Page 67 of Whisper Pretty Lies (Lust & Liars #1)

Cam

I open the door and close it softly behind me. It’s late, and I should be at home, but I’ve been avoiding my house tonight. Dad’s on a new tear about me not doing enough to get into college. He keeps pointing to Hawk and saying look at what he’s willing to do. Why can’t I be more like Hawk.

I spent the last hour at Fletcher’s because I didn’t want to wake up Evan, but now I just want to crawl into bed with her. Using the light on my phone, I navigate through Damon’s room to his bed. She’s curled up against him. Her face soft in sleep.

That constant pressure in my chest releases. I set my phone on the charger and pull off my clothes, leaving my boxers on. I don’t need to fuck tonight. The need I have is deeper. When I’m with Evan, I don’t feel as lonely. Hawk and Damon are my friends, but they have their own lives.

Evan is mine. Ours.

When I slide under the covers and my cool skin touches Evan’s warmth, she wakes up.

“What?” she mumbles.

“Shh, goody. It’s me.” I press up against her, knowing I’ll warm up soon.

“Everything okay?” she says and wiggles her ass back against me to get comfortable.

“Yeah.” I release my breath and kiss her behind her ear. “Everything’s good now.”

Hawk

I get off the ice thirty minutes early to give myself enough time to change for play practice. Thursdays are going to be rough, but it was the compromise I made to be in the play.

Chase also has football practice, but they get out earlier than us, which is why I need to leave early. We’re still pre-season, so Coach is okay with it.

I walk into the classroom and Annie looks up from the table. We’re in the smaller room this time. It’s only me and Chase going through a few scenes. She smiles at me.

“You’re early.” She looks back down at whatever she’s scribbling on. Her brain is constantly working. I’d love to pick it apart. I want to sit and discuss Shakespeare more with her. The lunch where she got into it was amazing.

I sit across from her and glance at the door. “Where’s your partner?”

“Keira?” she asks as she pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. It immediately falls back into her face. “She’s got a lesson tonight.”

“So it’s just you, me, and Chase?” I ask. Fuck.

Her blue eyes lift to mine. “Yes, but it won’t be a problem, right?”

“It won’t be a problem for me, Annie.” I reach out and brush the strand of hair behind her ear.

Her breath catches and her eyes darken. It would be so easy to kiss her. I’ve done everything but kiss her lips again. I don’t know what I’m waiting for. She can’t take back the night she rejected me, but she wants me now. She even called me the other night to help her out.

But still, I can’t kiss her. Has she noticed? Does she burn for it yet?

The door opens, and I slowly remove my hand from her face to turn and watch Chase walk in. His eyes are narrowed, but he smiles when his gaze falls on Annie.

“Hey, babe.” He sets his bag on the floor next to her and leans down like he’s going to kiss her.

When she coughs a little, he sighs and kisses her hair instead.

“I brought more vitamin C.” He sits down next to her and reaches into his bag. He hands her the vitamin.

“Thank you.” She gives him a smile and avoids looking at me. She puts it in her mouth and chews on it.

“This weekend, my parents want to take us out on the boat.” Chase brushes her hair out of her face and I want to rip his arm off. “Don’t say no, babe. The fresh air will do you good. You can wear that little bikini you wore to my house this summer.”

Annie’s cheeks grow redder. “Chase!”

He smiles. “What? You looked hot in it. Forgive me for finding my girlfriend attractive.”

Her eyes narrow on him.

“We need to get started.” When she stands, Director Evan takes over. It’s like a switch. I find it fascinating.

“Okay, let’s start with Act 2, Scene 3.” Annie strides out to center stage. “I’ll read the other characters in the scene. We’ll go up to when Othello comes in.”

“Hey, guys, sorry I’m late.” Mark Green walks in a little out of breath.

Annie grins and walks toward him. “I thought you couldn’t make it.”

“I rescheduled.” Mark glances at me and then Chase. “We’ll get more done with me here.”

Mark’s a decent guy. Keeps to himself and manages to stay out of trouble.

He’s a serious actor. Most actors at Anteros are, but some, like Chase, got in more on their daddy’s wallets than their talent because their grades weren’t up to standard for Deimos.

Not that Chase isn’t good, but Mark has a hunger for it that Chase will never feel.

We run through a few scenes. Annie gives us notes. Stops us occasionally to ask us to do it slightly differently or to move one of us on the stage. By the time our hour is up, Annie is almost ecstatic.

“This was amazing. Thank you so much.” She’s packing up her stuff.

Chase glances at his phone. “Hey, babe, I’ve got to go.” His gaze darts to me. “You going to be okay to get to your car?”

She gives him a look as if to ask if he’s serious, but then she shakes her head. “I’ll be fine. Hawk and I are headed over to Damon’s to work on our history project.”

