"In here!" Ruthie shouts, already twisting in her seat.
Liam walks through the door, his eyes finding her instantly. He smiles wide, dropping his duffle bag by the couch, then opens his arms for her. Ruthie launches herself at him, burying her face into his chest.
"I missed you guys," he says, his eyes flicking to mine.
I gasp—partly because his presence always makes air just a little harder to come by, but partly because of my inclusion in his statement.
"We missed you too," Ruthie says so naturally I almost miss it.
Just like that, I breathe easier again, that knot just above my belly button loosening slightly.
It's not gone—not completely. But it's better.
And I'll take that.
"That poster might be the most excited she's been about school… ever," Liam says, plopping down next to me on the couch.
My skin instantly buzzes this close to his, and I have to actively stop myself from tracing the rim of his glasses—something I find myself wanting to do every time he wears them.What is it about black frames on this man that drives me so crazy?
"That was all her," I say, propping my knee up and turning to face him. "The project was just an essay, but she wanted to do more."
He laughs, casually dropping his hand onto my knee. My eyes dart to the contact. His follow as he nonchalantly sets fire to the joint, brushing his thumb across it gently. "I don't know. I think the field trip was what did it, and that was all you."
I wave him off, sinking into the cushion—and pushing past the fact that his hand's on my lower thigh. "Mage Hollow is such a neat place. I went there for myself just as much as I did for her."
"Wait a second…" he says, his forehead creasing. "Why does that sound so familiar?"
I shrug, the corners of my lips turning down.
Liam pauses, thinking, then his brows shoot up as he taps his palm against my leg. "That's where Holloway's from."
I purse my lips. "Really? Wow, small world."
He shakes his head, blinking away the thought.
"How's that going by the way?" His eyes meet mine, and I catch my reflection in the lenses of his glasses. It almost surprises me how at peace I look here with him. It's as if my body knows I'm safe despite my mind racing about a million things—mostly the fact that all of my siblings have been chatting for the past hour and a half.
Everyone except for Jo.
"With Jace?" Liam asks. I nod, and he leans back on the sofa. "It's good. I think I'm finally starting to get him. We're so different, ya know? The way we act, how we see the game. But there are versions of us that are the same." He chuckles to himself. "If the one of me from fifteen years ago stood next to him now, you'd think we were twins."
I scrunch up my face, my eyes narrow. "Eh, I'm not so sure."
He looks at me, confused.
"My guess is you were definitely hotter."
He snorts out a laugh and nods. "Is it the sleeves? I don't get 'em either. The kid has so much style out of uniform, but the blue with the green and yellow? Really?"
"Doesn't make much sense," I admit.
"Right?" Liam asks, his voice eager. "That's what I'm saying."
We both laugh, his smile softening as he focuses on the way his fingers glide back and forth across the denim. "He's growing on me, though." His eyes meet mine. "Dare I say I almost like helping him navigate it all."
"Well, he's talented, right? I'm sure he'll do your position justice when you're gone."
He huffs out a breath, and for a split-second, I worry that maybe I said too much. But then, he nods in agreement.
