Divorced Ex-Luna Returns With Triplets
Chapter THIRTY-ONE: Strange Tension

Maurene'S

POV

Evangeline looked every bit shocked and surprised. I did not know the reason behind her shock because she quickly recovered from it and glanced briefly at Alex who kept his gaze fixated on Liam. I noticed Liam's hands subconscious snaked around my waist and he pulled me to himself. An unreadable expression on his face.

"Hello, nice meeting you." His lips pulled a tight smile as he acknowledged Evangeline who just bobbed her head, looking at him with some sort of expression I could not decipher.

"I guess you must have recognized who this is." I faced Alex who didn't have an accommodating look on his face at all as he looked at Liam dead in his eyes.

"Yes, I do." Liam replied, his tone tight and not willing to offer more information. He extended his hand out to Alex who dropped his gaze to his hand before reaching to take it even though it was quick and brief.

"Is... is he your husband?" Evangeline asked, dragging her gaze from Liam to me, her eyes clearly stating something different.

I tried to muster a smile and think of the best way to reply her without lying when Liam spoke up, closing in on me and his voice sounded close to my ears. "Yes, I am. We are married." He replied, a proud and yet strange smile curled on his lips as he intertwined our fingers. I looked at him, shock evident on my face.

What was Liam trying to do? I hated lying to my friends! I would rather explain things to her even though I would not say it fully.

"Oh," Evangeline bobbed her head gently as she tried to assimilate it. There was a skeptical look on her face as she tried to offer me one of her usual smiles but failed. Thankfully, Alex came to the rescue of the awkward air that rested above us. "We will leave you two." With that, he led Evangeline away from him and I watched them. The way he gripped her hand ina quick reassuring way. Confusion gnawed at my guts as I instantly pulled away from Liam not caring if Nathaniel was staring at us at the moment.

"What was that about?" I questioned him immediately.

He shook his head, signaling to me that we were outside and I should not do it but I was adamant. "I don't care. Answer me." I curled my lips in disgust.

His jaw hardened before he glanced around. He scanned through the crowd before reaching me and he practically dragged me out of the hall. The moment we got to the place our car was parked, I jerked my hand out of his grip, glaring at him.

"Answer me, Liam." I demanded as I looked him in the eye.

"Tell me, who did you go to visit? That was all I asked, Maurene. You even switched off your location and I could not find where you are! Tell me, did you go to see Nathaniel ?" He asked.

I reared back in shock at what he asked. Me? What??

"W-What?" I stuttered, blinking up at him in surprise.

"Tell me, Maurene. Was that why you switched off your location? If you wanted to visit him, you could have told me without having to hide it!" He accused.

My mouth opened to defend myself but I could not bring myself to answer so my hand moved quickly, slapping him across the face and watching his head swivel to the side. "How could you?" Tears clouded my eyes as the place turned blurry with colorful lights flickering.

"Maurene," He called, moving to hold me but I stepped back even further.

Something like realization dawned on him and he blinked through his lashes. "Is she the friend you have been going to visit?" He asked, realizing the obvious. I hadn't even told him that. Don't tell me.. Liam... I did not reply to him. "You..." I blinked back the tears.

"I see it in your eyes, Maurene. She is your friend because you let her be that. I should have known. You have made her your friend. You did not want to lie to her." He brought the thought of my mind into words and yet I narrowed my eyes on him.

"Yes, I have been visiting her and not Maurene. How did you know that?" I replied, folding my arms. He scoffed and looked away briefly.

"You don't grin at strangers, Maurene." He pointed out smugly.

"Don't." I shook my head, waving my hand in the air. I was not going to let him turn the tables. "I asked two questions, Liam and I want replies." I tightened my jaw. I was not joking when I said I wanted to confront him.

"You have been acting weird for days. All because I didn't give you a call and switched off my location. That was quite petty of you and tell me, what is this that I keep hearing about us? I told you, it was supposed to be a private thing, Liam. You don't go around announcing private news!"

His brows furrowed before he uttered a snort. "Do you know how worried I was about you? You told me you were going to visit a friend and I requested the address which you didn't bother to give me and you expect me not to be mad?" "After what happened in visiting the same friend. How scared I was and yet I let you go. I have every right to be because the kids were so restless as to where their mother had gone and I had to lie that you would come back soon, even when I didn't know. Tell me, don't I deserve to be that angry?" He retorted.

I gasped at the rush of his words, taking two steps away from him as I stared at my best friend who just offloaded the grudge he has been keeping to himself.

"And yes, do you expect me not to say you were my wife?" The title sounded so bitter in his mouth that I almost cringed at being called that.

"You know that I am not truly your wife." I stated, my gaze not wavering for a bit.

The side of his lips lifted in a ridiculous half smirk, the place I had hit red. "These men were practically ogling you the moment you stepped into this place and you expect me not to do that. These men are all worthless. They have so many scandals throughout the entire internet and you think I would not protect you from them, even when you are not there."

"It would be so bad if you were to be caught in any scandal with them, I am just trying to protect you, Maurene. Can't you see it?" His brows knitted together.

"No," I shook my head. "No, Liam. You are not. This is... I... Liam, see. I am a grown woman and I can make my own decisions too." I did not like the way I kept having to remind him that I was not that scared lady that time when we had met. Now, I didn't even know if he was truly worried about me or...

"Maurene." His voice was filled with pain as his eyes appeared to be stricken with hurt. "Don't get me wrong. I..."

"Stop, Liam. Maybe we need to give each other space. I will do anything you ask me to do as my boss but for now, I would like to be alone." I said.

I was really hurt. Even my best friend thought I was going to my ex-husband! How could he?