Julianna Catching Fire

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

It had been almost three days since Alex and I had talked, and I had yet to hear from him. I began to think it was a mistake, especially since Liam wouldn't leave it alone.

"I don't understand why you keep running back to him," Liam complained.

"No one's running back to anybody!" I shouted, crossing my arms over my chest.

He stepped up close to me and got in my face. "Who do you think you're yelling at?"

"No one," I muttered, averting my eyes and stepping back.

"Are you still talking to him?"

"I haven't talked to him in days." That was true.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes, Liam."

"Okay, then where did you go off to the other day?"

I groaned. "Oh my God."

"You went to his house, didn't you?"

"No," I lied smoothly. I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. "No, I didn't. Drop it."

"Yes you did. I know you did."

"I do have other friends to visit and other places to be. Why would you automatically assume that's where I would have gone?"

"Because I'm right."

"My God, Liam, just - ! Why does it matter anyway?"

"I'm your boyfriend, that's why it matters!"

"You are not my boyfriend."

"What?!" he pushed me. I stumbled backward, my lower back hitting the sharp edge of my bedside table, and finally hitting the wall. "What did you just say?"

I chewed on the bottom of my lip and kept my mouth, deciding not to repeat what I just said.

"What did you just say?" he repeated.

I remained silent.

He then slapped me, hard, and tears immediately began to fall from my eyes.

"I am your boyfriend and you are my girlfriend," he said through clenched teeth as he grabbed my arms, holding them in a death grip, and pushed me up against the wall.

I wriggled in his grasp, flinching from my stinging face.

"Do you understand me?" he asked.

"Liam."

He eyed the tears on my face. "Crying isn't going to do anything, sweetheart."

"Please."

Something in my voice triggered something in him, because he let go of my arms and suddenly looked a little less angry. "I - I didn't mean to do this to you, you just...you know how I can get sometimes. That's why I need you to always be good to me, okay?"

"Can you just let me go?" I pleaded.

"Why? So you can run back to him?"

"Stop it."

He softly tilted my chin up, forcing me to look into his eyes. "I just need you to tell me the truth, okay? Please, that's all I want."

I shook my head. "Drop it."

His hand migrated to the waistband of my pants and began to undo my belt.

My heart dropped at the implication. "No." I tried to slide away but he pushed me back against the wall and dared me to try again.