The Lies We Breathe

Chapter 13 Friday, August 4th: Drowning

When I climbed out of the pool, Liam was already waiting for me with a towel. Somewhere behind him, I watched Blake marching back into the pool house. Well, at least he was gone and I didn't have to endure his presence for a while.

"What did you do now?"

"What makes you think that it was I who did something?" I asked sheepishly.

"'Cause I know Blake. You must have done something to set him off like this."

"He's got clearly some anger issues." I took the towel and wrapped it around me, feeling slightly more protected. I wasn't about to tell Liam that I ended up on Blake's bed and flashed one of my nipples at him. I was hoping to erase that incident from my memory as soon as I could.

I made my way back to the bar, and Liam silently followed me. I quickly dried my body and put my own dress back on. I wasn't gonna walk around in this bikini. It just failed me and I wasn't trusting it anymore.

Drunk Frank and some other guy I didn't know stumbled by.

"Give us a drink," Frank ordered me. I considered smashing one of the glasses on his head.

"Say "please"," I told him, not making a move to do his bidding.

"Did you hear that, Carl?" Frank said looking at his friend.

"Loud and clear, man."

"Look, you bitch. If I tell you to do something, you say, "Yes, sir." Understood?"

I was in a very foul mood. So I stepped closer, and told him, "Why don't you take your friend here and fuck off?"

"Wow! She's feisty, dude," said Carl.

Frank was now fuming.

"Frank, let it be," Liam told him.

"Did you hear what she told me? She's begging for it."

"I think you've had enough for today. Why don't we take a walk," Liam said, pushing Frank and his friend away from me.

"We are not done!" Frank warned me. "I'll get to you!"

I wasn't afraid of Frank. I knew guys like him. He needed to prey on the weak to feel strong. He got probably told all his life that he was "the shit" by his doting parents, but in reality, he was too dumb for this world. It was Blake who worried me. Or Josh for that matter. I knew he had his grudges against me too. While he threw me some bad looks, he stayed away from me the whole evening, too occupied with his girlfriend Julie. But I couldn't count him out yet.

And I knew they had planned some surprises for me tonight. I needed to be on high alert.

"Blake!" I heard Frank's voice coming from the hall. I was just in the kitchen grabbing some water. Frank was not alone. Liam pushed him toward me. Frank looked very pissed and I knew there could only be one reason for that. "We have to make a move against her. Now!"

"What happened?" I asked.

"Nothing. He was just trying to be a dick to her by the bar, so she told him off," Liam explained.

"Whatever plans we made for her, we are dropping them," I told Frank. This enraged him more.

"What? Why?" He demanded to know. I put my hands on his shoulders and made him look at me.

"I will deal with her," I told him. "You have done enough. Besides, you are too drunk to be of any use."

"No, I'm not."

"Go and enjoy the party. And stay away from her."

"We have her. We can do anything we want to her now."