Page 75 of Caging Liberty

“He just moved here a few weeks ago. He must not be aware of the rules yet.”

I have to force myself not to roll my eyes. “Or he doesn’t care about them.”

“Maybe.” It’s the obvious truth. “Either way, stay away from him. He’s … dangerous.”

“Yeah, I got that impression.” I remain impassive even though bugs run beneath my skin at hearing Angel confirm what I already know.

See you tomorrow night, Ivy.

Silence ensues for a minute before Angel gets up and starts toward the kitchen. “Thirsty?”

“Yeah,” I say, getting up and following him. “And hungry.”

He pulls two glasses from the cabinet as I pass him. I open the fridge while he grabs a bottle from the liquor cabinet.

I had my heart set on a sandwich, but when I spot the box of Godiva chocolates—my favorite guilty pleasure—my eyes lock onto them.

There’s a split second of excitement. A split second where I feel the tiniest bit of comfort bleeding in from my old life.

But then a thought occurs to me that leaves nothing but questions in its wake… How could he know?

My lips part, and I don’t turn around when I hear Angel pouring the glasses or when I feel him come toward me.

“Decisions, decisions,” he says, teasing me for taking so long. He thinks I’m debating on what to choose, but really, I’m just dumbstruck. This must be a coincidence. He doesn’tknowthis is my comfort food … right?

Sawyer does.

But I must have told him months ago.

There’s no way Angel could remember that, even if Sawyer briefly mentioned it or if Angel read it somehow.

I glance at Angel, then point to the chocolates. “Is it all right if I have one of those?”

He gives me a small smile and nods. “They’re for you. I picked them up when I was in The States.”

I turn back to the fridge and just stare.

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” I reply, my voice too soft. I blink, clear my throat, and grab the box before shutting the fridge. Angel follows me to the kitchen table, glasses in hand, and we take seats next to each other.

Gingerly, I open the box, staring at the selection before choosing a coconut flavored truffle. A memory of Ellie and I last winter pops into my mind, and I close my eyes. Robert was on a trip, and it was just her and me in the house. We ate pizza and watched a scary movie, face clay hardening our cheeks. We did it up like a true slumber party, and I remember how happy I felt then. How happy we both felt. We bought a box of these chocolates and took turns eating with our eyes closed to see who could guess the most correctly.

After Ellie went to bed, I stayed up until three in the morning talking to saltyshells… Sawyer. That was when I told him about the chocolate.

A knot forms in my stomach, and I set the box back down, feeling blood drain from my face.

“What’s wrong?” Angel asks, real concern in his voice.

I shake my head, internally cursing the pins pricking my eyes. “Nothing.”

“Liberty, come on. What is it?”

I shake my head again, but I’m not trying to fool him now. I close my eyes and rub my lids with my thumbs. When I open my eyes, I take a deep breath and let out something between a groan and a laugh. “Fucking Sawyer,” I say, trying to put as much amusement into the words as possible.

Angel’s face pinches with concern. “What about him?”

I gesture to the chocolates. “He just… He has to taint every good fucking memory I have.”