“You would, Astrid,” he said, shaking his head. “That’s the problem. You’re so much better than what I can give you. You’re better than all of it.” Walking out, she heard him as he lay down on the couch. She strongly disagreed with him. He didn’t know her. He didn’t understand how much she loved it here.
She debated getting up and setting him straight. But how, if he was already convinced she wasn’t part of his world? How do you convince someone that you would never regret one second spent together?
It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from if you never felt like you belonged. She had felt more like a part of something than she ever had before. She loved everything about the bar. And that included the grumpy bartender.
ChapterEight
Astrid wokethe next morning with a headache. Not the “I had way too good a time last night” kind of headache, it was more the “I need to sleep for a week” kind.
Taking in the now familiar surroundings, she sat up slowly and hunted around for her clothes. Remembering Parker taking them from her to wash last night, she slid on a pair of his sweatpants, not wanting to wake him.
She needed to go home so she could evaluate everything that happened last night. It was hard to even breathe when Parker was near her, forget about trying to make sense of what was happening between them.
She pulled open the bedroom door quietly. He was asleep facedown on the couch. He had managed to kick off the blanket sometime in the night and lay there in nothing more than a pair of boxer briefs.
Astrid took a moment to watch him sleep. He was beautiful with his hard muscles, tattoos and messy hair flopped over his face. She tiptoed to the door, opening it carefully so she wouldn’t wake him. She had almost made it down the stairs when she heard her name.
“Astrid, wait. Where are you going?” Liam had followed her out of the apartment and was standing on one of the steps trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He had on a pair of running shorts and a school T-shirt. Astrid knew he was going to be every bit as handsome as his older brother someday.
“I need to get home. I’m sorry if I woke you,” she said, smiling up at him.
“But Parker always makes pancakes on Sunday. He dragged us to mass yesterday morning so we could hang out all day together. We were going to go see Dad. I know he’d like to meet you.” Liam took several more steps toward her, pleading.
“Maybe some other time, okay? I need to get some stuff done today. The laundry doesn’t magically do itself you know.” She turned and continued toward the back door.
“Wait, Astrid. I still need you to help me get the girl. Remember, you promised you’d help,” he pleaded. “She’s talking to me but she still hasn’t agreed to a date.”
Stopping, she took a step back toward Liam. His pleading was breaking her heart. Of course, regardless of what happened between her and Parker, she would be there to help him.
“Liam, I’m still helping you,” she said. “I just need a day to catch my breath. I’m still planning on taking you out with your friends on Thursday. I promise I’ll be here to pick you up at six sharp. I just, well, sometimes life can be a bit more than I can handle. I need a break. I’ll see you Thursday, okay?” He nodded and she turned back to the door.
He didn’t need to worry about her bailing on him. She had come to cherish her time with him and Ronan. Their regular Thursday night outings had become something she looked forward to every week.
“He wasn’t always an asshole,” she heard him say quietly when her hand reached the doorknob. “It’s just… it’s like he’s always afraid of drowning. He’s really a good guy. Please don’t give up on him, Astrid.”
She turned around to find Liam standing in the hallway. How much had he heard of what happened between them last night? Walking over to him, she pulled him into a hug. He squeezed her close before she took a step back so she could look at him.
“Liam, I know he’s a good guy. I know it doesn’t make any sense to you, but I just need some quiet today. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t think I could stand to not be in the middle of you three working so hard to torture each other.” She smiled when he snorted a small laugh.
“Who else is going to take on your love life while also kicking your ass at Mario Kart? I’ll see you Thursday, okay?” she added. He gave her a sad smile.
Driving back across town, Astrid worked on the puzzle of Liam. What had he heard that convinced him she was cutting them out of her life? Even with all the drama, she still hadn’t been this happy in a long time. She just needed a break to think without Parker consuming her thoughts with his proximity.
All she was looking for was some time to get over the whiplash that he had bombarded her with. One second, he was telling her what he wanted to do to her in his bed. The next he was reminding her they would never be more than friends. What Liam didn’t understand was she didn’t want a life without them in it. Even if his older brother shredded her heart into pieces in the end.
Walking into her apartment, Astrid made a beeline for the shower. She thought maybe it would help the pounding in her head. It had only gotten worse talking to Liam. At least, if this apartment didn’t have much else going for it, the water got hot.
She emerged feeling a little better. She threw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt with a unicorn farting a rainbow on it. Grabbing her flip-flops, she headed down to her car. She needed groceries if she was going to survive the week.
Returning from the store, she climbed down to the aptly named “Buffalo Bill” basement to throw in a load of clothes. Someone’s mom had made the comment that it looked like something fromSilence of the Lambs. They had made a point after that to try to only visit the basement in pairs. But she had to do her laundry this summer and there was no one else around. That didn’t mean, however, that she spent any more time than necessary down there.
She checked the time when she got back upstairs. It was still too early to make the phone call to her parents she had been putting off for a while. They had been leaving messages asking when she would be home for Independence Day. She hadn’t told them she was working at a bar. Chances were good she wouldn’t be home in July at all.
Grabbing the remote, she flopped onto her bed, hunting for something to watch. She quickly decided on a medical drama simply for the eye candy. She started episode one before falling immediately asleep.
* * *
Parker was unceremoniously awoken that morning by two fists pounding into his chest as he lay on the couch asleep. Opening his eyes with a start, he found Liam staring down at him.
