The Enemy Series

by M. E. Clayton

  “Liam…” she whispered, sounding upset.

  “Just fucking forget it, Roselyn,” I whispered, absolutely fucking tired.

  Chapter 23

  Roselyn~

  The ride home was horrible, and it was my fault.

  I knew it was my fault, but I didn’t trust Liam’s temper enough to finish our conversation while he was behind the wheel. I convinced myself I could apologize once we got to my house and everything would be okay.

  My insecurities took control like they always did when something’s too good to be true. I was sabotaging myself because a part of me still couldn’t believe that I was Liam McCellan’s girlfriend. That I was officially part of their little group. With my rainbow-colored hair, nose ring, loud makeup, and stepdaughter status, I should never have been a part of Liam’s close circle. I think that’s part of the reason I was so comfortable with our relationship being a secret for so long. Not only was there the issue of Deke, but everyone would have been astounded by the fact that I had landed those two. Hell, everyone’s probably astounded now by the fact that Liam’s my official boyfriend. I guess I just didn’t know how not to feel like a tag-a-long.

  And I was acting stupid because I was too afraid to let myself believe that I wasn’t a tag-a-long. Like…if I let myself believe this isn’t real, I won’t be devastated when Liam finally comes to his senses and dumps me. As if preparing myself for the inevitable will make it all hurt less when it happens.

  I was a fucking idiot.

  I walked out of my bathroom and I was actually surprised to see Liam sitting on my bed, his phone in his hand. I thought he’d go home and give us both some space to calm down.

  He looked up and his eye became dark and hooded as he scanned my body from head to toe. My breath hitched as he stood up and walked towards me. His eyes never left mine as he came to a stop in front of me. I had to lean my head all the way back because he was so much taller than I was.

  God, he was gorgeous.

  I stared up at him, and my only hope was that, one day, I would feel like I belonged with him. I would feel like I belonged with them. I never felt insecure when it was just me and Emerson, it was only when Liam, Deke, and Ramsey joined in that I felt like an outsider.

  Liam’s left hand came up and cupped my face. His dark blue eyes flew all over my face like he was mesmerizing every feature of my face. “You are so fucking beautiful,” he said quietly. He said it almost like he was thinking out loud.

  “You need your eyes checked,” I tried to joke, but it didn’t come out that way. My insecurities shined like a beacon with every word. “I look like a clown.”

  Liam’s other hand came up and cupped the other side of my face. His hold tightened and his fingers dug behind my ears, but it was okay. I liked feeling his emotions. “Your hair, that nose ring, your clothes, the way you do your makeup, all of it, that’s what makes you so fucking beautiful, Roselyn,” he replied. “You live comfortably in your skin and that is fucking beautiful, baby.”

  I couldn’t let him believe that lie. Maybe, once upon a time, I felt comfortable in my skin, but not since hanging out with them. “I don’t, Liam,” I confessed. “I really don’t.”

  Liam pushed the towel off my head and my wet multi-colored strands fell against my bare shoulders. He grabbed my hair and fanned it out and let it drop all around me. Then his finger tapped the small diamond on my nose. “I think you’re more than comfortable in your own skin,” he refuted. “I think it’s love that you’re uncomfortable with, Roz.”

  I reared back and blinked up at him. That was rich. He’s admitted to not ever having a girlfriend before or being in love. How in the world did he come up with that? “Oh, really?”

  His hands were touching me everywhere; my lips, my cheek, my hair, my shoulders…little touches everywhere. “Let me rephrase that,” he replied. “I don’t think you’re comfortable with a man’s love, so you’re looking for all the reason my love for you shouldn’t exist.” My lips curled inward to ward off the rush of emotion that made my eyes burn. “Your dad left you. Your stepdad ignores you. And your stepbrother hates you. My guess is, you don’t have a very high opinion of men, and you’re just waiting for me to fuck up to prove your theory right.”

  It sounded awful when he put it like that. He made it sound like I wasn’t giving him a fair chance. I knew I was somewhat dooming us before we started, but I didn’t know he knew what I was doing.

