Page 60 of Caging Liberty
I stay silent, still unsure how much I want to tell her. I knew it was a possibility that she would recognize me, and in all honesty, I was disappointed when she hadn’t. But I never planned to tell her what I remember. Or how much I know.
“You gave me your last cigarette. And your friend was an asshole.”
I watch as she puts the puzzle pieces together.
Her eyes bulge. “That was Sawyer, wasn’t it?”
“Probably,” I say, deciding not to confirm nor deny her recollection. “He and I travel together often. And he’s an asshole.”
She blows out a halfhearted laugh and leans back against the cushions, studying the ceiling. “How could he do this to me?”
“It isn’t personal.” It never is. “You’re beautiful. And intriguing. A little more so than he bargained for, but that’s what initially made you desirable to him.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t mean Sawyer, I mean Robert. He sold me, didn’t he? How could he do that?”
I hesitate to answer, not sure how to respond.
Lib was a trophy for him. She looked nice on his arm. She cooked his meals, washed his clothes, and sucked his dick. She’s no more a slave here than she was there. There was never anytruelove, not on his side, at least.
That’s the real reason she’s here. She’s lustworthy and has proven to be loyal to a man who doesn’t love her. This should’ve gone far more smoothly.
I don’t say these things, though. It’s all true, but the truth hurts. Lib is already devastated.
“I don’t know,” I say instead.
“How couldyou?” she asks, leaning toward me while she waits for my response. She isn’t asking me this out of anger like she has in the past. She isn’t lashing out at me. She genuinely wants to know.
“I’m not a good man.”
She looks down at her hands again. “You lied to Sawyer to save my life.”
“Because I like you. It wasn’t a selfless act, it was for my benefit.”
She’s quiet for a beat. “You’re so strange.”
I don’t fight the chuckle that bubbles from me. “Am I?”
She glances at me then back to her hands. “I was told about how you sometimes take a special interest in new women. I just can’t believe you’d take it this far. It’s honestly weird that you’re not letting Sawyer kill me.”
What?
“Who told you that?” My eyes strain in confusion while I try analyzing my actions to figure out how someone could’ve come to that conclusion.
I don’t like new girls. Not interacting with them, at least. For one thing, they’re always skeptical, of me in particular. For another, I don’t get off on fear or anger, nor do I ever want to force a woman to do something against her will. It’s the reason I haven’t already had sex with Lib, even though I saw a chance before. Hell, I see a chanceright now. You can get someone to do anything when they’re fearing for their life. That’s easy. And weak.
She looks up at me. “Does it matter?”
I consider this. No, I guess not. I guess it doesn’t even matter if she thinks that’s what this is.
“How long does it usually take you to move on to the next?” Unable or unwilling to maintain eye contact, her eyes float between her hands and me. She speaks again before I have a chance to respond. “I’m not asking that out of judgment, I’m asking because I want an honest idea of a timeline. I’m going to try my best to get on Sawyer’s good side by the time I’m not so intriguing to you.”
I shake my head. “You have the wrong idea about me.”
I study her face and can tell she isn’t convinced.
“Who have you been talking to?”
She doesn’t respond.