"That is not what I think it is..." Renee gawks as she hovers over me.

"What?" I slur, rubbing my eyes with my palm.

"That mark on your neck."

"What time is it?" I groan, reaching for my phone.

"Early," she spits. "I'm not an idiot, Lyla. I know that's a hickey."

I cover Liam's mark with my hand. "And?"

Renee's face stiffens as my protective gates secure themselves. I don't know why she's so interested in my endeavors with Liam.

"Pfft, it's your funeral," she huffs, rolling her eyes as she ventures to her side of the room.

I sit up and follow her movements. "I'm sorry, but why are you so interested in my relationship with Liam?"

"Relationship?" she questions.

"That's not what I meant. We're hanging out; it's nothing serious."

"I've told you, Lyla, Liam doesn't do serious. Nothing about him is serious."

"I'm not worried."

I'm not lying; I'm not worried about my relations with Liam. As of now, everything mutual; he hasn't forced me into anything. He's been patient, I know he is, which must be hard for him, especially if what Renee keeps saying about him is real. If she's correct, then Liam is used to getting whatever he wants.

"You should be," she sighs.

I have this itching feeling that there is something deeper behind Renee's commentary, like something has happened between the two of them. I can't picture it, but then again, I don't know much about either of them.

"It's what he does, you know?" Renee starts again.

Her words gain my attention.

"He marks us like property. He likes his handiwork on display for all to see."

Us? As I stare at her, the silence creeps beneath my skin and begins suffocating me from the inside out. "What do you mean, us?" I finally ask.

"I used to be... friends with Liam," she says, slumping into her words, making herself physically smaller.

My breath catches in my throat and doesn't budge. "You? You...what?"

"I'm sorry. I should have said something at the beginning before he sunk his claws in. I thought he might have changed," she frowns. "But he's not a good guy, Lyla."

Renee's sincerity is scaring me. It's making me doubt everything I've learned about Liam and New York in general. What hurts me the most is that she wasn't honest with me from the start. She should have said something, though, I probably wouldn't have listened to her anyway.

"I don't mean to belittle you in any way, but how can you be sure he hasn't changed?"

"Just because he isn't in my year doesn't mean the comments don't circulate," she says, pressing her lips into a fine line.

"But-"

"Look, Lyla," Renee says, cutting me off. "I'm not trying to tell you what to do. But if I were you, I would steer clear."

My heart aches for Renee. It pains me to think of what Liam could have done to her to make her this paranoid.

Out of nowhere, phantom feelings of Liam touching me irrupt on my skin. I can feel his lips on my neck and hands on my body. Even the smirking grin he gave to himself when I called him out on marking me appears in my mind.

This is one of those times where I wish Laura were here to give me advice. She would know what to do. She would already be elbow-deep in a plan to expose him, dragging me along with her. I would fight, though; I still am fighting.

"I'm so sorry, Renee," I finally say.

"It's okay; it's in the past. I just don't want the same thing happening to you. You're so bright, and he's complete darkness – two opposites that won't work."

A single word sticks in my mind: darkness. I know that Liam has a dark side; I've seen it. The trouble is, that darkness not only scares me, but excites me to the point where I want to delve in deeper. There's just something about his mysterious dark side that keeps drawing me in.

"If I'm honest," I start, "I want to believe you when you say he hasn't changed, but my heart is dragging me in the other direction. I want to believe that he has changed. He's been nothing but gentle and patient with me."

"That's how he starts," she sighs. "He makes you feel like you're the only girl in the room – the most beautiful person on earth – until he gets what he wants."

My already caught breath tightens in my throat. "I mean, things have gotten heated between us, but he's never once pressured me into having sex with him."

"I know; that's his game. He can sense a girl's innocence from a mile away, and once he puts his mind to taking something from you, he'll do everything in his power to make sure it happens."

"You were a..." I don't even want to say the word.

"Yes – he took that from me."

I wouldn't assume that Renee only lost her virginity last year – she seems so experienced and mature.

"Oh, I..." I fumble, not knowing what to say.

"It's fine; I've gotten over it. I'll never forgive him for treating me the way he did, but you may be right. Maybe he has changed," she shrugs.

Renee's confession is stirring up all of my emotions. I feel anger – rage even – but also heartache for still wanting to trust Liam.

"Look, I can see your doubt; it's plastered clear across your face," Renee says before silencing herself for a moment. "Maybe you should test him."

"Test? What do you mean?"

"I know for a fact that there's another party at his loft tonight. You should text him and ask if he wants to hang out. I bet he brushes you off."

A party? Liam never told me about a party. Did he not want me to know about it? Does he not want me there? "You can't be serious."

"See for yourself, if you don't believe me."

Hoping that I can prove Renee wrong, I grab my phone from the bed and text Liam. He doesn't respond as quickly as I thought he would, but after a few minutes, his text bubbles appear.

"Hey. Sorry, I can't tonight."

The inadequate response hits me hard. What hurts me the most is that I know he's lying.

"What did he say?" Renee pries.

"He said he couldn't. He didn't say why, though."

"But you already know why, Lyla. And he probably won't be alone at that party; he's probably been fucking some other girl the whole time."

My face deflates. I know there's a chance that she's right, but I still don't want to believe her. The thought of Liam being with someone else at the same time taunts me, making me sick to my stomach.

"If that's the case..." I mumble.

"That's it!" Renee barks as she stands from her bed and strides toward her closet. "We're going to this party."