Bad Liar

Chapter Eighteen

"I demand you take me home this instant!" Billie said, incensed by the audacity of Quentin driving off with her.

"I'll admit I have many sins that I fully expect to be held accountable for, but I'll be damned if I'm going to be judged for things I've never done!"

"You've never slept with a woman and left her wondering?" Billie asked sarcastically.

"The woman I've slept with knew what they were getting into. I made myself perfectly clear, so there were no misunderstandings between us."

"And that's somehow supposed to make me feel better? Knowing there is the plethora of women Quentin Harrison has slept with and I may one day count myself lucky enough to rank among them?"

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Quentin asked as he stared at her with disbelief that she was saying this to him.

"I swore to myself I wouldn't be this stupid again. I wouldn't get drawn in, only to be chewed up and spit out, but then you come along looking how you do, saying all the right things, acting like you care and I fall for it all over again."

"I DO care!" Quentin barked back at her. "I'm not pulling some sort of con here. You needed help to save your father's company and I agreed. How does that make me a bad person?"

"It's the why, damn it! How do you not get that? Why would you do this for me? Why would you care? I'm no one to you!" Billie yelled back.

Quentin pulled over in a deserted parking lot of a store that had long ago gone out of business. The only light came from a flickering parking lamp off in the distance. He unbuckled his seat belt so he could turn fully to look at her.

"You are the most infuriating, aggravating woman I know!" 

"Thank you!" Billie said crossing her arms over her chest in a huff.

"You're right, I have zero reasons to care about you." He watched as she bit her bottom lip when he said these words. "Yet here I am caring more about you than any woman I've ever met. Why is that, Ms. Billie Dupree?"

Billie shrugged in response.

"Could you please enlighten me because, from the moment you entered into my life, I've wanted to protect you, care about you, help you in any way that could? I want to make you happy but obviously, I'm failing miserably."

Billie's brows furrowed. She was so confused.

"You know what? You're right? You're a fool and so am I. So, let's not play fools together. Let's end this before someone really gets hurt. I am obviously more invested than you and I can't help but think that someone is going to be me," Quentin admitted before he turned back in his seat, buckled his seat belt, and started the engine.

He only stopped because Billie surprised him by undoing the unthinkable and getting out of his car. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" He yelled at her through the left open door.

"Away from you!" Billie said as she stormed away from his car.

Quentin got out. "Billie, get back here!" he called after her. "Of all the stupid, stubborn..." he mumbled, slamming his door shut, he went after her.

Billie had no idea where she was headed. She figured she get to somewhere where there were people and call for someone to come pick her up but she really wasn't thinking that far ahead. Right now her only wish was to put distance between herself and Quentin.

He quickly caught up to her and spun her around. "Are you crazy?! You're just going to go walking off dressed like you are through a deserted area?"

"I don't care. I can...."