Not knowing what to expect.
Not really caring what was in this letter from her.
Just grateful that I was here, sitting next to my best friend, who was finally willing to answer questions I’ve had for years.
After I read her letter, Audrey gave me time to sit with my newfound knowledge of Hyvenmere and what she’s been up to, by leaving to get food. She asked Liam to stay with me while she was gone.
I made an “ew, what the fuck?” face at her request, which she blatantly ignored.
Liam obliged, also ignoring my expression, and we have been sitting here in unbearable silence since. He sat in the recliner again, flipping through channels on the TV, while I stared daggers at him.
Sure, Audrey liked him. Had a friendship with him.
But I still hated him.
“Are you going to say anything, or just continue to sit there, picturing my death?” Liam sighed without looking at me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I was just glaring at you, but I can picture your death too, if you’d like.”
“What is your issue with me, specifically?” Liam turned to look at me then. “You got along with my sister. The healer, too. It can’t be a general grudge against fae.”
Obviously not, considering I learned about fae five minutes ago, and I had been building up this resentment toward Liam for just under two years.
“They didn’t pull Audrey away from our friendship for two years straight.” I crossed my arms over my chest and my ankles over each other on the bed, legs stretched out. “According to her letter, you Kool-Aid-Manned your way into her life and stole her away.”
His facial expression made me realize he probably had no idea what I meant by “Kool-Aid-Manned,” but with a shake of his head, it was clear he decided not to ask about the slang.
I wasn’t sure if Audrey remembered that she wrote about her unrequited crush on Liam in her letter, but that detail was in there, and I wouldn’t forget it.
They may not be dating, but she definitely wasn’t opposed to the idea.
“I did not encourage her to keep so many secrets from you, Vanessa.” Liam stood from his recliner, stepping toward the bed to lean against one of the large bedposts at the foot of it. “Audrey always wanted to keep you safe. You are precious to her.” Liam’s blue eyes locked onto mine. “Who was I to tell her otherwise?”
I frowned at him. “I still don’t like it when men come between Audrey and me, even if you’re claiming that it was unintentional.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed at my words, and his chest rose with something like irritation; his nostrils flared as he composed himself enough to ask me, “Are you and Audrey lovers?”
I opened my mouth to say no, but I hesitated.
Because what if Liam was homophobic? That made me want to say yes, just to spite him. But I had no idea if lying about this was dangerous. The more I studied Liam’s body language, though, the more I realized his heated reaction to his question wasn’t one of bigotry.
No. He had tense shoulders, tight fists, uneven breathing through his nose. Liam’s reaction looked…jealous.
Well, I’ll be damned.
Audrey’s little crush might not be so unreciprocated after all.
“What’s it to you?” I asked, leaning forward to bend my knees enough to rest my elbows on them. “Would you back off? Would you let us live our happily ever after in my realm without putting weird pressure on her to hang out here?”
Liam closed his eyes, attempting to compose himself. His shoulders inched higher; his irritation with my non-answer made me grin. Without looking at me, he returned to the drink cart. He poured his second drink of the day.
Thisthrilledme. I loved irritating men.
Suddenly, Audrey threw the suite door open, holding a brown bag of what smelled like food in each hand.
I immediately jumped off my bed, walking toward the table in the corner where Audrey dumped the bags of food and started unpacking them.
“I got these skewers I think you’ll love, Van.” Audrey grinned at me, and she held one up.
