BEAUTIFUL LIAR

CHAPTER 10

Everyone had split off—some went to play in the waterfall, others hiked up the trails, and a few tried their luck fishing by the lake.

But me? I sat alone beneath a towering old pine tree, far from the noise, hidden in the quiet embrace of nature. The cool breeze whispered through the branches, rustling the leaves, and for the first time all day, my restless mind began to settle.

But then there was him.

Thomas. His hands. His arms. His embrace. His scent—God, why couldn’t I stop thinking about it?

I closed my eyes, letting the wind brush against my skin, trying to make sense of the storm inside me. What the hell was wrong with me? This feeling—this stupid, frustrating, heart-pounding feeling—wasn’t fear. No, it was something else. Something worse.

Could it be…? s**t.

Did I like Thomas?

“Vivian!”

A loud, cheerful voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. I opened my eyes to see Emma standing a few feet away, hands on her hips, grinning like she had just caught me doing something suspicious.

“There you are! What the hell are you doing sitting here all alone? Thomas has been running around like a lunatic looking for you.”

I sighed, leaning my head back against the rough bark of the tree. “Just needed some time to think, that’s all.”

Emma wandered over and plopped down beside me, her shoulder bumping into mine in that familiar, comforting way.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” she said softly.

I forced a small smile and shook my head, dodging the offer.

Emma huffed dramatically. “Fine, keep your secrets. But you better get up before Thomas goes full jungle explorer and starts tearing down the forest to find you.”

I snorted. “Give me five minutes. I’ll catch up.”

“Don’t take too long,” she warned before getting up and heading back toward the camp.

As soon as she was gone, my forced smile dropped.

What the hell was I supposed to do?

If I really liked Thomas—if this wasn’t just some ridiculous, fleeting crush—then what?

He was gay.

And there was only one way this story could end: heartbreak.

“Where! The! Hell! Have you been?!”

Thomas’s voice was sharp with frustration, his piercing gaze locked onto me. I rolled my eyes.

“Just taking a walk!” I waved him off dismissively and hurried past him, half-walking, half-jogging, hoping to escape the impending lecture. But, of course, he followed right on my heels like an overgrown puppy that refused to be ignored.

“I was worried! Next time, at least tell someone where you’re going. We’re in the middle of the freaking wilderness—no cell signal, no way to call for help if something happened to you! What if you got lost, or worse—”

“Oh my God, Thomas!” I spun around, exasperated. “I’m not a child! I can take care of myself!”

I stopped too abruptly.

And because Thomas had been following me so damn closely, he crashed into me—hard.

Before I could even stumble back, his arms wrapped around my waist, steadying me before I could fall.

I froze.

Chest to chest, I was suddenly trapped in his embrace. His warmth, his scent, the solid strength of him—it was all too much. My heart pounded so loud I was sure he could hear it.

I looked up, and our eyes locked.

Too close.

Way too close.

Panic shot through me, and I shoved him away before I could let this stupid feeling take root.

I couldn’t do this.

I couldn’t let myself feel this for him.

“I—I need to go find Emma!” I blurted, stepping back and avoiding his gaze. I needed to get out of here. Fast.

But Thomas wasn’t letting me off so easily.

“Are you avoiding me?” His voice was quieter now, but there was an edge to it. “You’ve been running from me all morning.”

“What? No!” I lied.

And he knew it.

His expression shifted, soft concern melting into something more intense, more demanding.

“Look at me,” he ordered, voice dropping an octave.

I kept my eyes on the ground.

“Vivian. Look at me.”

Damn it.

The command in his voice was impossible to ignore. Slowly, hesitantly, I lifted my gaze.

“Tell me what’s going on,” he pressed, eyes searching mine. “Is it about last night? Are you mad about Michelle—”

“What?! Are you insane? Why the hell would I be mad about that?” I cut him off, my pulse kicking up.

His lips curled slightly. “So you are mad.”

“I am not mad!”

“You are.”

“I’m not!”

“You totally are.”

The smug glint in his eyes made me want to scream.

I clenched my fists. “You’re impossible.”

And with that, I stormed off.

But not before I caught a glimpse of the flicker of pain in his expression.

I’m sorry, Thomas… I just need a little more time.

Thomas had been f*****g gone all day.

Ever since this morning, he’d vanished without a trace, and somehow, without even realizing it, I’d been searching for him. My stupid eyes kept drifting around the camp, hoping to catch a glimpse of that annoyingly gorgeous face.

Meanwhile, Galatier, Emma, and Michelle had finished cooking, and we were all sitting down for dinner. I wasn’t really eating—I was too busy scanning the area.

“Relax,” Gala said, shoving food into her mouth. “He’ll show up when he feels like it.”

She smirked at me, like she knew.

Like she could see exactly what was going through my head.

“Where’s Thomas?” Michelle piped up, all sweet and innocent.

Gala rolled her eyes and shot her a look.

“Mind. Your. f*****g. Business.”

Michelle flinched, looking caught off guard.

Honestly, I never understood why Gala hated Michelle so much. Yeah, she could be a little… airheaded, but she didn’t seem like a bad person.

Either way, dinner was awkward as hell.

And I couldn’t sit still.

The sun had set. The campfire crackled. Everyone was retreating into their tents, the only light coming from the full moon glowing high in the sky. It was so bright that the entire campsite was bathed in silver light.

