Page 67 of Second Chance with the Enemy CEO
I nod, not meeting his eyes.
Why did I even ask? Because… because no matter how much I try to kid myself, I still care.
And that terrifies me.
Because caring means my heart, and I am not sure I have the strength to go through that again.
Chapter eighteen
Liam
The door clicks shut behind us as Ethan, Matt, Logan, and I step into the house, the hum of the charity event still buzzing faintly in my head. It was a huge success, and I’m ready to collapse on the couch and enjoy the quiet for once. But the moment I see Cara lounging in the armchair, flipping through a magazine like she owns the place, I know “quiet” is not on the agenda tonight.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” she chirps, not bothering to look up, “drinks are in the fridge. You’re welcome.”
I exchange a look with Ethan, who just shrugs as if to say, good luck with that.
“What are you doing here, Cara?” I ask, already exasperated.
She finally glances up, a sly smile playing on her lips. “What? Can’t your sister drop by to check in? I have missed you, big bro.”
Matt mutters under his breath, “More like you missed what’s in his fridge and his snacks.”
Ethan snickers under his breath as he grabs a beer. “You did a bad thing, giving her the key to your house, dude.”
“I didn’t give her…, she stole it and made a duplicate.”
She ignores whatever we are saying, turning her sharp gaze on me. “So, where’s Hazel? Is she around? Why isn’t she with you?”
I take a long swig from my beer, letting the question hang in the air before answering. “How should I know? Do I look like her chaperone? Or her monitoring device?”
“I just thought, you know, since she works for you…”
“She’s not here, obviously,” I cut in. “If her light isn’t on, then she isn’t home.” I wave my hand vaguely toward the guest house.
“Okay,” Cara leans forward, setting the magazine aside. “What’s going on between the two of you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Nothing.” My voice is sharp. “Absolutely nothing.”
Matt chimes in, “Come on, man. Spill it. What is the deal?”
“There is no deal,” I say, my voice clipped, “absolutely nothing is going on between Hazel and me.”
Cara is not buying it. “Are you planning on getting back together with her?”
I do not even hesitate. “Definitely not.” The bitterness in my voice surprises even me. “There is no way in hell I’m getting back together with her. Not after what she did.”
A heavy silence settles over the room, only broken by the faint sound of Logan flipping through channels on the TV. Cara, never one to let anything slide, presses on.
“Even though I was little back then, I know what happened,” she says, her tone softer now. “But have you ever thought for a second you might be mistaken? You have known Hazel for a long time. Years, right? Do you honestly believe she would be capable of cheating on you? Of being with you for money?”
I stiffen, her words striking a nerve I did not want touched. “She took the money, Cara. That is a fact.”
Cara shakes her head, undeterred. “And you don’t think that is odd? Being with you meant being part of your family, Liam. If Hazel were as money hungry as you think, she would have known she would still have access to all of it without pulling a stunt like that. She is not stupid. You know that.”
