Relinquishing Liberty (Second Chances)

by Mayer, Maureen

  “Do you want to get a drink first?” I turned to face him and our noses were only about an inch apart. The close proximity caught me off guard and my words escaped me. I gave him a slight nod in response and the tips of our noses brushed against each other. Shayne placed his hand on my lower back and led me over to the bar on the far side of the room.

  When we approached the bar, I felt Shayne hesitate a bit. I looked up, and the huge smile that he had been wearing all night had retreated for a split second, but it quickly resumed its position on his beautiful face when his eyes settled on mine. I became so entranced by his bewitching gaze. The colorful lights swirling around the room made his emerald eyes sparkle and come to life. I could stare into those heavenly green orbs all day.

  A tall, slender, raven-haired woman came sauntering over and leaned against the counter, causing her already low-cut shirt to dip dangerously lower and threatened to expose her overly-abundant rack that must have cost her a fortune. It wasn’t until I witnessed the look she shot at Shayne, that I realized this was the reason his smiled had faltered a moment ago.

  “Haven’t seen you around in a while, Shayne. Where have you been hiding your sexy ass?”

  Who the hell does this bitch think she is talking to him like that? Does she not see me standing here? Oh I already knew I wasn’t going to like her. She looked like she was ready to jump over the bar and pounce on Shayne. Her tongue traced over her lips seductively, and she never took her come-hither stare off of him. Okay, Liberty, time to step up your game!

  I pressed my body into Shayne’s side and ran my fingers up his arm until my hand slinked around his neck and burrowed into his soft, silky hair. I gave him a gentle tug, pulling him down to meet my lips and seizing his mouth possessively. Normally I wasn’t big on PDA, but with Shayne I just couldn’t help myself. Not to mention I was trying to get my point across to Ms. Tits McGee.

  After disengaging from our lustful kiss, Shayne was beaming with an irresistibly sexy grin, and I knew that I had won this round. I looked over at the skank who was now smirking at me with her arms crossed over her chest, pushing up her fake-ass tits that were somehow attempting to defy gravity. Apparently she found my little display of affection amusing.

  “So who’s your friend, baby?” I didn’t usually use endearing names with Shayne, but this bitch didn’t know that.

  “This is Vanessa; we’re…old friends.” He rolled his eyes at his own declaration.

  “Yeah…friends.” I didn’t like Vanessa’s snarky tone one bit. Something was telling me that they had been more than just friends. “So is this your new flavor of the week, Shayne?”

  She gave me a quick once over and snickered.

  “No, Vanessa.” Shayne wrapped his arm around my waist, gripping my hip securely. Now who was showing their possessive side? “I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Liberty.”

  As Shayne spoke to Vanessa, he focused all of his attention on me, his eyes never leaving mine. I figured I’d be the bigger man…or woman in this case…and extended my hand to shake hers.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Vanessa.” I hissed her name through my teeth.

  Vanessa threw her head back, roaring in laughter, while trying to grip the bar to keep herself from falling over. “Oh, this is just fucking precious. Shayne-fucking-Thompson has a girlfriend. So what happened? Did you knock her up? How did she manage to lock you down?”

  My mouth gaped wide at her insinuation. Oh no, she didn’t!

  “Vanessa, I don’t want any trouble tonight. Can you please just get us our drinks, and we’ll get out of your way?”

  I hadn’t the slightest idea how Shayne was able to keep his composure. My blood was literally boiling. I was ready to tackle her to the ground and rip that trampy-ass weave straight out of her scalp. I didn’t know what the hell Shayne could have ever possibly seen in her, even if she was just a friend.

  I shook my head and walked over to an empty table that was as far from Vanessa as possible. That gave me a chance to cool off while Shayne ordered our drinks. He looked like he was arguing with her, but I didn’t want to get in the middle of it. Trust me, it would not have ended well. Shayne returned with a beer in one hand and a martini in the other.

  “Here you go, sweetheart. I wasn’t sure what you wanted so I went on a whim and got you a s’mores martini.” He winked at me knowing I would love it. I brought it up to my lips, but paused second-guessing the contents of my drink.

