Page 99 of Bound Lies

“Whatever. If you could just have him pick Lucy up on the way, that would be appreciated.”

“You’re not going out.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “Why? Because Sean O’Keefe might be lurking outside Starbucks?”

“Don’t joke.” He turns around to face me. “I thought you were meant to be smart, Riley? Or did Declan buy your place at Columbia for you?”

I let my lips pull up into a smile. “You think your words can hurt me? Because believe me, growing up with Declan Walsh as a father gives you incredibly thick skin, Sullivan. So, go on, do your worst.”

We stare at each other for a moment until Kieran looks away, lowering his eyes to the floor.

He exhales. “I don’t want to hurt you, Riley.”

“Oh, really? You didn’t act like that last night.”

“I know, I’m…sorry.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Why do you insist on fighting me on every single little thing?” He runs his fingers through his damp hair. “Can’t we just have one conversation without ripping each other’s heads off like we did in Vegas?”

“Vegas was a lie.”

“Not all of it.”

His eyes meet mine again, and my heart skips a beat as I think back to the night in the pool.

I want to believe that not all of it was a lie, more than anything, but I can’t ignore what I heard. It’s all I can see when he looks at me. It’s in his eyes and written all over his face.

His eyes drop for a second. “I thought we were becoming friends.”

I lower my gaze to the floor, feeling the familiar sting of tears as I try to push the memory of Kieran’s body pressed against mine from my mind.

“I feel like I’m being suffocated.”

“By what?”

“Everything. This apartment, this arrangement…”

You.

The word is on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it.

At this point, I genuinely wonder if marrying Sean O’Keefe might have been a better option. At least he was clear with what he wanted from me.

Finally, Kieran sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “What if I gave you something to do?”

“Like what, chores?”

“No, not chores. A job.”

“A job? Seriously? So, you want me to be a maid?”

The muscle in his jaw ticks. “I already have a maid. Look. Ciara is being put on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy and, like you, she is very headstrong and stubborn.”

“I beg to differ⁠—”

“I was going to suggest to Ronan that you can spend a few hours over at their place every day to keep her company as well as help get things ready for the babies. I think you would have a lot in common.”