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I’ve been searching for her for more than a minute when I see Liv walking toward me. I’ve wanted to talk to her since Harrison pulled her away last night. She was so upset.
“If you’re looking for Camilia, good luck,” she says.
Her laughter is good to hear. She must be feeling better.
“Yes, the little twerp is a good hider.” I shout the words so Camilia will hear me. Giggling erupts from behind one of the bushes. I put my finger over my mouth, signaling for Liv to shush. “I have no idea where she is.” Camilia giggles again.
Liv nods, letting me know she’s going to play along. “That’s too bad. They’re serving Popsicles in the caf.”
The bushes rustle as Camilia pops out. “Sorry, Tor. Gotta go.”
Liv and I laugh as we watch her run to the cafeteria.
“God, I love that kid.” Liv’s voice is strained. Something about Camilia and Paco always has that effect on her.
“I hope I’m not about to upset you…but…”
She rolls her eyes dramatically and smiles. “But you want to know what happened to your friend last night when her boyfriend had to drag her away and reassure her that she’s not a terrible human being.”
“Oh, God, Liv.” I don’t know what else to say. There’s so much pain in her words. “Why would you think that?”
She huffs, but smiles like it’s not tearing her apart. “I think that because I was raised by Sheila Hunter, the selfish bitch who ignored Brady right under my nose for my entire life. I never saw it, and worse than that, I went along with it.”
Her painful expression toys with my emotions. “None of us saw it.” I put my hand on her arm. “That’s why you were upset?”
She nods and looks up at me. “When I heard Brady sing, I lost it. I realized that I’d treated him just as awful as my mother. I bragged to all of my friends about my brother the football star and my brother the law student. I thought his music was a pointless hobby, just like my parents did.”
“You were just a kid.”
She lets out an awkward laugh. “That’s what Harrison said.”
I’m sure he did. Harrison hates Sheila as much as I do. He’s the only other person who knows what it’s like to love one of Sheila’s children. “He’s right.”
“I know.” Her eyebrows lift, and she nods. “I just felt so bad. I saw real passion for something in Brady for the first time. I was mad at myself because I know it was always there, and if I’d bothered to get to know him at all, I would’ve seen it.”
I grab her arm and haul her in for a hug. She lets me hold her. “Brady wouldn’t want you to be upset. Don’t let your mother hurt you anymore, Liv.”
She pushes me away with a gentle shove. “God, I swear, sometimes I think you and Harrison share a brain. I’m good now. I promise.”
I know she’s not. Her mother’s mistakes still haunt all of us. I’m glad Liv has Harrison to help her through those times when she can’t let go of her demons.
After Brady is done with Rodrigo, we have to go home so he can get ready for the show tonight. When we get back to the house, Brady loads his truck and I fix us a quick bite to eat. When it’s time to leave, I’m feeling extremely tired. I can barely keep my eyes open.
I tell Brady I’ll meet him at the show after I take a nap. He’s not thrilled, but agrees and kisses me goodbye. Once he’s gone, I curl up on the couch and doze off. After a couple of hours of sleep, I get up to use the bathroom. I don’t feel rested and wonder if I’m coming down with something. I decide to text Brady.
Still not feeling gr8. Think I’ll stay home. I love you. Good luck!
He texts me back almost immediately.
Bummer. I’ll miss you. Get some rest. Be home soon to take care of you.
I’ve just set my phone on the coffee table and started flipping through channels on the TV when the doorbell rings.
I open the door without checking who it is. Davey stands on my doorstep, looking like he hasn’t slept in a week. He glowers at me. My stomach balls with nerves.
“Is Brady here?”
I’m holding the door as if it can offer me some comfort. “No, they had a show tonight. I’ll tell him you stopped by.” As I start to close the door, his foot wedges between the jamb and the door before he pushes it toward me, knocking me off balance. I fall back onto the floor. My tailbone slams into the hard marble, shooting sharp pains up my spine. I’m sent sliding backward until I hit the wall behind me. With one hand under my belly, I press the other into the wall for support as I slowly get to my feet.