  “She didn’t spit in it, did she?” I scrunched my nose up in disgust.

  “No. I thought of that, so I kept my eye on her while she was making it. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let any part of that nasty bitch come into contact with you.”

  I smiled at him before taking a sip. It really was delicious. By the time I had drained it, my bladder was on the verge of bursting. I hated using public bathrooms; it had always been a weird phobia of mine. But after two glasses of wine with dinner and now the martini, I didn’t have much of a choice.

  “I’m just going to head to the little girls room. I’ll be right back.”

  “Do you want me to go with you?” He pushed back his chair to stand and came around to my side of the table. I could see the concern in his eyes, like he was afraid for me to go anywhere alone…like I was going to disappear on him.

  I chuckled at the thought of Shayne coming into the ladies room with me and holding my hand like a little kid while I went. Now if we were going in there for another reason…well, that would have been a whole different story. Hmm, it was a pretty tempting idea...

  “I’m pretty sure I can manage on my own, Shayne.” I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. The restrooms were all the way in the back, so I had to maneuver through the crowded dance floor. There was no one in the restroom, and I was so thankful because I tend to get bladder shy. Somehow I always end up with a Chatty Kathy in the stall next to me, forcing me to leave the bathroom before I even had a chance to go.

  When I came out of my stall, there was someone at the only sink available, so I waited for her to finish up. When she turned around, I saw that it was Vanessa and immediately regretted coming to the bathroom alone. Was this why Shayne seemed so worried about me going off on my own? Did he know that she would try to corner me?

  I moved around her to get to the sink and decided it was safer to just ignore her and not say anything at all. I kept my eyes down, knowing that if I made eye contact with her it would just enrage me even more. I was usually a pretty accepting person, but I couldn’t stand girls like her…always catty and so quick to judge. And heaven forbid you were dating the guy that they were interested in; that automatically made you public enemy number one.

  “So…” I knew I wouldn’t get out of here without her trying to say something to me.

  “I think it’s sweet that Shayne and you are dating.” She paused, checking herself in the mirror and adding another layer of lip-gloss. “Oh, and sorry about the whole ‘did he knock you up’ comment. I just couldn’t believe my ears when I heard that he was actually in a relationship. Figured you had to have done something drastic to sink your claws in him. I mean, come on. Shayne Thompson doesn’t do relationships. Like, ever.”

  I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her. “I’m quite aware of Shayne’s history. He’s been completely up front and honest with me from the very beginning. I know all about his past hookups.” I moved in a little closer to her so she knew I meant business. “You see, that is what happens when you have a relationship based on trust and honesty. But I’m sure you wouldn’t know anything about that.”

  “Oh honey, you don’t have a fucking clue, do you? That’s because you’re too naïve to see that Shayne hasn’t been honest with you at all. I’ve known him for years, and what I’ve learned is that Shayne will lie through his teeth to get what he wants, especially if he’s trying to score a little pussy.”

  “And how would you know that?”

  “Because Shayne and I have a little…understanding. W
hen Shayne and I first got together, I knew he wasn’t looking for anything serious. I wasn’t either. Why bother when you know you’re just going to get your heart broken in the end? Look, you seem like a sweet girl. I just thought, from one girl to another, that I should warn you about him. I guarantee he will break your heart. It’s not a question of if, but when.”

  “Obviously you have yourself so convinced that our relationship is going to crash and burn. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but that is not going to happen. We both really care about each other and want to make this work. Besides, Shayne has done a complete 180 since high school. He’s not sleeping with a different girl every night—”

  Vanessa cut me off before I could finish. “I know, sweetie…that’s because he’s been sleeping with me. We never stopped. Usually we’ll hook up for a few weeks on and off, but no matter what, he always comes crawling back. He enjoys a good fuck just as much as I do. Like I said, we have an understanding.”