  “Are you still mad at me?” I blurted out because I wasn’t ready to admit the truthfulness of his words. I knew the different between sex and love, and while Liam and Deke always made me feel desired, I haven’t felt the love of a man in a long time. I hadn’t let Liam love me.

  Liam snorted. “I’m fucking furious at you still, if you must know.” I almost laughed. “But I missed the fuck out of you, Roz,” he admitted. “I…you can’t leave me like that again.”

  “I’m scared,” I confessed. Finally.

  Liam was silent for a few seconds before saying, “I’m a lot of things, Roz. I’m a right-out bastard, if you want to know the truth. But I’m not a liar. I don’t lie. I don’t need to lie. About anything. So, if you’re scared, then that must mean you think I’m lying to you about everything.”

  “That’s not true,” I disagreed. “It’s not like that…”

  “Do you love me?” he asked, plain and simple.

  “Yes,” I replied. “Probably more than is wise.”

  “Probably,” he agreed. “And I say that because I know I’m not good at this, and you’re probably going to spend more time coming up with ways to kill me rather than love me, but I’m never letting you go, Roselyn. Ever.”

  “Because you love me?”

  He shook his head. “No, not because I love you,” he replied. “I’m never letting you go because these past three days were enough to let me know that I can’t.”

  Liam reached for the knot of my towel and, in one quick tug, it fell to the floor in a puddle at my feet. I stood before him completely naked while he was fully dressed. I watched as his eyes scanned down the length of my body and back up again. His blue eyes were dilated and dark just like they always were when we were alone together like this.

  “Liam…”

  He dropped to his knees, and I looked down as he placed the softest kisses against my stomach. My hands automatically got lost in his dark blonde hair and I closed my eyes against the sensation of his lips on my skin.

  “I love you, Roselyn,” he murmured against my hipbone. “I love you so fucking much, baby.”

  I opened my eyes and the sight before me was…breathtaking. Liam looked like he was worshipping at my feet.

  Like he was worshipping me.

  “I love you, too,” I told him softly.

  His eyes shot upward, and I wanted to believe everything reflected in them. I could easily fall under the crashing waves of Liam’s personality. I could easily get swept away by all his promises of forever. If I let myself, I could see beautiful baby girls and boys with dark blonde hair and big blue eyes. And I could seriously get swept up in the fact that Liam was looking up at me the way I wanted him to.

  “Stand up,” I ordered.

  Liam smirked, but stood. “Now what?”

  I reached for the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head. I’ve seen Liam shirtless countless times, but it was a sight that always took my breath away. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of see you like this,” I told him.

  Liam chuckled. “You know it’s not going to be the same image in fifty years, right?”

  I looked up at him, and I couldn’t imagine never feeling this way whenever I looked at him. “Yes, it will. I’ll always be seeing you through my eyes only, and you will always be the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen, Liam.” He growled and his arms banded around me as his lips slammed down on mine. I opened for him and threw my arms around his neck praying he’ll always want me like this.

  Liam broke the kiss long enough to say, “And
you will always be the most beautiful thing that will ever exist in my life, Roselyn.”

  The rest of the night was spent with no more professions of love. It was spent making up for the three days I spent away from him. It was spent erasing the doubts and insecurities. It was spent falling deeper, and deeper in love.

  I believed every touch, every kiss, and every thrust into my body. I trusted the buzz flowing through my blood and the beat of my heart. I let myself get lost in Liam McCellan.

  Lying on the bed in the dark, Liam’s arm anchored over my waist, I stared out into the darkness and knew I was all in. Liam had been right when he said I was afraid he was going to let me down like all the other men in my life. If I was being completely honest, Joseph and Brandon really didn’t hold the titles Liam had given them. My issues were the same ones as old as time. I was abandoned by my father, and so, all men, so far, were paying for that.

  But not anymore.

  Chapter 24

  Liam~

  Roselyn was out, and the beast in me patted me on the back. So, sue me. All men are egotistical jackasses when it came to pleasing their women in bed. If they weren’t, then they weren’t pleasing them.

