Instead of imagining it, I actuallyfeelLiam taking some of the emotional weight that is threatening to drag me down.
“Let’s take a shower.” I grab his hand and lead him upstairs.
In silent tandem, we start the water and undress. All I can think about is Juniper and our years of friendship. I’ve spent hours trying to figure out where it went wrong—why she left with barely a word. Then one day I told myself enough was enough. I couldn’t be miserable about her forever, especially when Asher clung to my sadness as if it justified his. Webothneeded to move on, at least as much as we could.
As we step into the spray, Liam grabs a washcloth and starts to softly scrub my body. Heavy from exhaustion, I lean into his chest and his arm wraps around my waist, rubbing suds against my breasts and stomach. There’s nothing sexual about the moment, even with his erection pressed against my ass.
“Tell me about her.”
Peeking over my shoulder, a wry smile tugs at my lips. “Isn’t that what you say when you’ve lost someone?”
“She may be alive but it’s still grief, honey,” he murmurs against my wet hair.
Thinking it over, I decide to give it a try. Juniper and I met a year after my family moved to Amada Beach. To tell Liam about her, I have to tell him about my entire life.
Starting at the beginning, I tell him about how we met through the dance studio and our first sleepover. About the years it felt like we were all the other had, and how she’s the person who I’ve loved the most in this life. How losing her hurts more than my divorce ever did. I tell him about her history with Asher.
The conversation extends outside of the foggy, glass walls. I talk as we dry off and get ready for bed. There are countless memories I left out, so many little details about who Juniper is that he needs in order to understand her.
Liam never says a bad word about her, though. He shows sympathy for her in that way that comes naturally to him. At the same time, he holds mine and Asher’s grief with tender hands.
To be honest, it feels good to talk about Juniper. I wrapped her up in a pretty, turquoise ribbon many moons ago, and I’ve been too scared to open it since.
What means the most is how Liam never tries to solve the problem. He doesn’t tell me I should reach out or suggest how I should tell Asher. He’s just here; a strong, silent force that I’m learning to lean on too much.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Calypso
When I woke up this morning, I was actually excited for the weekend on the yacht. The planning came together seamlessly once Jo got her dad on the phone, and all we have to do is be to the marina on time.
My bag was already packed, and Rosie is with Stanley for the weekend. Everything was going as expected, until we arrived at Asher’s house.
Liam and I stand outside of his 4Runner with my brothers and Jo in tow. Rather than ordering a rideshare, we figured it made the most sense to organize carpools.
In the rush of everything this morning, Liam forgot to mention that the assigned captain—Jo’s favorite, apparently—caught a stomach bug from his kid. I figure companies have plans for things like this, so I wasn’t too worried about it. Plus, Lexi would have called us if there was a real emergency.
It wasn’t until Jo was getting into the backseat, saying how excited she was to see her dad, that it became an emergency. Only to me.
Crossing my arms, I glare at Liam. “Your stepfather is the captain? Doesn’t he have other employees?”
Liam looks way too unfazed by the fact I’m going to meet another member of his family—the closest it gets to meeting his mom, no less.
Sure, he’s met my family but heknewhe was walking into those situations. He had time to prepare, or change his mind. Jo and Paul have been thrown at me, and I have to learn to adapt to the moment… not my strong suit.
Dinner with Stanley and Willa was great. We’ve even been roped into another dinner at the end of the month. Willa wants to celebrate my birthday, which is so sweet I almost want to barf. Martha never acknowledged my birthday, and the fact that Liam’sauntcares so much? It doesn’t make sense to me, but I’ve known them, in some form, almost my entire life. Eventhatfelt much less impending than the current situation.
“He does,” Liam says, “but he knows this trip is important. Obviously it matters to Vivi and Grady but it also matters to Jo—to me. He doesn’t want anything else to go wrong.”
I bite my lip and look to the side.
That makes sense.
It’s more than appreciated, since it’s Vivi we’re talking about.
“Paul’s cool,” Liam reassures me. “He’ll love you and your family. Plus, he’ll be in the cabin most of the time, not wanting to bother us.”
Curiously, I ask, “You and him are close?”
