Page 70 of Liars

Alone.

In a room with a bed.

This shouldn’t be a big deal, but because it was, and because I was freaking out, it forced me to realize I might not hate Kreed as much as I wanted to.

How cliché. I could not… I would not…fall for Kreed Corvo.

Shaking the thought away, I changed quickly into an oversized T-shirt and shorts. The chill in my bones refused to ease, so I grabbed Kreed’s hoodie from the bathroom counter and pulled it on. It was soft and warm, the faint scent of him clinging to the fabric.

When I stepped back into the room, I froze. Kreed was lounging on top of my bed, fully clothed, scrolling through his phone like he belonged there.

Something about the way he looked—his long legs stretched out, his dark hair messy, his expression relaxed—made my stomach flip. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if this had been a terrible idea. I’d never seen anything more appealing in my life than Kreed Corvo on my bed.

Fuck. Me.

And I didn’t mean literally, but at the moment, I probably wouldn’t say no if he asked.

Twisted, considering the night I had, but something about being in Kreed’s arms made me feel safer than I’d felt since my parents died.

“You good?” he asked, his voice breaking through my spiraling thoughts.

I’d been staring. Worse… I’d been caught staring.Get a grip, Kaylor.“Yeah,” I said quickly, pulling my gaze away. “Fine.” I crossed the room, his hoodie dwarfing my frame, and sat on the edge of the bed, keeping as much distance as possible. “I hate parties, you know,” I blurted out, somehow needing to get this off my chest and do so quickly so I could put this entire night behind me.

He let out something between a chuckle and a snort. “You pulled quite the stunt tonight.”

“About that kiss…” I started to say, pulling my legs up onto the mattress and crossing them into a pretzel.

He put his phone down on the side table. “I had it coming.”

I blinked. That wasn’t the response I was expecting. “How bad is it going to be on Monday?”

He shrugged, dropping his head on the back of the headboard. “Does it matter? Who cares what they think. What anyone thinks.”

Brushing my hair to one side, I toyed with the ends. “How does one even adopt such an attitude? Think you could sell me some of your cocky confidence?”

His lips twitched. “Cocky, huh?”

Damn his mouth.The slightest movement drew my gaze. “What else would you call it?” I retorted, forcing my eyes up.

“Did you bring me up here to talk orsleep?”

My stomach clenched at the way he said it, and I swallowed hard. “I can’t tell if I just have a dirty mind or if everything out of your mouth has a double meaning.”

His smirk deepened. “It’s definitely you.”

“Kreed?”

His eyes closed for a second as if he was fighting an internal demon.

I hesitated, then forced the words out, my throat dry. “Thank you. I should have said it earlier before you pissed me off. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up when you did.” The admission was hard to get out, feeling like sandpaper rubbing against my throat.

His gaze snapped back to mine. “There’s no point in thinking about whatcouldhave happened,” he said finally. His voice was low, edged with something I couldn’t quite name. “You’ll drive yourself crazy. It’s easier to forget it. Pretend like nothing happened at all. The less you talk about it, the sooner it will die down and be forgotten.”

When had he gotten so close to me? Had I moved? Or had he?

“I have no interest in repeating what happened to anyone,” I told him. “If you’re worried your father will find out, it won’t be from me.”

Did his lips actually pull up at the corners?

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