Page 44 of Dream On, Liar

“You’re right,” He nodded, his eyes already scanning the room. “Let me find Milo and test my imagination.”

I left before he could live up to his word.

10

Rihaan

STEAM CLUNG TO MY skin as I stepped back into my room, the lingering heat easing the weight that had sat between my shoulders all day. The shower hadn't solved anything, but it had dulled the sharp edges enough for me to breathe without feeling like I was carrying a storm around in my chest.

I grabbed my damp towel and the pile of clothes I'd abandoned on the floor over the last few days before padding across the hall to the laundry room. Tossing everything into the hamper, I made my way back downstairs.

Soft voices murmurs between Oliver and Raina travelled to me just as I reached the landing. I couldn't make out the words, but I recognised enough to know that I absolutely didn’t want to be near them.

Ignoring the low rumble that vibrated through my stomach, and rather than heading toward the kitchen, I slipped underneath the staircase and pushed open the small French doors tucked beside the reception room.

They swung inward with a quiet creak, revealing the narrow storage room that connected to the living area. I slipped inside, easing the doors shut behind me before crossing to the opposite end. Another set of French doors waited there, opening directly into the living room. Straight across from them sat the one space in the house that belonged entirely to me.

My gaming room.

Stepping inside, the LEDs blinked to life the moment I flicked the switches, washing the walls in cool shades of pink and purple while my monitors glowed awake one after another. The familiar hum of my PC filled the silence, steady and comforting, wrapping around me like background static that somehow made everything else quieter.

It was my little escape pod.

No expectations.

No conversations.

Just me.

Another low growl echoed from my stomach, stronger this time and I sighed, wandering over to the mini fridge tucked beneath the counter, more out of habit than hunger. After finding nothing that appealed to me inside the fridge, I reached into the cupboard beside it and rummaged through the collection of snacks.

My fingers brushed against a familiar bag.

Oven-baked Cheese and Jalapeno crisps.

I stared at it for a moment before a short sigh slipped out of me. At how a meaningless item before then had somehow been the same thing to remind me of the person I didn’t want to think about.

All because it had been the exact same brand she'd been carrying last week.

I closed the cupboard, sank into my gaming chair, and let the bag rest against my lap. The leather sighed beneath my weight as I leaned back, shutting my eyes.

The room faded as the memory surfaced before I could shove it back down.

And, despite every intention of thinking about anything else—like how I’d planned when I’d stepped into this room—my mind wandered straight back to the moment I'd crashed into her.

Two years ago.

A memory hadn’t thought about in a long, long time.

2 years ago

House 47, Manchester

THE LOUD HOUSE MUSIC was almost enough to pull an Irish goodbye, but I was promised a good time; and a good time was yet to be had.

Although, I wasn’t exactly sure this was the place I’d have it.

The entire club seemed to pulse with the bass, every beat vibrating through the floor and up my legs. Blue and purple lights flashed across the dance floor, making it impossible to focus on anything for longer than a second. People packed every corner of the room, shouting conversations over music that was far too loud to begin with.