybe she likes trouble,” Nina simpered.
“Please,” he mocked, looking down at me like a cat did a mouse.
I shocked myself when I stepped toward him, leaving only the drinks in our hands between us. “I think I can take care of myself, thank you.”
“Oh, really?”
The heaviness in his eyes made my heart rate kick up.
Liam bent down, his lips skimming against my hair. “Tell me, Miss Independent …”
A tingle spread down my neck and exploded every nerve in my body. I couldn’t tell if his voice vibrating against my ear was making me sweat or giving me chills. Either way, I wanted him as far away from me as possible.
“When was the last time you paid for anything yourself, hmm? Did you buy that pretty little car of yours? I doubt many med students can afford a sixty-thousand-dollar vehicle. How about school? That costs a pretty penny, huh?”
I curled my fingers, gripping the neck of my bottle harder.
“Housing? That apartment you were living in with your boyfriend, was that yours or his? His, right? And, remind me, who did you have to call because you had no place to go after he dumped you?” He pulled away a few inches, and I let out a breath as I relaxed the muscles in my jaw. “Face it, sweetheart, you have no fucking clue what it means to take care of yourself.”
With a slow, sweet turn of my wrist, Liam jerked back and shouted something incoherent. “The fuck, Avery!” was all I could understand through his threatening words.
The once-dry crotch of his jeans was now soaked with the remaining contents of my cold beer. The shock smeared across his face was so satisfying to see, and I took my time, committing every detail to memory.
“Oh, howstupidof me.” My stomach continued to do flips, but the words came out evenly.
Nina nearly fell on the floor, laughing, while my face remained composed.
“Could you be a gentleman and get me another? I’ll have someone pay you back because, you know, I don’t pay for anything myself.”
Nina threaded her arm through mine and pulled me away, looking proud and a little surprised by my display. “Okay, that was awesome.”
“I told you, he’s an asshole,” I said, fighting the urge to look back to where we’d left Liam.
Nina began leading us over to the table the band was waiting at, and I stopped. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What? No way. I am having too good of a night for you to ruin it now.” She tugged my arm harder.
I wiggled myself free. “Is that what I usually do? Ruin your night?”
“You know that’s not what I meant. Come on. You and I could use a little fun.” She playfully scrunched her nose, but I could hear some truth in her words.
She rarely fought me on it, but the nights we spent out together, I was usually the one to call it quits before it got too late. The few times she had suggested we leave a party early was typically after I started yawning or after I stopped drinking.
Guilt began to resurface, reminding me of how my day had started.
“Look, if you want to go, we can go. But at least give me a good reason.” Nina nodded behind me to where I was sure Liam still was. “I know you don’t like the guy, but that back there was a little hot. Intense but hot.”
“Nina.”
She smiled. “You can totally handle sitting at a table with him. After what you just did, I doubt he’ll bother you again.”
I released a long breath. “Oh, I only fanned the flames.”
Nina frowned. “I don’t understand how you two still have this stupid quarrel. This is all because of that thing that happened in high school?”
