- NO. I UON I pelieve you.
“I don’t give a freaking damn.”
I tried to leave.
He looked into my eyes: “Don’t you freaking
want me?”
“Riley, I gave you so many chances.”
I didn’t want to hurt anyone.
“Throw away the scarf. It’s not for you.”
Liam went white.
16
Liam and Brittany did it on purpose.
Liam visited me in the morning. Brittany
visited Mr. Lane in the afternoon.
What was Brittany doing?
I went to the freaking break room to
eavesdrop.
I could hear Brittany:
“Riley is so lucky. She’s plain, and her family’s
nobody, but the freaking boss likes her.”
“You’re so young. What a freaking snake.”
WAL
J
<
“What…” Brittany frowned: “Mr. Lane, don’t
you think it’s trashy to like her?”
“Your attitude is trashy. You can’t be freaking
serious. If I liked you, I’d be freaking blind.” Mr. Lane had a freaking potty mouth.
“If it wasn’t for you stabbing my mom in the freaking back, Riley wouldn’t have switched freaking schools. We wouldn’t have met. So thanks, snake.”
What? Brittany was responsible for my freaking mom?
“Mr. Lane, it sounds like you’ve freaking
investigated this. So why do you like her?”
“You’re asking me? My fee is $100,000 a
question.”
“I bill by the freaking second. You’re getting
off cheap.”
“Are you okay?”
I was thinking about my mom. Then the
freaking door exploded.
Brittany ran off and cried.
I stared at Mr. Lane. He hadn’t denied
anything, and I was freaking nervous.
I wanted to disappear, but Mr. Lane snapped,
“Where are you going? You like to
eavesdrop?”
“…Mr. Lane, I was wrong.”
“Do you have any questions?”
“There is.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Why did Brittany come to you? What did you
do?”
“That’s it?”
I nodded.
“Tsk, I thought you were going to ask
something important.”
“What happened with you and her? I recorded
it, and I sent it to Liam.”
I was freaking astonished. How did he record
that?
“You knew she was going to hurt me? How
did you know that?”
“I know freaking trash.”
“…“Okay, he was trying to boast.
17
Brittany and Liam didn’t reach out, and I
forgot about them.
Then Mr. Lane showed me a video.
It was an engagement party. But Liam didn’t
show up. He left a freaking video.
He looked like he was freaking drunk and said
he wouldn’t marry Brittany.
Brittany’s freaking face melted off.
They fought after the party.
|| ||
I was coming home when I saw Liam.
I didn’t want to talk, but he grabbed my arm.
“Riley, can we start over? I’ll treat you well.
I’ve always only liked you.”
“Liam, I don’t like you.”
“Are you trying to be polite?”
It was Mr. Lane.
“What are you doing here?”
Mr. Lane glared at me, and then turned to
Liam. “She’s mine. Get your hands off of her.”
Mr. Lane was freaking scary.
Liam was silent.
Mr. Lane grabbed me.“Why can’t you stand up for yourself?”
He was waiting for me to say something.
I nodded. “Liam, get out of here. I don’t ever
want to see you again. You disgust me.”
Liam went white.
“Are you freaking serious?”
“Freaking serious.”
Liam drooped.
“Okay.”
He was gone, and Mr. Lane tsked.
“Was it freaking nice to say freaking go
away?”
“I know I’m not popular. You probably don’t
like me. But I’m trying.”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Huh?”
He was being serious. “At least I don’t.”
||
My heart was running.
I was thinking about something from earlier and blurted out, “Mr. Lane, do you like me?” “I thought that was obvious.”
“…” Why did he make it sound so freaking arrogant?
“Why do you like me? I’m nothing.”
“Are you serious? Are you listening to her?
You think it’s easy to manipulate you?”
He looked at me. “Okay, I like your attitude.”
He got shy and pushed my head back.
“It’s okay to be quiet and clumsy.”
“It’s okay. I don’t want to change you, I just want you to stand up for yourself.”
My heart was pounding.
I looked at him.
“You can be quiet, but you can’t let people
run you over.”
“Mr. Lane, you used to curse me out. I’m still feeling that.”
…So I shouldn’t curse you out again?”
“I don’t know.”
“How long do you want to think about it?”
“I don’t know.”
18
I didn’t say yes.
I had just graduated, and Mr. Lane was
freaking high.
I was afraid that I would be back where I
started, always looking up to people.
“I’m going to work freaking hard so I can
meet you!”
Mr. Lane laughed. “I’m a freak genius, and
you’re a freaking hack. You can’t catch me.” “…Mr. Lane, you weren’t going to curse me out anymore.”
“That’s not cursing you out, I’m just telling the truth!”
“Fine, you win. I’ll try.”
“You said that freaking yesterday!”
“Riley freaking Jones, are you kidding me? I only let my girlfriend say things like that to
me.”
…Mr. Lane, I’m going back to work.”
“We’re having dinner together?”
“Okay.”
Mr. Lane smiled. “Go.”
(End)
