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“You shouldn’t have told her that.” Goldie’s tone sounded scolding.
I blinked and tried to push all those thoughts aside. I was here with my friends, and I wanted to enjoy it. Not sit around, being jealous of other women who’d been with Liam.
“I’d rather her hear the truth instead of someone like Amethyst telling her bits of it to stir things up. We all have a past. She’s in Liam’s. Nothing more,” Nina said, then squeezed my arm. “Let’s get this food set out so the lot of them can eat. I want to talk about you and Liam. His future,” she said with a wink.
I so wanted to be his future.
I helped put the food out on the long countertop and tried my best not to glance over at Liam. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, saying something to Jars. His brows were drawn together, as if he was angry about something. Demi reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder.
I waited. Silently begging Liam to remove it. Shrug her off. Something. He didn’t do anything. He continued speaking to Jars while Demi began massaging his shoulder. She moved closer, then turned her head, and her eyes collided with mine. A slow smile slid across her face before she turned back to Liam.
I felt sick.
Nina held out a plate for me, but I shook my head.
“I’m not hungry, but I need a little air. I forgot how packed it gets in here at mealtime,” I told her with a tight smile.
I didn’t miss the concerned glance she gave Goldie, but I had no time to assure them I was fine. My hormones could trigger my emotions at any time, and then the floodgates would open wide. That would be humiliating. It was already embarrassing to stand in there, with everyone knowing I was pregnant with his child, while he let a stripper he used to fuck regularly massage his shoulder.
I managed to nod and say hello to the guys I passed on my way to the door. Hopefully, none of them caught on to the reason I was leaving. It’d just make me look pathetic.
Once the red door swung closed behind me, I took a deep breath and walked down a little bit before leaning against the wall.
This was fine. I would be fine.
“Liberty?” Country’s voice called out, and my head snapped up from the floor I’d been staring at.
Had he followed me out?
“Hey,” I said, managing a small smile. I wanted to be alone, but considering Liam had made things ugly the last time I had seen him, I felt like I needed to be nice. He was my friend here.
A scowl came over his face as he studied me. “You okay?” he asked, then nodded his head back toward the door. “That in there got you upset?”
I swallowed against the lump in my throat.
I don’t want to talk about it, Country. I’ll cry. Go back inside.
I nodded. “Fine. Just a lot of people. I’m taking a breather,” I explained.
He shook his head and glared at the door. “That’s not right. You deserve more respect than that.”
Stop it!
I sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. My eyes stung, and if he didn’t stop, I’d lose it.
“That is fine,” I lied. “It’s been a long day, and I’m tired. I’m not worried about”—I waved a hand in that direction—“whatever that is.”
He wasn’t convinced. Acting had never been my strong suit.
Country walked over to me, compassion on his handsome face. “I’ve been worried about you. I’d have called or texted, but”—he stopped as a pained look came over him—“I didn’t think that would be okay.”
It wouldn’t have. I was glad he’d not done either.
“Things have been good. Really good,” I told him, not having to lie this time. They had been good. But there was no Demi in Ocala.
Slowly, the thought came to me that, although there was no Demi, Liam went to work every day in an office above a strip club. There were many potential Demis there. Did he have a favorite at Devil’s?
Fisting my hand, I placed it on my chest and sucked in a breath. I hadn’t thought of that. He didn’t seem to find it inappropriate for Demi to touch him here, so what happened at Devil’s? I wasn’t there to see it.