I was restless.

Gala had gone off to drink with James, the guy she was obviously gonna end up dating.

Emma was curled up in her tent with a book. Michelle had disappeared somewhere.

And Thomas?

Still. Not. Back.

I bit my lip.

Fuck it. I wasn’t just gonna sit here and wait.

I had to find him. I searched the entire camp—nothing.

Checked the group drinking by the fire—no sign of him.

Galatea, who was laughing with James, spotted me pacing like a crazy person and smirked.

“You’re not gonna find what you’re looking for here, babe,” she teased. “Try the waterfall.”

I shot her a glare. “I wasn’t looking for anything.”

“Liar.” She whispered with a giggle.

I stomped off—toward the waterfall.

It wasn’t far, just a short walk through the trees. Not dangerous. But being out here alone at night, with nothing but the eerie glow of the moon, made the trail feel a lot creepier.

After about five minutes, I reached the waterfall.

And there he was.

Thomas.

Sitting on a rock in the middle of the water, wearing nothing but his pants. His body was soaked, his wet hair sticking to his forehead, his face illuminated by the silvery moonlight.

He looked breathtaking.

And also… weirdly empty.

His expression was distant, his eyes locked on the rushing water, like he wasn’t even here.

I took a step closer—

Then froze.

Because someone else was there too.

Michelle.

She surfaced from the water, her soaking-wet black bra clinging to her like a second skin.

…They came here together?

My stomach dropped.

She swam up to him, flipping her hair back like she was in a f*****g shampoo commercial, then splashed water at him playfully.

Flirting—-She was flirting with him. But Thomas didn’t react.

Didn’t move. Didn’t even look at her. And I should’ve felt relieved.

I should’ve been laughing at how pathetic she looked, trying to get his attention when he clearly didn’t give a single s**t about her.

But all I could think was—

It doesn’t f*****g matter.

Even if he didn’t like her, he wasn’t gonna like me either.

Because no matter how much I wanted him—

He would never want me back.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

Before I knew it, my eyes were burning.

Shit.

I turned to leave, stepping backward—

CRACK.

The sound of a twig snapping beneath my foot echoed through the silence like a gunshot.

Both Thomas and Michelle snapped their heads toward me.

Our eyes met.

Fuuuuuuck.

RUN.

I didn’t think—I bolted.

“Vivian—wait!”

Nope. Nope, nope, nope.

He couldn’t see me like this. Couldn’t see the tears in my eyes.

I ran like my life depended on it. There was no way he could catch up—he was still in the damn water. By the time he got out, I’d already be back at camp.

At least, that’s what I thought.

But I barely made it halfway before—

Strong arms wrapped around me from behind. I almost screamed.

WHAT THE f**k?! How did he move that fast?!

His body was freezing, his wet skin pressing against my back as he yanked me against him. My heart was slamming against my ribs.

“You came looking for me?” His voice was quiet, almost breathless.

“H-How long were you in the water? You’re like a damn icicle!”

But he ignored my question.

Instead, he whispered, “Were you crying?”

I stiffened.

“N-No!”

“Liar,” he murmured. His eyes never left mine.

We were too close. His breath, still cool from the night air, brushed against my lips.

“I wasn’t doing anything with Michelle,” he said softly. “She followed me here. I told her to leave, but she wouldn’t.”

“I know that,” I muttered. “It’s not like you even like—”

I shut my mouth so fast. But it was too late. His gaze darkened.

“You really are a dumbass,”

“Excuse me—”

Before I could finish, before I could even process what the hell was happening—

He kissed me.

Hard.

I gasped, eyes going huge as his lips crashed into mine. My brain short-circuited.

Holy f*****g s**t.

I tried to push him away—at least, I thought I did. But somehow, instead of fighting back, I found myself melting against him.

His arms tightened, pulling me flush against his bare chest.

His lips were warm, his touch searing despite the cold.

I was drowning.

Spiraling——Losing my goddamn mind.

What the actual hell?! Thomas was kissing me—kissing me! My brain short-circuited. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to push him away, but my traitorous limbs wouldn’t move. Instead, they melted into his touch, betraying me completely.

His tongue teased mine, slow and deliberate, like he had all the time in the world. My resistance faltered. No, no, no! What the hell was I doing? I needed to stop this before it went too far, before I completely lost myself in—

“Mmh—” Thomas let out a low, deep groan, kissing me like a starving man finally getting his first meal. His lips were rough, desperate, his hands gripping me tighter, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.

“A-ah!” I gasped when his hand slid lower, squeezing my ass like he owned it, pressing me flush against him. The heat of his body, the way his muscles tensed beneath my fingertips—it was driving me insane.

My hands landed on his chest, and holy hell, when did he get this ripped? The hard ridges of muscle under my palms made my stomach flip. Damn it, why is this so hot?

“T-Thomas,” I finally gasped, breaking free just enough to catch my breath. My lips were swollen, my chest rising and falling rapidly. He was going to kill me at this rate.

“Say it,” he murmured, voice dark and commanding.

“Say you love me.”

“No!”

“Liar.”

“You’re the liar! You’re not even gay!”

Thomas smirked, a cocky, knowing grin that made my blood boil. That smug bastard.

He played me. And damn it, I fell for it.