  My stomach took a nose-dive. I couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of her mouth. She must have been mistaken. That wasn’t my Shayne. That wasn’t the sweet, compassionate, sensitive man I had fallen so hard for over these past few weeks. I felt like my brain had been thrown into a centrifuge, separating what I believed to be true from the actual truth.

  I couldn’t think straight. If there was even a hint of truth behind what she told me, then that would be it for us. I already had my heart broken once, and I wasn’t about to go through that again. Shayne’s father had said that Shayne was worried he might slip back into his old ways. What if he already had?

  I made a promise to his father that I wouldn’t give up on Shayne…but I was going to have to break that promise.

  Vanessa was relishing in the fact that she had gotten a rise out me. She grinned at me like the little scheming bitch that she was, and I really just wanted knock her the fuck out. Sadly, I wasn’t in the mood to spend the night in jail. Tonight had been shot to hell, and I still had to deal with Shayne.

  I shoved past Vanessa and made my way through the sea of bodies on the dance floor. Then a brilliant idea came to me. People always say, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”. Here was the perfect opportunity to follow through with that. Shayne promised me dancing, and so help me God, I was going to dance tonight!

  I hurried over to the bar, making sure I wouldn’t have to be served by Vanessa. I ordered two shot of Jameson and downed them one after the other. The burn was rough, but soon it numbed my whole body and loosened up my inhibitions. I was about to do something I’d probably regret in the long run, but I just wanted to forget everything about tonight. Scanning the dance floor, I scoped out my options, and it didn’t take me long to find a willing participant.

  As soon as I made eye contact with Mr. Tall, Dark and Lonely, I strode over to him like a woman on a mission…well I kind of was on a mission. A mission to get back at Shayne for lying to me and leading me to believe that he might actually take our relationship seriously. I must have been crazy to think I could ever trust him.

  As I approached him, his crooked grin was pulling me in like a sexual magnet. He looked like he had plenty of experience enticing vulnerable women who were down on their luck and just looking for a good time. Well, he hit the nail on the head; not that I was so much vulnerable or down on my luck. I was more pissed off than anything. But I was definitely looking for a good time, and he was going to make that happen.

  When I was just a few inches away from him, he dipped his head down next to my ear, cascading me with his hot, liquor-stained breath. “What’s a gorgeous thing like you doing out here all alone?”

  My gaze was locked on the floor, but it slowly trailed up the length of this body until I reached those deep blue pools that filled his eyes. “I could ask you the same question.”

  His eyes were hooded as he grinned at me, slowly licking his thin lips. He gripped my hips like he was already familiar with them and pulled me flush against his pelvis. “Well, I think we need to change that, baby.”

  I swallowed hard, trying to keep up with my confident façade, but I knew I wasn’t a very good actress. “You have no idea.”

  He took my hand and led me out onto the dance floor. The bodies surrounding us swayed together liked a steady wave, moving together as a single entity. Soon they all meshed together, swallowed up into one big blur. I couldn’t make out any faces in the sea of people; not even Shayne’s. I hated to admit it, but I hoped he would see me here, swept up in the arms of another man. I hoped he knew what it felt like to have your heart ripped out and stomped on. It was only fair. Eye for an eye, baby! I knew I always liked that Hammurabi guy.

  The nameless stranger pulled me in close. His fingers hooked into the belt loops of my skirt, tugging on me and causing me to stumble a bit into his solid chest. My hands rested there, splayed out against his firm pectorals. I couldn’t help but feel my way around, imagining what might be hidden under the thin cottony fabric of his shirt. I gradually slid my hands up and over his broad shoulders until my fingers linked around his neck, leaving a little bit of slack. He wasn’t as tall as Shayne, so I wasn’t straining to reach him. He followed suit, and his hands coasted along the slight swell of my hips, reaching the area just above my ass where the dimples of my back dipped in.

  I hadn’t seen Shayne since before my disastrous, yet enlightening visit to the restroom. I hoped he’d see that this is what you get when you fuck with my heart.

