Page 101 of Bitter Lies

“Yeah,” I whisper, sweat dripping down my spine.

Why do I feel like a mouse caught in a trap around him? As though he’s waiting like a giant fucking python to swallow me whole?

“Jason was looking for you.”

Stiffening, I search his gaze, trying to parse out the truth from what I suspect are a lot of lies, but he just smiles at me, leaving me guessing.

If Jason is looking for me, well, he can fuck right off, but…shit, he still has the videos. Do I have a new threat to look forward to?

Griffin shifts and I turn to him, watching as the chick snuggles against his arm. Raising a cold brow, he smirks, and I glower, quite sure this display is for me.

Stalking from the room, my last glance at Max shows him smiling triumphantly, but it’s lackluster because he’s not in Griffin’s arms either.

Chapter Thirty

Eventually, it will all unravel, and all you’ll have left is the thread.

Later I make my way down to the bonfire, sitting in the sand as everyone carouses around me. Griffin is nowhere to be found, and sourly I wonder if he’s fucking her as my punishment or because he doesn’t care? Who the fuck knows, but it’s a reminder to keep my distance, not that I have much willpower.

“Hey,” David says, dropping down beside me with a cautious smile.

“Hey.” I’m not in the mood for much more than a halfhearted grin, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

“So, are you with Hathaway?” he asks bluntly.

Startled, I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Is he with anyone?”

David chuckles, his eyes bright, but before we can take the conversation any further, Griffin sits down beside me and grabs me up in his arms. With a gasp, I try to wrench away, to no avail, as he wraps me up tighter and places his warm hand along the inside of my thigh.

I can’t help the shiver that racks me as Griffin smiles brutally at David, who stands with his hands held out before him and then walks away with a confused smile.

“Why do you keep doing that?” I hiss, pulling away when his arms loosen.

He stares at me with a dark expression and my stomach clenches. “Because.”

“Because, why?”

Grabbing my chin, he pulls me around and I flinch at the ferocity staring back at me. “I’m not ready to share.”

“Share?” I echo before I pull away altogether with disgust. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means, sweetheart, that you’ll fuck no one else while I’m enjoying your pussy. No one,” he says icily.

“That’s,” I sputter, “crude, first of all. And second, we’re not a thing.”

“No, we’re not,” he agrees, and my heart clenches, “but I want you, and until I’m done, you’ll stay away from dick.”

“How romantic. Until you’re done—I can’t believe I’m even having this conversation with you. Fuck off!”

“You want romance, sweet?” he snarls, grabbing my face once more. “Or maybe you just crave double penetration?”

It takes a moment for his words to sink in as I stare at him blankly before I stiffen with outrage and to his credit, his mouth pulls back in a grimace as he sighs. But I don’t fucking care as I stand abruptly, my heart cold. “You can go fuck yourself. Don’t touch me. Don’t talk to me. Don’t…”

With that, I walk away into the night, and I don’t stop until I’m alone in the dark, where I can’t escape the useless fucking tears.

Somewhere in all of this, there must be a lesson, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out what. All I know is with each passing day, I become more confused.

After a while, the crowd gets rowdier, and sighing, I brush my butt off and head back. I generally try to avoid drinking whenever possible, not only because of the meds, but obviously, alcohol is what led me down this path, but tonight, I think a drink or two are in order.

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