Page 62 of Bound Lies

Brennan: HAHAHA

Ronan: It needed to look believable.

Me: Fuck off, Brennan

Me: And forcing Riley to have to sleep in the same bed as me isn’t cool, Ronan

Brennan: Good for you, Kieran, for sticking up for your woman!

Me: I thought I told you to fuck off?

Ronan: I’m sure you’ll figure something out.

Me: You tell me not to sleep with her and then go and do this? It’s like you’re trying to torture me

Ronan: Why does it matter? I thought you couldn’t stand Riley anyway.

I stare down at the message, my fingers hovering over the keys.

I thought I couldn’t stand her, but I also can’t deny that I had fun with her this afternoon when we were studying.

She’s sarcastic and funny too, not that I would ever tell her that. She actually makes me laugh in a way no woman ever has.

Granted, I normally never stick around long enough to find out, but with Riley it’s…easy.

Brennan: Can we still throw you a bachelor party when you get back?

Me: You can, but you’re not invited.

Brennan: Ouch.

Ronan: Brennan, shut the hell up.

Me: Yeah, Brennan…

Ronan: And, Kieran, just stop complaining and get your ass down to some drive-thru chapel so we can get this thing moving. This wedding has already taken up enough of my time as it is.

I frown at my phone, realizing that there is one member of our ridiculous group chat that is suspiciously silent.

Me: Where the hell is Cormac?

I swipe through the messages and see that they haven’t even been delivered, let alone read.

Brennan: How should I know?

The three dots appear next to Ronan’s name as he starts to type a response, but then they disappear again and the chat goes quiet.

Fucking typical.

I pocket my phone and finish buttoning up my shirt.

Seeing as there’s only one bedroom, I’ve resorted to getting dressed in the living area to give Riley some privacy.

I thought it was bad enough that we were having to share my penthouse, which has four bedrooms and plenty of space to get away from each other. But here, there’s nowhere to hide, which is apparent when I notice the water has stopped running.

I glance over at the bedroom door and find that it isn’t closed all the way, and through the small gap, I catch sight of a dripping wet Riley with a towel wrapped around her body.

Water droplets cling to her skin, and I watch, transfixed, as they slide over the smooth curve of her shoulders. But then her fingers are moving, and the towel starts to loosen, and I freeze as it suddenly falls to the floor.