  But even though Roz was sleeping heavily, I got out of bed and grabbed my jeans off the floor. My phone had been going off, and that’s what had awoken me.

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket and saw I had several texts, only I didn’t recognize the number. I imagined it was the wrong number, and the person was getting irritated because their texts weren’t getting answered, but I was wrong.

  Very, very wrong.

  So heres whts going 2 hpn. Ur going 2 break up w RB n u btr do it n an epic way

  What. In. The. Fuck?

  Dnt bliev me?

  Liam?!

  Well then I guess u need sum incentive

  Attch:

  I hit the attachment and my knees almost gave out on me. I sat on the edge of the bed, not really conscience of possibly waking Roselyn, as I watch a video play out. But it wasn’t just any video. No. It was a video of us fucking up against her front door. It was from that day she broke up with Deke and tried to break up with me.

  I jumped off the bed and went into the bathroom. I shut the door, careful not to wake Roselyn, and replayed the video, only this time I turned up the volume on my phone. My grip almost cracked the screen when our voices came through loud and as clear as day. The video was a perfect record of me telling Roselyn that Deke was extra in the bedroom. Anyone watching this video would know exactly the kind of relationship Roz had with me and Deke.

  It took everything I had not to throw my phone across the room and let it smash all over the place. I gripped the phone and squeezed my eyes tight when it chimed in my hand again. I immediately opened the text.

  Break up w RB tmrw or I send this 2 the entire school

  FUCK!

  I couldn’t stop myself. I fired a text back.

  Who the fuck is this?

  The prsn who will spill RBs little secret if u dnt do what I say

  Im gng 2 KILL u!

  Maybe. But not b4 I ruin ur precious RB

  I had to get out of here. I fired off a text to Deke and Ramsey, not even worried about the time, and went back out into the bedroom to get dressed. I did my best to ensure my movements were soundless as to not wake Roselyn, but it was hard. I was seething with blinding rage and I didn’t know how to contain it all.

  Leaving Roselyn asleep, I made it to Deke’s in less than five minutes. The door was unlocked, and Deke was waiting in the living room when I stormed in. He stood silent as I grabbed the first thing I saw and threw the lamp across the room not caring that this wasn’t my house to destroy.

  I was pacing the floor ready to destroy some more innocent furniture when Ramsey walked into the house a few minutes later. “What’s up?” he asked, not wasting any time.

  I yanked my phone out of my back pocket at tossed it to him. “The unknown number,” I told him. “Check out the texts and the video.” I didn’t care if Ramsey saw me fucking Roselyn.

  Deke walked over to him and I kept pacing the room as they both watched the video. When our voices reached my ears again, I grabbed another lamp and flung it across the room.

  Motherfucker!

  “I can get on this, but this is probably a burner, and not the source of the video,” Ramsey said walking towards me and handing me back my phone.

  “Think it’s Greene?” Deke asked.

  I looked back and forth between my two friends. “Who else could it be?”

  Deke shrugged. “Could be he’s mad about your little heart-to-heart,” he suggested. “Plus, I recognize that door. Who else would be at their house to record you?”

  Ramsey’s eyes narrowed in thought. The scar that ran down his face always seemed to illuminate when he did that. “Do you really think Brandon’s stupid enough to come at you like that and threaten Roselyn?”

  I had no fucking idea, but like Deke pointed out, who else would be in their house to record us? “Maybe it’s not that he’s stupid enough but thinks he’s smart enough to pull a stunt like this,” I replied. “I’d bet my ass that he’s using a burner and that probably makes him believe it can’t be traced back to him.”

  “But why risk it?” Ramsey asked. “What’s his end game?”

  “If he hates Linnie enough to let his friends rape her, surely he hates her enough to risk this,” Deke mumbled, adding his thoughts.

  Ramsey shook his head. “But that was before you guys warned Brandon off her. That was before she became your girlfriend, officially.” Ramsey began pacing same as me. “I get that the suspect pool is tiny since it was recorded in their house, but…he knows the risks of fucking with her now. He knows we’ll all come after him.”

