Page 31 of Truth & Lies

“Because you fucking matter to me, Lys.”

Before I can process his declaration, I’m in his arms, his fingers are fisting in my hair, and he’s kissing me, his lips slamming down onto mine and his tongue claiming my mouth like he owns it. And right now, he does. He owns every single part of me. My mind and body may be at odds when it comes to this man, but my heart is taking the wheel and I'm powerless to stop myself from giving in and taking everything he wants to give me.

This thing between us is undeniable, and I'm sick and tired of fighting against it. Then, as quickly as it starts, it's over, because two arms move between us and we're wrenched apart.

My eyes snap open and a gasp escapes me when I see a stony-faced Aiden glaring back at me. I lift my hand and step toward him, my lips parting to say something—anything—but I stop when he turns a thunderous scowl back toward Barrett.

“Lawrence, what the—” he starts to say but stops when Aiden steps forward.

“Fuck you, asshole. She’s mine.” Then he rears his arm back and slams his fist straight into Barrett’s jaw.

ChapterThirteen

Barrett lifts his hand and rubs his jaw where Aiden punched him, his eyes blazing with anger as he pins the other man with a glare. “Nice jab. Hit harder next time, will ya.”

“I told you to stay the fuck away from her,” Aiden yells as the rain continues to pour down. I’m now soaked through, my arms covered in goosebumps, and yet I stand with my arms wrapped around myself watching two men fight over me. News flash—notas hot as you’d expect.Is this karma?

Barrett ignores Aiden and turns his eyes to me. “Lys, I need to get you away from here and to somewhere safe.”

“I bet you fucking do. You probably helped the son of a bitch screw her over.” Aiden takes another threatening step his way. With a purple bruise already marring Barrett's jaw, I step between them, putting my palms on Aiden and pushing him back. He puffs up his chest and frowns as his gaze drops first to my hands and then drags up to my face, his eyes wide.

Looking around, I realize we’re making quite the spectacle, and the crowd gathering around to watch the scene unfold aren’t hiding their interest. Some even blatantly hold up cellphones, others just stare.

My head drops and I shake it from side to side. “This can’t be happening,” I murmur, my cheeks burning at the spectacle we just made—arestillmaking. I need to get out of here for the sake of my dignity at the very least.

I move back from Aiden and spin around to stare at Barrett. His eyes bore into mine and the draw of him pulls at me again. But when he goes to lift his hand to my face, he must read the despair in my expression because his arm drops back down just as fast.

“I can’t do this. I need to gosomewhere.Anywhere…” I say, shaking my head as my body starts to shake.

Barrett automatically reaches for me. “Okay. My house is safe and they’ll have a hell of a time tracking you down there. We can get you dry and warm and then work out what our next move will be.” My heart aches to take him up on his offer, his instinct to protect me and make sure I'm kept safe and secure. But behind me is a man who has also staked his claim on me, and standing between the two men who each own a piece of me is tearing me apart.

I shift back, more for self-preservation than anything else. There’s no missing the hurt and surprise in Barrett’s expression. “Lys?” he rasps, the edge in his tone unmissable as he glares at Aiden.

The man who misinterprets my uncertainty and seizes the opportunity to claim me, moving his hand to the small of my back. “Let’s go.”

“You need to fuck off, Lawrence, and leave Alyssa with me. Taking your hands off her would be a good start, too.”

Aiden’s dry laugh cuts through the thick air. “You’re fucking delusional if you think I’d ever leave her with you. Never again, Lucas. Not now. Not ever. And definitely not her.” Aiden grabs my hand and turns us around, tugging me with him as he storms toward a blue Honda idling at the curb.

Jerking the passenger door open for me, he urges me to get in but I stop, standing firm as I look back to where Barrett stands, his hands loose at his side, his eyes tracking me, his face stoic and unreadable to anyone else but to me, I see it all. He's angry, he's hurt, and he's fighting the urge to stop me, I could tell that no matter how far away I am. But there's also an intensity in his gaze that I've seen before, when he was telling me that I have a part of him that no one else gets.

That's how I know that this thing between us is not over. Not by a long shot.

I don’t fight Aiden though, and I don’t run into Barrett’s arms. I’ve already suffered so much loss in my life, and today has almost broken me already. That’s why I take the easy out, trusting the constant that is Aiden rather than the unknown of Barrett.

Aiden’s growl and gentle pressure on my shoulders, urging me to get inside the car, breaks the spell. The door slams shut behind me and Aiden slides into the driver’s seat before starting the engine and pulling into traffic.

As we move away, I look out the window, Barrett’s gaze never leaving mine. His body may have stayed in place and he didn't try to stop Aiden from taking me with him, but there's one thing I did not miss—the return of that anguish and conflict in his deep blue eyes. That affects me more than I thought possible. My life is falling apart and yet it's Barrett and that look on his face that is at the forefront of my mind as we drive away.

“Why are you here?” I ask as Barrett disappears from view and the city whirls past. Instead of heading for my apartment building, Aiden gets onto the highway, heading South.

“Harrison gave me a heads up that something was going down with Gavin. He tried calling you but couldn’t get through either last night or this morning. Guess I now know why,” he retorts harshly.

I haven’t been checking my phone or my messages because I’ve been purposely burying myself so deep in work to avoid my mess of a life. It didn’t help though, I’ve still been preoccupied with thoughts of Barrett and Aiden and being torn between the two of them.

I know Aiden; I know how he is. He probably dropped everything to come to help me. He’d have taken personal leave from work just to hop on the first plane to Seattle. He’salwayshelping me. But maybe it’s time for me to help myself.

As much as I care for Aiden, I know now that there is no way I deserve him or his protection, especially not after being with Barrett again.

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