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Liv
“ComeonLiv.We’regoing to be late!” Jackson yells up the stairs.
I swipe on my lipstick and smack my lips together before spritzing on my perfume. I race to my room to grab the wrapped gifts for Garrett and Dylan. Tonight is their farewell party. Their contract is over on Monday and they’re flying back to New York. My makeup is waterproof because I know I’m going to be a wreck. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these men who have become my brothers. My family.
“Coming!” I thud down the stairs as fast as my boots will carry me, glad I remembered to put on deodorant as sweat forms. I screech to a halt in front of Jackson, and he smiles while giving me a quick once over, pausing on the sparrow necklace.
“Ready?”
John opens the front door and walks out, impatient with waiting for me. Jackson takes the gifts from my hands, and we follow him out the door and into Jackson’s truck. Garrett and Dylan are meeting us there since they’re meeting with Mark for what they call a ‘debrief’.
Soon we’re walking into the Lone Boot. Jackson and I are both off tonight, so we can party with our friends. I run to Dylan, who I see first, and grip him tight like he’ll float away if I don’t. It’s the millionth hug I’ve given him all week. He tries to pull away, but I yank him back. “Princess, I love hugs from you, but this is getting excessive.”
I laugh and step away so I can smack his arm. “Let me love you, asshole.” He scowls, but he can’t hide the glimmer of affection in his gaze.
“My turn.” Garrett pushes Dylan aside and wraps me up. He has no problem letting me love him.
I put my arms around them both. “Guys, I’m already losing it. What am I going to do without you?”
“I don’t know. How about living a normal life?” Dylan says.
“No, thanks.” They both laugh and release me while I pout.
Garrett looks at Dylan and raises his eyebrow. “You ready?”
Dylan faces me. “We have a surprise for you.”
My gaze bounces between their shit-eating grins and a smile forms. “What?”
“We’re moving to San Diego in a few months. Maddox is opening a west coast branch and we’re both going to come out to get it started. I’m going to be the Director,” Dylan says.
I blink at them for a few seconds. “Ah! Shut up!” Excited tears spill over as I leap onto Dylan and pull Garrett in for another group hug.
“Told you she would freak out,” Garrett says as they both hug me tight and laugh at my antics.
I roll my eyes and turn to Vera as she walks over. We hug and I grin when she jumps on Garrett and gives him a long kiss.
“Hey, beautiful.” The tenderness in his gaze makes my battered heart swell.
Jackson hands me the gifts I wrapped and I give one each to Dylan and Garrett. “I got you a going away gift, even though it seems silly now that you’re coming back.”
They grin and I take the paper from them as their faces light up and the framed photo in their hands. It’s a picture of us on my birthday when Vera was snapping photo after photo in the backyard at John’s house. I’m smashed between them while we all make silly faces. The bottom of the frame saysBest Friends are We, My Brothers and Me.
They stare at the photo in their hands for a few seconds, then pull me in for another group hug. Dylan clears his throat and turns away to wipe at his face. Garrett’s eyes water as he smiles at Dylan, then grins at me. “We love you, Liv,” he whispers.
My heart swells to fill the room. “I love you guys, too.”
John smiles at me from a few barstools away. A happiness settles in my bones. I lost Luke, but I still have my family.
Jordy and Skye arrive, and I hug them both. Being around Skye doesn’t send that now familiar stab of pain to my heart like it used to. I can’t help but hug her again. “It’s so good to see you.”
“You, too. Wow, your earrings are gorgeous,” she says. The emerald and diamond earrings pair well with my green flower print dress, even though they are over the top.
“Thanks, Luke gave them to me.”
She grins and squeezes my arm.
I turn to Jackson when he gets my attention. He looks at his phone, then sighs and searches my eyes.
