He Didn’t Kidnap Me. Not Exactly novel Chapter 65

Chapter 65

She leaned in.

“You hesitated.” She attacked me.

“I didn’t.”

“You did!”

“I didn’t.”

“You absolutely did,” she insisted, eyes narrowing. “You find him attractive! It’s just not practically possible for you not to.”

“It is. And I don’t!” I said sternly. But then she smiled, a knowing smile.

“I really don’t,” I repeated, forcing my tone to stay steady. “Adrian is just… a guy. I don’t see what everyone is going crazy about.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s not.”

“It is.”

“It’s not!”

“You’re-”

“I heard my name but I’m hoping this tense conversation isn’t about me.”

We both froze. Then slowly, very slowly, we turned.

He was standing at the doorway, tall, still. Watching.

Like he had been there and we were just late to noticing.

“I don’t like people talking about me behind my back,” he added calmly. “If you have something to say, say it to my face.”

My brain stopped working for a second… then immediately went into damage control.

“We don’t have anything to say to you or any part of you,” I said quickly.

Lilian opened her mouth.

I slapped a hand over it.

“Nothing,” I repeated. “We were not talking about anything important.”

He stared.

“I heard my name,” he said.

“You live here,” I replied. “Your name is going to come up, but it doesn’t have to be the main subject of discussion.”

That sounded reasonable. That sounded believable. That sounded like something a person who was not just lying would say.

He held my gaze for a moment longer.

Then he shifted slightly.

“I saw a video of you today.” He said and everything in me went still.

Of course.

Of course the universe would not let me breathe for even one full day.

“That?” I said, not knowing exactly how I would land. “Those were my friends.” I landed. It was random but I had said it and had to commit not.

His brows pulled together slightly.

That’s what that was?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding. “We were just messing around.”

I didn’t look at Lilian. I did not need her face ruining this.

“So having popular friends means you’re among the popular ones then,” he concluded. That hurt more than it should have.

“Yes,” I said anyway.

There was a pause. Then he nodded once, like he accepted it. Which somehow disturbed me.

“I need help with a task,” he said.

“A task?” I repeated.

“Assignment?” Lilian corrected suggestively.

He glanced at her. “Yes. That.”

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