Chapter Thirty-Eight Delaney

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Delaney

Now: Sunday, 10:43 a.m.

Liam's looking at me like a lost puppy. Big brown eyes all beseeching and begging. Forgive me. Love me. We're in Silva's suite, now Liam's room, far away from the others. In our own little world.

I'm usually good at compartmentalizing, being what people need me to be when they need it. I come in clutch in a crisis. He needs me to fawn over him, be gracious and accepting. But I am reeling over Camille.

Betrayal stabs in my gut, spreading poison through my bloodstream. How could she do this? Why would she do it? Well, I know why, but that doesn't mean I understand it. She's my best friend. We've known each other since kindergarten.

What the hell am I going to do?

"Babe?"

Liam is looking at me again with those eyes. And now that tone. Right. What are we going to do?

I can only manage one betrayal at a time, so his will have to go on the back burner. I need him. I flare with shame at the thought, but it's true. Liam has been an integral part of my young adult life and is pivotal to all my future plans. I cannot lose sight of that.

"You said you would explain?" My voice is ice-cold. I try to soften it, meet him halfway. "Just…why did it have to be her, of all people?"

I feel my eyes get wet again, and a part of me hopes he feels wretched for making me cry. It's the least he could do.

"It's complicated" is all Liam can manage. An ugly sound scrapes up my throat that might generously be called a scoff.

"I don't love her," he's quick to say, but not without a flinch. So it did mean something.

"How long?" He at least owes me all the dirty details. I crave them now. Need to feast on the horrific swill of his mess.

"Since October," he admits. "We were partnered in AP Chem, and we got to talking about Noah…."

"If you needed to talk about Noah, you should have told me," I interject. "I'm here for you Liam, always. But cheating…You know how much Declan and Eden hurt me. I'm over it, and I forgave them, like I can forgive you. Because I'm a good person." I pause. Let the idea linger. I want to maximize his discomfort.

But then he turns the tables. "Why did you lie to me about being a virgin, wanting to wait?"

"I didn't lie about wanting to wait!" I snap. "It never felt like the right time. And you have to respect when your partner isn't ready. How was I supposed to know you'd be a huge horndog and hump the first girl who made it convenient?"

"Hey!" Liam's brow furrows. "It wasn't like that."

The way he says it, quiet and conflicted. The way he jumped to her defense. I was wrong—I don't want to know everything. I'm stuffed full of revelations from today. And we're still trapped on a mountain in the middle of a murder spree. Get your head on straight, Delaney.

"Just forget it," I say. I snatch up his hand, weave our fingers together. A gesture of solidarity. "Are you still with me?"

"Yes." He breathes a sigh of relief. "I'm with you. You make sense. Willa…" Then he shakes his head, remembering we're done talking about that. About her. "We have to get out of here," he says. "There were snowshoes in the shed outside, and the weather should be clear enough, the snow will be packed tight on the roads. You and I could make it."

It's brutal, Darwinian shit, and I love it. Me and Liam till theend.

"I'll run upstairs and get my ski suit."

Liam grabs hold of my arm before I can go. "I should go with you."

"I can handle Camille if she's brave enough to try me." I square my shoulders and muster enough bravado to convince him. "Wait for me in the garage," I say, planting a kiss on his forehead before I go. I ignore the way his mouth twists with doubt.

True to Camille's word, my things are outside our door. I grab them and thump down the stairs with my suitcase, ready to make excuses to Piper about where I'm headed. But the ground floor is deserted. Disquiet blooms in my stomach. I glance up the stairwell. Camille was in our room just now, wasn't she?

I shake my head. Piper's on her own. Time to worry about what I need to do.

Soon Liam and I will set off into the glistening snow.

This is how it should be, and with Liam at my side, I'm sure we can get out of this thing alive, and stronger than ever before.Together.