Page 52 of Between Secrets and Obsession

“I swear, you have no taste for movies.” I snicker, then peek over at him.

Then I do a double take.What the hell?

“Oh my God, Liam!” I study his face.

The living room is dark except for the glow of the TV. Reaching out, I palm his cheek and tilt it closer.

“What happened?” I whisper. He has two black eyes, his nose is busted, and his cheeks are swollen and red.

“The fugitive was a fighter. It’s no big deal.”

“Really?” I pop a brow, not believing a word of his shit. “Was he twice your size? Or get you when you weren’t looking? I’ve never seen you look this bad before.” Worry coats my voice as I examine him in shock. He’s been in fights before, but this looks like a one-way brawl. “Did you even get a punch in?”

He shrugs, wincing when he shifts on the couch.

“What hurts?” I ask. “Let me get you some ice or something. Did you take anything for the pain? I have some Icy Hot.”

“Maddie, stop.” He grabs my wrist, rubbing the pad of his thumb over my butterfly tattoo—that he’s mentioned a few times he loves—to keep me close. “I’m okay. I just wasn’t as prepared as I normally am and he got a couple of swings on me. I handled it.”

My gaze follows to where he’s holding me, and then I let it wander down his body and back up to the little smirk planted on his face. “Well, you kinda look like shit.”

“I know.” His shoulders slump as he releases me. “So tell me what I missed the past couple of days.”

Settling into the couch, I rehash school and how intense our rehearsals have been since the recital is this weekend. We stayed late Monday and Tuesday and will have to be there tomorrow and Friday to run through the show from beginning to end. Considering the stage crew still needed to fix a few technical issues, all of us were let go early, so I’m glad Liam came home.

“Think you’ll make it Saturday? I got everyone tickets,” I say.

“Yeah.” He smiles but somehow looks sad. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

The back-to-back rehearsals over the past few days have been exhausting, but I think we’re ready for tonight. I’ve been looking forward to the jazz recital all semester, and as it’s the final one of the school year, it’s a bit bittersweet. Joel and I have been practicing hard, pushing ourselves to the max to make sure every move is timed perfectly. The jazz dancers will perform three routines after the ballet and contemporary pieces. Then the seniors finish with a huge showcase finale, and I’m excited that I’ll be a part of that next year.

“Maddie!” Joel shouts before wrapping his arms around my waist. “We’re gonna kill it.”

“Hells yeah!” We high-five. “Do I look okay?”

He makes a big show of eyeing me up and down, then tilts his head from side to side and twirls his finger to have me spin around.

“Really?” I laugh.

“You look totally bangable. Your makeup is hot, too.”

I do a little curtsy. “Well, thank you. Bangable is just what I was going for.”

“Are your sisters here?” he asks, waggling his brows.

Scowling, I point my finger at him. “Yes. One is married, and one is engaged, so don’t get any ideas.”

“You sure you don’t have any other sisters?”

“Nope. I’m the baby and your last chance at getting into the pants of a Corrigan.” I shrug teasingly.

Before he can respond, Annie claps her hands and gives us a ten-minute warning.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I put on a final layer of lip gloss and double-check my hair. The guys are wearing black tights over leotards, which leaves nothing to the imagination. The sheer purple dress I’m wearing over my backless leotard barely covers my ass, but thankfully, I have on nude tights.

And I can’t wait for Liam to see me in it.

I sneak out and peek through the curtains, finding my group. They’re sitting close to the front, and when my eyes land on Liam, I smile wide. He’s so damn handsome in a suit with his hair nicely done and his facial hair neatly trimmed.