“True. Come to think of it, when Parker and I finally got together, the twins always had something to do. They left us alone in the apartment constantly. Liam even mentioned the other day that he thought Finn has a girlfriend and we might want to include her more in family activities.”
“Yes. I should have realized it earlier. He told Parker that he and Max had better go pound some sense into Dean when we broke up before it was too late. Liam’s a romantic!” Sam said in triumph.
“Oh my god,” Karlie added, bouncing slightly on the couch. “He pushes people together then pulls back when they figure out they can’t live without each other. He’s Liamed himself! Only this time, he should have stayed when they fell in love.”
“Okay, guys,” Chiara said, finally interrupting. “This is all very Hallmark of you, but it’s not like he could have stayed anyway. We agreed from the beginning that this would be the inevitable ending. Not everyone has a happily-ever-after.” They all settled back in their seats in silence, the excitement of a moment ago crushed.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Astrid said, pulling the envelope out of her purse. “He left you a letter.”
“Romantic,” Sam mumbled quickly, pretending to zip her mouth closed when Chiara leveled her with a glare. Taking the envelope from Astrid, Chiara tucked her feet under her on the couch before running her finger under the seal to open it. She could feel all three sets of her friend’s eyes on her as she slowly opened the letter.
My Dearest Chiara,
The last two weeks have been the best of my life. Even having my ass handed to me, I wouldn’t change a single moment. Well, maybe except for that ass handing part.
I could never regret the time we spent together. My only regret is the strain I put on your relationship with your brother. Once again, I was only thinking of what I wanted and not how my actions could affect those around us. Ro seems to have gotten the lion’s share of common sense.
I wish I could have told you how incredibly special you are to me. How much I have fallen hopelessly in love with you. But it wouldn’t have been fair to you when we agreed no one would get hurt in the end. My hope is you walked away unscathed.
You are an amazing, strong woman that deserves everything good in life. Just remember, wherever life may take us, there will always be a place in my heart that belongs to you.
Always yours, Liam
“That beautiful jerk,” Chiara said, trying to blink back the tears threatening to roll down her cheeks. “How dare you tell me you love me in a fucking letter and then just leave.”
Chiara began to pace while her friends watched with concern. “No, that’s not how this works,” she added vehemently. “He’s supposed to pull me against him, look into my eyes and say it to my face. Then I’d put my hands on his face and whisper that I love him too.”
“And she accused us of being too Hallmark,” Sam muttered with a smirk at Karlie.
“Then he would scoop me up in his arms, take me to his bed where we’d fuck each other’s brains out like rabbits,” Chiara finished, dropping back down on the couch.
“From Hallmark to Pornhub in one sentence,” Sam added.
“Damn, what did he write in this letter?” Karlie asked, catching the letter when Chiara tossed it to her.
“Hold on, are you thinking of anOfficer and a Gentlemanthing?” Sam asked, receiving a shrug from Chiara. “Astrid, is Liam’s uniform white?”
“That's the Navy. Liam has a dark-blue jacket and light-blue pants with gold stripes. His jacket has ribbons, patches, and medals on it with a braid through the loop on one shoulder. Oh, and this is cool, the insignia on his collar are crossed cannons.”
“So, Richard Gere in white,” Sam said, holding out a hand palm up. “Liam in dark blue,” she added, holding the other hand up. After bouncing her hands up and down, she finally cocked her eyebrow at Chiara. “Okay, I can get there.”
“We should rent that tonight and order delivery. The guys could wrestle kids for one evening. Can Dean handle the baby for a couple of hours?” Karlie asked.
“Please,” Sam said, rolling her eyes. “He’ll call one of his sisters to help if there’s a problem.”
“But guys,” Astrid said, turning to Chiara. “We still haven’t found an answer to the current problem. I don’t want to have to refer to my brother-in-law as douchebag part deux.”
“Brilliant use of French. But, I guess it’s really up to Chi in the end. So, Chi, what do you want to do?” Karlie asked.
Chiara sat for a few moments, considering her options as her friends waited to follow her decision. It didn’t take her long to figure out there was only one choice in her mind. Looking from one friend to the next, she finally announced the only thing she really wanted.
“I want to go get my fucking Hallmark moment.”
ChapterTwelve
“Good God,Lieutenant. What happened to your face?” Liam’s commanding officer greeted him on Monday morning.
At least some of the swelling had receded from his eye. Unfortunately, one side of his face had turned a nasty shade of purple. Getting home through a shared van and two plane rides on Saturday had been a living hell. At least he hadn’t had to fend off anyone from bumping into his agonizing abs after people saw his face. They had just divided like the Red Sea in the airport.