  Ramsey was right, but, for the life of me, I couldn’t come up with another person who would or could do this. Brandon was the only person who had the opportunity to record us. Unless he had some random friends over that day, but which one of his friends hated Roselyn enough to ruin her?

  And then a thought occurred to me. “Maybe this isn’t about Roselyn,” I said. “Maybe this is about me and she’s collateral damage.”

  “That sounds more plausible now that you mention it,” Deke replied. “But the same reasoning applies, Lee. Whoever this is has to know there’ll be nothing left of them once we find out who they are.”

  I stopped pacing and looked over at Deke. “My problem is not finding out who this sonofabitch is. I’m confident we can do that. My problem is I have to break up with Roselyn until we find out who it is. I cannot risk this video getting out.” Ramsey stopped pacing at looked over at me. “I will lose her if this video gets out.”

  “You’ll lose her if you break up with her,” Ramsey pointed out.

  “Maybe we can tell her before han-”

  I shook my head at Deke. “It’s gotta be real, Deke,” I seethed, my teeth grinding. “I can’t chance that whoever is behind this doesn’t believe it.”

  “Fuck, Liam,” Ramsey swore. “So, you’re just going to break up with her in front of the entire school?”

  “What the fuck else am I supposed to do, Ram?!” I felt like every nerve in my body was on fire. “That video can’t get out!”

  “He’s right, Ramsey,” Deke said, backing me up. “You…you weren’t there during our little come-to-Jesus moment last week. Roselyn has some serious issues with our past relationship. This video getting out will ruin her emotionally and mentally.”

  Ramsey’s head fell back, and he stared at the ceiling. “So, what you’re telling me is that Emerson has to believe it’s real, too?” No one replied because we all knew the answer to that. For it to be sellable, both girls had to believe it was real.

  The room was quiet as a tomb when I asked, “Do you think she’ll forgive me when this is over?” Neither friend answered because they both knew she probably wouldn’t.

  I was going to lose Roselyn.

  I was also going to kill som
ebody.

  Chapter 25

  Roselyn~

  I pulled into the school parking lot feeling...calm. After last night, I felt in a better place. I didn’t even freak out when I woke up this morning and Liam was gone. I knew he, Deke, and Ramsey randomly got into shit, so I wasn’t surprised he wasn’t there, but I also didn’t freak out with doubts and insecurities.

  I’ve come a long way.

  I walked past where Ramsey’s car was usually parked and saw the spot was empty. I snickered because there’s only one reason those two would be late to school. I liked that I didn’t feel that pang of envy I once did when I thought about their relationship.

  Since I was a bit early, I swung by my locker first, put my stuff up, grabbed my textbook, and went looking for Liam and Deke. I found them by their lockers, but there was still no sign of Emerson or Ramsey.

  I walked up and smiled. “Hey.”

  It wasn’t until neither boy said hi back that I noticed Deke had that look on his face when outsiders are trying to intrude upon their little group. My eyes shot towards Liam and saw that he was doing his best to wear the same expression, but no one wore indifference as well as Deke did.

  “What’s going on?” I didn’t want to ask the question because, those butterflies of anxiety, that gut instinct everyone always tells you to trust, they were both humming throughout my body.

  “I got to thinking last night, Roselyn,” Liam started, “and I think you were right.”

  My eyes flicked back and forth between them. “Right about what?” I asked once my eyes settled on Liam again.

  His blue eyes scanned the length of me, and I knew what he saw. My hair was thrown up in a ratted bun, my nose ring was in, my eyeshadow was bright purple with dark blue eyeliner, and I had my lips painted a bright pink. My uniform was standard, but my feet were rocking a pair of neon green Chucks.

  My eyes flicked towards Deke again, but Liam quickly brought my attention back to him when he said, “About everything.” His right hand ran up and down my appearance. “The hair, the makeup, all of it. I can’t be seen with someone like you if I’m eventually going to take over my father’s business, Roselyn. What would people think if I showed up to company functions and formal events with you on my arm?”