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“Convenient how that didn’t work out.”
Convenient? Is he joking? He knows my damn world imploded, and I couldn’t tell anyone. My head shakes. I’m not getting into this with him right now.
“I’m done hiding. It’s not like everyone didn’t know, anyway. Besides, that was never my issue, and you know it.”
He leans against his truck, crossing his arms with a dubious look on his face. “I know what the issue was, but I’m curious if you do or have created something else to avoid the real reason.”
“Krista fucked me up, okay? I admit it. I loved her for most of my life, and she turned everything I felt into something ugly. She convinced me I would never be more to anyone than a good fuck.”
“Which I told you was bullshit.”
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes. “The point is, even if I’m not enough for her, Lily can’t hurt me or my heart anymore than she already has. I’ve been in agony since she left. Everyone knows it.”
He reaches over, setting a heavy hand on my shoulder, staring into my eyes for a long minute, then nods. “I doubt it will be easy, brother, but I’m here for you. Go get your girl.”
Lily
I sit in the back seat of the car, looking without seeing as it makes its way toward my shared apartment with Casey. Since I’ve been back in town, I haven’t spent much time there. She’s my best friend, but I’ve been an awful one lately.
While I was gone, we spoke mostly by text or FaceTime, and I made sure I kept the conversations as superficial as possible. Anytime she tried to talk about her parents, I’d change the subject or end the call. The idea of hearing about Liam and Krista made me nauseous, but I couldn’t tell her that.
For a long time, I agreed with Liam to keep things quiet because I didn’t want to lose my best friend because I was sleeping with her dad. That fateful night when everything changed—when I demanded that we go public—I was ready to face Casey and risk losing her because as much as I loved her, I loved Liam more. Of course, he refused, and I ended things right then.
It was fine when it was just sex. The occasional hookup here and there when we were in the same place wasn’t worth upsetting anyone. I didn’t know Casey then, but I had no emotional investment in the man to care about his hangups. Especially after my brother’s wedding, when it was clear he had a lot of them.
After a night of sweaty fun and more orgasms than should be legal, I snuck out of Liam’s room and went to mine. I needed a shower and to change. It would be obvious if I went downstairs to the morning brunch in my bridesmaid’s dress.
I didn’t take long, opting to keep things simple in a royal blue maxi dress, hair braided, and minimal makeup, and I was one of the first to arrive.
The conversation at the table revolved around Cami dumping her crap boyfriend and hooking up with Dane, my brother’s bandmate and friend. I was laughing when Liam walked in and took a seat.
Throughout the meal, he refused to even look my way. I assumed he had regrets. It was obvious he had issues with our ages, and God only knows what else. But last night… it was intense, and our chemistry was unlike anything I believed possible.
After the brunch, I found him and was determined to talk it out. Instead, I kissed him. He went rigid beneath my lips, but I could feel him growing hard against me despite it. When my tongue slid across his lips, he opened up, returning the kiss before he pushed me away and stormed off. If I were any other girl, that would’ve been a massive blow to my self-esteem. Instead, I trailed behind him.
“Lily, stop following me,” he growled, low and deep, when we entered a private dining room that wasn’t being used.
“I know you want me, Liam,” I told him, letting my eyes drop to the bulge hiding behind his jeans. “I could tell when I kissed you.”
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“You kissed me back.” I stepped closer, knowing he was diving behind those steel walls with each one.
Three Days Grace blares from my phone, interrupting the memory that started it all. That was the moment I decided Liam Parsons was just another lay, and it would go nowhere.
I grab my phone from my bag and glare at the name on the screen, even though the song told me who it was before I looked. The reject icon gets punched a little too hard, but it rings again. “Argh.” I slap the icon for the third time, wishing I could bring myself to block him.
His name flashes with a text.
Liam: Answer your phone.
I don’t want to open it. It will only bring up all the other texts I ignored for months. All 853 of them.
Liam: Either answer or I show up, and Casey will figure out real quick it’s a lot more than business.
My heart hammers. I was willing to risk my friendship when we were together, but I’m not now. I won’t lose Casey because I was an idiot.
I know what he told me, promised me all those months ago, but surely he doesn’t believe it’s worth the risk now. Why blow everything up when we’re done?
