“Ah, makes sense.” He hesitates. “I actually met him earlier.”
“Liam?”
“He barged into my chat with a photographer, who he mistook for one of theBridgertoncast members. As soon as he realized his mistake, he disappeared again into the night. I didn’t get to talk to him much, but he seems like a catch,” he notes sarcastically.
“Did you come over here just to be horrible about Liam?” I bristle.
“No. I just… I don’t understand why you’re withhim.”
I look at him in disbelief. “Oh my god. Are you actually beingserious?”
I see some guests glance our way, and I realize I can’t have it out with Ryan here in the ballroom. There’s a fire exit door to my right that’s slightly ajar, so I push it open and demand that he follow me. We step out into an empty corridor and, confirming there’s no one in either direction, I round on him.
“How dare you talk to me like that about Liam? You have no right!”
“I know it’s none of my business—”
“That’s right. It is none of your business!”
“—but he doesn’t seem like… your type,” he says, holding up his hands as though he feels obliged to tell me his opinion. As though it’simportant.
He makes my bloodboil.
“How would you even know what my type is?” I snap furiously. “You don’t get to have an opinion on who I date. You met him for all of five seconds!”
“Five seconds was all I needed to work out exactly what kind of person he is,” he seethes. “You shouldn’t be with someone who treats you like that.”
“You have no idea how he treats me!”
“I know that he didn’t even bother saying hi to you becausehe was too busy chatting up all your contacts! He barely acknowledged you. It was rude,” he argues.
“Liam is smart and he’s ambitious, and I respect that,” I tell him proudly.
Ryan snorts. “Well, I’m glad you respect his ambition, because I’m not sure he has much else to recommend him.”
“You are so out of order,” I cry, my whole face on fire with rage. “We’re not even friends! Why should I care about your opinion?”
“Fine! Thendon’tcare about my opinion!”
“Idon’t!”
Ryan takes a deep breath and lowers his voice. “I’m only trying to look out for you, Harper, and that guy is—”
“Don’t look out for me, Ryan,” I snap. “I can look after myself! Liam is a wonderful, thoughtful person who just had a bad night…” I hear myself faltering.
“Oh, come on! You can’treallythink that!”
“Don’t tell me what to think!”
“For god’s sake, Harper,” he says impatiently, throwing his hands up in exasperation, “you’re so determined to argue with me all the time, you’re not even bothering to listen to what I’m saying!”
“You’re saying that Liam is using me!”
“I’m saying that he doesn’t deserve you! No one does!”
I stare at him. His eyes bore into mine, his chest rising up and down with his heavy breathing. We stand in utter silence, both refusing to back down and drop eye contact.
And I have a sudden overwhelming and uncontrollable urge to kiss him.
