The Knight in Leather Armor

ch.15 Take Me Home

Liam stood up and rushed to my side when I practically burst through the restaurant door.

“Angela, are you ok?” he asked worriedly, his golden eyes clouded with worry.

I swallowed hard and looked down. My heart burned through my chest,

“Angie” he asked again, more demandingly this time. He took my face in his hands and lifted my chin up to meet his gaze. I nodded, then looked away quickly. I was afraid he could see the dishonesty drip from my startled and exhilarated dark brown eyes.

“No” I shook my head, clutching my chest and stomach as they churned a horrible mixture of betrayal and lust.

“No. I’m not feeling very well. Could you take me home?” I spoke softly. All the mental and physical energy in my body had dissolved under Harry’s touch. Harry’s firm, possessive, delicious touch.  Oh, God my chest.

“Of course” he replied understandingly. But I knew he was disappointed.  And he would be devastated if he knew exactly why I felt so sick.

Liam helped me into my jacket as he left the restaurant.  He held my hand soothingly in his. I wouldn’t have felt so uncomfortable at any other time, but not now. Especially not now. I might as well have held hands with guilt and infidelity. They seem to go hand in hand.

I scanned the streets quickly, as if making sure Harry wasn’t still there. I hope I never see him again. If I do, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to resist him.

Liam pressed a switch and the car door flipped open. Somehow it wasn’t as impressive as before. Sometimes, the old fashioned way is better.

The entire car ride was almost completely silent. Well, on my part. Liam kept talking about his lacrosse games and his scholarship for some Ivy League school. I nodded and smiled at the correct parts. And he just continued.

“And the last goal was absolutely amazing. One of the scouts caught up with me after that game and asked me if I would consider going to school at U Penn!” Liam explained excitedly.

I closed my eyes for a moment. I hated thinking it, but I wished Liam had an off button. I really needed a moment to think. To make sense of everything that had happened so quickly.

“So, how about you?” he asked.

I blinked.

I didn’t remember him asking me anything. Everything in my body had gone blank, everything except for the incessant beating of my wild heart.

“Sorry?” I asked. I looked out the dark-tinted windows and saw that we were outside my house.

“Where do you want to go to school next year?” he repeated. He looked at me quite happily, as if nothing had happened in the last half hour or however long it’s been.

“Some place close by” I answered quietly. He looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to share some kind of amazing scholarship story.  But unlike Liam, I will never have such an opportunity. I would never have an infinite list of choices. I would have an either-or. If I was lucky.

Liam nodded, urging me to continue.

“Well, I love history. But I don’t know how I could make an interesting career out of it” I smiled hesitantly. That’s completely pathetic, I thought to myself. Here’s Liam and his dream- and a very plausible dream- of being a professional lacrosse player while studying law.

I looked down, fidgeting with my jacket zipper.

“I think that’s amazing” Liam smiled warmly.