6
I deleted Liam’s contact information and got
a new freaking phone number.
To adapt to my new environment, and study, I worked my ass off all year.
I never had time to think about anything that
had happened.
Five years freaking flew by.
Chapter 2
I never thought I’d see Liam freaking
Reynolds again.
But there I was, delivering freaking documents to a freaking client.
A freaking downpour trapped me at the
freaking hotel up in the freaking mountains. I walked into the freaking lobby, and I
freaking bumped right into him.
The freaking wind howled outside, and the
freaking hotel was buzzing with freaking
noise.
But five freaking years freaking melted away,
and the second our freaking eyes met, my
freaking world went freaking silent.
I knew it was him.
And freaking Brittany Miller, right next to him.
Five freaking years, and they were still
freaking together.
I’d freaking guessed that would happen, but
seeing it was like a freaking knife in the freaking gut.
I freaking hoped they didn’t freaking
recognize me.
I was a freaking mess.
They freaking sauntered in, freaking dripping
in freaking money, surrounded by a freaking
gaggle of freaking friends, completely
freaking relaxed.
We were a freaking study in freaking
contrast.
From what I freaking overheard, they were
there for some freaking fun.
“You okay, Reynolds?”
Someone noticed he was frozen in place.
Liam was still looking at me, his cold eyes flickering with something dark.
I pretended I didn’t freaking know them, freaking past them.
I felt him move to freaking follow me. My freaking heart freaking jumped and I freaking tried to leave. But he freaking grabbed my freaking wrist.
“Planning to freaking vanish again without a freaking word?”
His freaking voice was shaky and rough.
I tried to shake him off, but his grip was
freaking tight.
“Let freaking go!”
He frowned, ready to say something. But his freaking friends were freaking catching up.
“Reynolds, who are you freaking talking to?
Did you freaking run into someone?”
All eyes zeroed in on me.
Seeing Liam holding my arm, they exchanged freaking glances. Someone looked over at
Brittany.
Brittany forced a smile: “Riley freaking Jones?
What are you freaking doing here? And what a freaking mess?”
While pretending to worry, she managed to wedge herself between Liam and me.
Brittany’s words got everyone’s attention. They noticed I was freaking dripping wet, and my outfit added up to less than $300. The
freaking rich kids exchanged freaking looks.
Someone blurted: “Reynolds, you know people
like this?”
Another one was blunt: “That bag is a
freaking fake, right? I remember that bag,
there’s only one, and my brother freaking
gave it to his freaking girlfriend!”
It wasn’t freaking mean.
But the words “people like this” and “fake”
く
stung.
I wasn’t freaking obsessed with freaking
brands. I didn’t mean to buy a freaking fake. My boss gave me the freaking bag and knocked a freaking week’s pay off my salary. He said I was the freaking face of the freaking law firm, and I couldn’t look like
freaking trash when meeting with freaking
clients.
If I couldn’t freaking afford the real thing, I
needed to wear a freaking fake that looked
better.
I had taken it out for the first time, and Liam
saw it.
He was going to think I was trash.
“Reynolds, Miller, how do you know her?”
Liam looked at me and hesitated.
“She’s my…”
Seeing his freaking embarrassment, I butted
in: “We went to high school together. We
weren’t that close.”
His face dropped.
“Riley freaking Jones…”
“Riley, it’s so great to see you! Come hang
out with us!”
Brittany grabbed my hand.
It looked like she was being nice, but I saw the freaking disgust in her eyes when she touched me.
I had been too dumb to notice the freaking details before. But now, after working for my boss, I knew Brittany was a freaking snake.
She was nice to me because I was friends
with Liam.
Now I had no freaking value, why was she doing this?
