Eden

It’s time to go to plan B and not waste any more time on his stubborn ass. He wasn’t the only one there Friday night, after all.

And his partner in crime is usually much easier for me to crack.

That evening, I make my way to the rec center. After a few seconds of building myself up, I enter the pool area for the first time since Jon Eric’s death and find Liam swimming laps, just like I hoped.

Saint’s going to be pissed that I went to him behind his back, but I’m having a hard time caring lately about what he thinks. I edge my way toward the water and stand there with my arms crossed, waiting for Liam to notice me.

When he does, his brown eyes widen and he stops to tread the water as he stares up at me cautiously. Did Saint give him a heads up that I might hunt him down, too?

“Mallory,” he says. “You okay?”

I don’t waste any time. “I need you to tell me what happened Friday night.”

He raises a hand and scratches at his forehead.

“Shit, Mal—”

“No,” I cut him off. “Don’t try to dodge this. I want to know, and you’re going to tell me.”

He rests his arms on the pool’s edge and cocks his eyebrow. “You’re awfully confident. Why would you think anything happened that night?”

“Please don’t act like I’m an idiot. I’m not. I know Saint, and I know you. Neither of you would’ve left me alone if it wasn’t to go get some type of payback.”

He looks almost impressed. “I warned Saint not to underestimate you.”

Flattery will get him nowhere. Not today.

I look him dead in the eyes. “Did you guys hurt anyone?”

Slowly, he makes his way to the ladder nearby so he can climb out of the water. I watch him, unmoving, as he walks to stand right in front of me. He’s tall enough that I have to tilt my head back to meet his cold gaze, and it’s so easy to forget how much of a work of art his body is, both covered in tattoos and muscle.

“Why would you ask me that?” he rumbles.

What the hell am I supposed to say to that? That I know he’s a murderer? Not that I can really blame him. Still, I know he’s capable of violence against those who’ve wronged people he cares about. The question is really, how deep does that wrath run?

In the end though, I don’t have to say anything, because he can read me like a fucking book.

“Saint told you, didn’t he?” he hisses, leaning into me, fury contorting his dark features. “About what happened our sophomore year? About what I did?”

My breath catches in my throat, and I struggle to come up with a response. “Liam, I—”

“Fuck!” he shouts, jerking around and stabbing his fingers through his wet hair. “That piece of shit! We swore we’d never tell anyone about that, and what does that motherfucker do?”

“Liam, please—” I start, but he pivots back around and cuts me off, pointing an accusatory finger in my face.

“I don’t know what you think of me, but you have no room to judge. None.”

I flinch away from him. “Wait, what?”

But why am I surprised? If Saint’s giving away Liam’s secrets, no doubt he’d toss around mine like confetti.

“After what you did to Jon Eric?” he scoffs. “At least what I did I did to protect someone else, not just myself.”

My head jerks back and I hollow in my cheeks as I process what he just said. “What the fuck are you talking about? I didn’t kill Jon Eric.”

“You don’t have to pretend with me, Mallory. He fucked with you for months, why—”

“Do you really think I did it?” I demand, wrapping my arms around myself. “That I’d be capable of that?”

Now he looks confused. There’s doubt in his eyes, and he looks me up and down but doesn’t answer me.

“Liam!” I snap. “Do you really think I killed Jon Eric?”

“That’s what Saint told me.”

His answer is like a kick to the stomach. Why the hell would Saint say that to him? He knows I didn’t do it. At least, that’s what he’s led me to believe. Is Liam getting played here, or am I?

“I have to go,” I murmur, turning from Liam and walking as fast as my legs will carry me toward the pool exit.

“Mallory, hold on,” he calls after me, but I wave him off. Furious tears sting at my eyes as I burst out into the hallway.

I don’t know what Saint’s game is, but he’s not dragging me into it. Not this time. I’m going to hunt his ass down and demand an explanation.

He’s going to tell me what his scheme is, or else it’s over between us. And this time, no matter what he does or says to me, I won’t go crawling back.