Playing for KeepsChapter 3
Chapter 3 runs about 1,251 characters and is the last of the 3 opening chapters catalogued on this site; chapter 4 continues in the official app.
I admit, I was doing it to get back at Julian. I wanted him to feel that suffocating, helpless anger for a change. But I didn't think Liam would actually do it. Not right in front of his brother.
He leaned in. The room gasped. I stopped breathing. He got closer, his eyes locked on mine, and then... he stopped, just an inch away. He held my gaze for two long seconds, then pulled back.
The spell was broken. Julian yanked Liam away from me by the collar and then grabbed my wrist, dragging me out of the room. The hallway was quiet, but he was radiating anger. "Are you done?" he hissed. "First you target Chloe, and now you're using Liam just to make me mad?"
The cold air from the hall hit my face. I looked up at him. "So you're allowed to be upset, but I'm not? You can, but I can't?"
Julian sighed, rubbing his temples. "Chloe was right. I shouldn't have brought you tonight." My stomach dropped. "So this wasn't a party for my birthday. This was just your regular get-together, and I was just... a tag-along." It wasn't a question.
"Whatever," Julian said, already pulling me back toward the room. "I'll take you home." "Don't bother," I said, yanking my hand away. "Go take Chloe home." His face darkened. "Are you really going to do this tonight?"