“You’re right. It’s not. You’re going to the hospital.”
“I don’t get why you think this is your call.”
“Because you’re concussed. Your judgment is impaired, and your brother would hate me if I let you go home like this.”
“He wouldn’t care,” I mumble. “Don’t worry. You’ve done worse, and you were still everybody’s Wonder Boy.”
A muscle flicks in Liam’s jaw.
“What?” I huff.
“You never let anything go, do you?”
In general, sure. I let things go.
But the aftermath of that damn ball complicated my entire life and destroyed my relationship with my mother. Pair that with my increasing headache, pressure on my temple, and barbed-wire abdomen—like seriously, allowances should be made to grump here.
“I’ll let it go when the ripple effects of your prank stop impacting my life.”
He stuffs his hands in his pockets with an agitated head shake. “I should have stayed at the apartment. This was a mistake.”
“And miss the spectacular production I put on for you? Come on, you can’t say you didn’t enjoy that just a little.”
Liam’s gaze cuts to mine. “Believe it or not, I don’t derive pleasure from you getting hurt.”
My insides squirm as a furious blaze in his stare pins me to my seat. “Well, that’d be new,” I mutter.
“No, actually, Peaches, it wouldn’t be,” he says with a sigh.
I rub my temple with my forefinger as a motorbike careens by on the cobblestoned street. A tense silence settles in its wake around us.
“I’m sorry.” I relent. “Ignore me. I’m probably just grumpy because I was promised donuts and got a head wound instead.”
He snorts. “Fair. I guess I’d be grumpy too.”
My fingers twitch through another beat of awkward silence until a low, rueful chuckle suddenly shakes Liam’s frame. And then stops. And then starts again.
“What?” I half laugh.
“Nothing. It’s just—” He drags his knuckles over his scruff, focused on the ground. “What did you think would happen when you tried to nope the situation?”
“I panicked!”
“You were horrified.”
He doesn’t pick his eyes up to meet mine, and my gaze slides down his slumped shoulders and drawn-in figure, like he’s disappointed that was my reaction to seeing him. But what else did he expect after everything?
I blink. I’m reading too much into this for someone with impaired cognition.
“Ah, see? We left you two alone, and you’re both alive and unharmed. That’s a good sign.” Eli joins us with a proud smile, hands full of napkins, sans donut. I direct a scowl in his direction while Liam simultaneously gestures to my head. Eli’s smile falters. “Okay. Fair. How are you feeling?”
Maria also lacks the desired confection, exiting American Press with water bottles in her hands instead of happiness and sprinkles.
“Oh, fine. A little rest at home should do the trick.” I avoid Liam’s stare, standing and stretching.
“After she gets checked out at the hospital,” Wonder Boy adds.
“Still going to pass, thanks, though.” I face him.
