Liam scoffed and kicked at the ground. “Fat chance of that happening.”
I knew he was hurting. I knew he felt like we’d betrayed him. And to some degree, he was right. We had lied about our relationship. We had hidden it from him. But he wasn’t completely blameless either.
“Have you learned nothing from Tessa’s death?” Mom wiped away a tear. “Nothing in life is guaranteed. Don’t live with regrets.”
I slumped my shoulders, knowing she was right. I didn’t want to hold on to this anger any longer. Despite everything that had happened, Liam was still my brother, and I’d always love him. We’d both lost a friend in Tessa, and he probably felt like he was losing Bennett too. Deep down—past the anger and the hurt—I was worried about Liam.
“Now—” she smiled “—I’m going to stand by your cars. No one leaves until this is resolved. Do you hear me?”
We both nodded. “Yes, Mom,” we said in unison.
She walked away, and I went to lean against the bridge, needing some support.
“Do you really own this land?” I asked when Liam joined me.
“I do.”
“It’s gorgeous.”
He grunted his acknowledgment.
Awesome. Apparently, it was going to be up to me to kick off the conversation. At least, if I wanted to leave anytime soon. Mom meant business, and she wouldn’t let us go without some sort of resolution.
“Have you talked to Bennett?” he asked, surprising me.
“No. Have you?”
“Nope.” He frowned. “But I’ve been wondering…why him? Did you do it to get back at me?”
“What?” I jerked my head back. “Liam, what are you talking about?”
“I know you were pissed that I kept butting into your love life. Is this some sort of revenge?”
“Wow.” It felt as if I’d been slapped. “I can’t believe you’d think that of me.”
“I don’t know what to think anymore.” He jerked his hand through his hair. “Tessa was here one day and gone the next. My best friend and my sister were sneaking around behind my back, lying to me.”
“You’re one to talk,” I huffed. “I can’t believe you had your best friend spy on me. Do you even realize how wrong that was? Just when I finally thought you’d backed off…”
“Ididback off. Bennett signed up for LoveBirds all on his own.”
I glared at him. “You didn’t ask him to do that or encourage him in any way?”
“No.”
I swallowed hard and glanced away, out over the stream. I wasn’t sure whether that was better or worse. I almost wished my brother had asked Bennett to do it so I could blame someone other than the man I loved.
“But I didn’t discourage him either,” he finally said. “And I should’ve.”
“You think?”
He hung his head. “Why did you say at the funeral that if anyone took advantage of the situation, it was you?”
“Because—” I swallowed, wondering if I should admit this. I didn’t know how it would help the situation, and it was humiliating. “I guilted Bennett into being my dating coach.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to find a partner, love, and I kept striking out. After what happened with Kade and then being so inexperienced, I was anxious. Not to mention my bad luck with men. I’d had so many guys cancel on me that I wasn’t sure I could handle much more rejection.”
