Page 79 of Under the Lies

I really don’t want his hand holding mine.

“Thank you,” I force out.

“I haven’t seen you in forever,” he goes on, oblivious to my growing discomfort.

I didn’t talk to him because I missed him. Seeing him here was a surprise, that’s all. Now the surprise has worn off and it’s time for me to go.

Except he still won’t give me my hand back!

Instead he shifts closer to me, causing me to back up into the wall. His breath is on my neck, stale alcohol and too much cologne invade my senses, making my head pulse. “You’ve grown up.”

“Six years will do that to you.” My hands settle on his chest, attempting to push him away without any luck.

He takes it as invitation to lean in closer.

“Hmm.” He drops his voice, nuzzling my throat as bile rises in it. “Guess so.”

I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all. Panic tightens in wild vines around my lungs.

“Dickie, let me go.” I try pushing again, but he presses more of his body onto me.

He doesn’t listen, instead his hands move up my sides, just below my bra. Not touching my breasts…not yet.

Air is tight in my lungs as I struggle in his hold, wanting him to let me go. I need him to let me go.

His hands creep higher and my eyes sting. I’m about to jam my knee in the Abernathy jewels when he pins his body to mine.

“We have some catching up to do, don’t you—” He cuts himself off with a shout before the wall behind me vibrates, his solid form slamming into it, chest first.

My eyes blink, slowly processing what’s unfolded in front of me.

A seething Noah stands before me, his hand locked in a vise grip around Dick’s neck, keeping his body pinned to the wall. “I believe the lady asked you to let her go.”

Everything stops. The talking, the music.

My lungs.

At least, that’s how it feels as Noah slams Dickie into the wall again, who’s eyes practically bulge from his skull in terror.

My heart leaps with it and leaps again when I catch sight of Noah’s face.

He looks like a ravaged animal who just escaped their cage, ready to strike as he squeezes Dick’s neck to the point of him making a strained, choking sound.

Dickie starts to bang uncontrollably on the wall. The punches speak like a code.

Bang. Help. Bang. Me.

No one comes to his rescue.

“What?” Noah laughs, the sound darker than I’ve ever heard. It brings goosebumps to my skin. “Want me to let go?”

Dickie can’t nod, but his eyes widen, pleading.

I’m paralyzed, unable to do anything but listen as blood pounds in my ears at the scene before me.

It’s madness. It’s chaos. Noah looks ready to kill. And all around the crowd is living for it. They stop and stare, fixated at Noah, who draws Dick’s head back, and loosens his fingers around Dickie’s throat.

Dickie deflates as he gulps oxygen greedily.

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