Mark grabs his bag and nods to me. “See you all tomorrow.”

When the door shuts behind him, Chase closes the distance between him and Annie. “I don’t like this, babe.”

“It’s a school project.” She rolls her eyes and continues to pack her bag. “Mia is going to be there too.”

He glances at me with suspicious eyes. I grin and wink at him. I don’t give a shit what he thinks.

“I thought you were meeting at lunch.” Chase looks at Annie.

“It didn’t work out.” Annie stops and puts her backpack on. “You know what, I’m not going to say it counts for my grade. Because you know that.” She looks Chase dead in the eyes. “What’s the problem, Chase? Don’t you trust me?”

He swallows. “Of course, I trust you. I don’t trust them.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about.” She grabs her phone and glances at me. “Are you ready to leave? I need to lock up.”

“Fuck.” Chase glances at his phone. “I trust you. I’ll see you tomorrow, babe.”

He leans down but she coughs again. He releases a sigh, but kisses her on top of her head.

“Get better soon.” He gives her a look, like she can fight off a cold for him, and then he takes off.

When the door shuts, Annie releases her breath. “Think he’s going to fuck someone?”

She toys with the keys in her hands.

“Probably.” I shrug and glance toward the door before moving in closer. “But you could fuck someone too.”

She arches an eyebrow. After Damon’s hissy fit the other night, I don’t blame her.

I laugh and hold my hands up. “I wasn’t referring to that part of the act, but we manage to find ways to get off.”

She motions for me to follow her out. As she locks the door, she looks over her shoulder at me.

“Why won’t you kiss me?” she asks softly.

“Do you think you deserve a kiss, Annie?” I glance down the darkened hallways.

She moves away from the door, and I fall in step with her as we walk toward the parking lot.

“I was doing what I thought was the right thing at the time.” She blows out a breath and our footsteps are the only sound in the hallway. “I had to push you away.”

Logically, I know this, but something keeps bothering me. “Did you push away Damon?”

Her mouth opens and closes.

“It’s okay, baby girl.” I smirk. “We all know you like Damon the most.”

“What?” She turns and pushes me. It surprises me and I stumble a little. “I don’t even like Damon most of the time. And he definitely hates me.”

Her stormy eyes glare up at me. But it’s bullshit.

I close the distance between us, backing her up until her back is against the lockers. I drop my bag next to her feet and put my hands up beside her head, caging her in. “You can’t tell me if Damon offered you the same deal but only with him, you wouldn’t have taken it.”

“I wouldn’t?—”

“Don’t lie. Fuck, Annie. I get it. You’re attracted to all of us. And you’ll fuck all of us, but Damon’s always been it for most girls. He’s the bad boy.” I slide my fingers along her jaw. “I kissed you first, but he’s the one you didn’t push away.”

Annie’s eyes narrow on me. “Do you know how hard it was for me to push you away?”

“Don’t—”

“I’m not lying.” Annie grabs my tie and pulls me down so our eyes are on the same level. “You changed everything for me. You blew up my world. I didn’t know that kisses could feel that way. And yes, I was loyal to my fuckboy boyfriend, because I didn’t know better.”

“You don’t have to?—”

“I don’t have to what? Explain myself? Because obviously I do.” She blows out a breath across my lips, but she’s so riled up. “I wanted you. I wanted to keep kissing you that night. If I could have, I don’t know that I would have stopped at kissing.

“Damon...” She struggles to put together what she wants to say. Her eyes flash up at me. “Damon is complicated. But I want all of you. It’s not a fucking competition.”

“It could be.” I flash her a cocky smile.

“Stop.” She fights a smile. “I’m being serious.

You knocked down the wall. Once I kissed you, I was so fucking confused.

And then Damon kissed me and... he’s not easy.

I was angry at him for humiliating me, and that tangled up with lust. But he hates me, and you were so fucking nice to me and flirty and everything.

You blew up my world with that kiss. He just finished tearing down the ruins. ”

“Annie...” I don’t know what to say. Damon, Cam, and I could have easily competed against each other our whole lives. But Damon chose hockey, Cam chose to party, and I chose academics. We balance each other out, but a part of me knows Damon is just as good as me at everything.

If he wanted to, he could beat me at everything and he chooses not to.

But Annie...

“Kiss me, Hawk.” She leans her forehead against mine and closes her eyes. Her nose brushes mine. “Please. I want your kiss so bad. I need it, please.”

Her hand curls around my neck and she tugs on my tie as she continues to whisper please .

Fuck. My hand threads into her hair and pulls her head back as my mouth crashes down on hers. She gasps into my mouth and I take everything she has to give me. I lift her and her legs wrap around my hips, bringing our mouths in line as I press her back against the lockers.

She whimpers as her hands cling to my neck. Her tongue brushes against mine and I’m lost. How I managed to not kiss her for so long is beyond me.