Page 108 of Bitter Lies

“Where are you going?” he asks gruffly.

“Anywhere but here,” I say, picking up the bag.

Grabbing my arm, he pulls me around. “Halsey.”

“What? Is this just another game to you? Well, this is my life, Griffin.”

With a wicked laugh, he shakes me for good measure but his eyes are dark as he looks me over. “Yeah, well, this is my fucking life, too! You think I like this? I don’t.”

“Then why? Why?”

“Because I fucking want you even though I shouldn’t. You’re a fucking liar and a schemer. Is anything with you real?” he sneers.

Closing my eyes, I drop my head to my chest and whisper, “You’re a monster.”

Dropping my arm, with disgust, he steps back. “Whatever. At least I’m not fucking lying to myself.”

“About what? How am I lying?”

“He showed me the video, Halsey,” he says roughly.

“What video?” Panic pulses through me heavily. Oh god, please no.

“The one of you begging him for dick.”

My stomach swishes uncomfortably, and I clutch it desperately as a surge of bile shoots up my throat. “You saw a video?”

“Yes! What’s this all about, Halsey? Why would you lie? What even happened?” He searches my eyes and blindly I turn away.

“Whatever. I can’t.”

“No! You don’t get to walk away. Tell me!” His tone commands me to answer but his hazel eyes are alight with a desperation I don’t understand.

“What do you want from me?” I demand, pulling away.

“The truth!” he shouts.

Thankfully, we’re upstairs, so no one can hear as we scream at each other.

Rubbing my trembling lips, I curl my hand into a fist to stop the sob hanging there. “I told you the truth.”

“You lied! I saw! I saw the video! You were begging him, Halsey. You kept saying I love you. You said…fuck,” he says, running his hands through his hair, “You said…I want you to love me.”

Vaguely, I remember the words as he speaks them, snippets of the conversation flashing through my mind. Jason laughing and playing around, running his hands over my body as his friends chuckled in the background.

And as I lay back and slowly passed into oblivion, I had a whisper of a memory of when Griffin gave me my present, and in my head, I said what I never dared to say until it was too late.

Shaking from head to toe, I say now, “Griffin, I was so fucking drunk, I don’t even remember most of it.”

Flinching away from me, he grimaces. “Then why did you tell him to love you?”

Smiling sadly, I raise my hand and drop it, whispering, “I was saying it to you.”

His brows drop over his tortured eyes, and he clenches his fist as he pounds it against his chest. “I wasn’t there.”

“You were in my head,” I say, backing away. “You were always in my head.”

“Halsey! This is fucked-up shit. How the fuck am I supposed to believe anything that comes out of your mouth!”

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