  The music started to pick up, and our bodies moved in unison. Calvin Harris and Florence Welch’s “Sweet Nothing” came to life over the speakers. I almost felt like the DJ had read my mind because this song was so perfect for this very moment. The words swirled around in my head, reminding me that everything I thought I had with Shayne was gone. It was all a lie. Everything. Every emotion he brought out in me. Every kiss we shared. Every touch that sparked a burning passion deep within my soul. All a lie.

  Everything about this felt wrong. So wrong. Maybe I should have drunk a little more before I decided to go through with this little charade. The foreign body in front of me was not at all what I wanted or needed; but I couldn’t have that anymore, could I?

  He held me tighter and brushed his thigh between my legs. I blocked out any thoughts of this stranger, who was now feeling me up with his wandering hands, and all I could see was Shayne. All I could feel was Shayne. All I could taste, smell and hear was Shayne. He was so far embedded into my senses, it was impossible to unleash the hold he had over me. I was able to move against him with more eagerness and intensity now that this alien-being had been replaced in my mind with the only one who ever truly had my heart.

  The lyrics continued to flood through my mind, but I forced my way past them, trying to hold onto this feeling for just a little bit longer. I whirled around in his arms, with his chest now pressed up to my back. We were both drenched with perspiration, causing our bodies to become virtually glued to one another. I reached my arm up, bringing my hand around his neck and gliding through the beads of sweat that had collected there. It brought us even closer together, and he took that as an invitation to make a move. He bent his head down and traced his lips along my neck, lazily dragging his tongue up to catch the salty droplet that was slowly making its decent.

  My hips continued to roll and sway against his, while I pushed my ass further into him. He looped his arms around me, resting his hands low on my hips. One of his wayfaring hands was reaching dangerously low and making its way towards the slit of my skirt. His fingers raked over the smooth skin of my thigh, causing a nervous shiver to course through my body. I could feel something grow and harden behind me, and I squeezed my eyes shut, as the underlying guilt of what I had done grew ten-fold. I could feel the bile rising in my throat. At that point, I didn’t even care if Shayne saw me. I was thoroughly disgusted with myself. What the hell was I doing? This wasn’t me at all. I had to get out of here. Like now!

  I felt his mouth latch onto my neck one more time before
being violently ripped from me with such force that I could feel the suction of his lips pop against my skin. I swiveled around to find Shayne’s fist pummeling repeatedly into this once handsome stranger’s mug. There was blood everywhere; on his face, on the floor, covering Shayne’s hand and sprayed across his shirt. My stomach began to lurch at the sight of the crimson liquid encircling them both. I shouted Shayne’s name over and over again until he broke free from his enraged trance. His eyes shot up to mine, and they no longer sparkled a beautiful shade of emerald green; they were black as coals. I stumbled back, startled by the fury storming within his intense stare. He stalked towards me with zealous determination in every step, and not once did his gaze divert away from mine.

  His hand snaked around my wrist venomously and yanked me forward, dragging me behind him towards the exit. Even in heels, my little legs could barely keep up with his large strides. Frustrated by my snail-like pace, Shayne quickly spun around, and without any warning, lifted me up with ease and tossed me over his shoulder. I yelped, taken by surprise at his swift, effortless movements. I hung there like a ragdoll before the wrath inside me finally exploded. I pounded relentlessly against his back, hoping he would loosen his grip on my legs, but instead, he just slapped my ass.

  “Dammit, Shayne, put me down!”

  He ignored my plea and continued to push through everyone to get to the exit. Why the hell is everyone just standing around? A little help here!

  “I’m not kidding! So help me God, I’ll scream ‘rape’ if you don’t put me down!”

  “This would be a lot easier if you’d stop wiggling around so much, and shut your damn mouth. I think you’ve gotten yourself into enough trouble tonight. Let’s not add to it.”

  I’ve gotten myself into enough trouble? Are you kidding me!? What a fucking hypocrite! What I had done was nothing in comparison to the shit he pulled with me. He cheated on me! That was about as bad as it could get; unless he has an illegitimate child somewhere that I don’t know about. Now that would be the icing on the cake!