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“You’re too young to be so tired all the time.”
“Try working double shifts in a diner,” I retort dryly.
“About that. . .I don’t want to sound like I’m intruding on your life, but why don’t you go back to school?” Liam asks, sounding careful.
“To be honest, I don’t have the money,” I answer.
“I looked into it, and there are lots of scholarships available for single moms. You can be eligible for more than one. You can get enough money to cover tuition,” he says. “I don’t mean to overstep. I know there’s a lot about your life I don’t know, but I hope with time, you’ll trust me to share things with me. It’s just I remember how driven you are. How badly you wanted to become an attorney.”
Listening to him remind me of the girl I once was sparks something inside me. It feels like a mix of longing and maybe a spark telling me I should follow my dreams. Too bad it isn’t so easy.
Every time we talk, he tries to learn more about who I am today. He also treads lightly wanting to know what happened between Carter and me. It’s not something I’m willing to discuss. Especially with my son sleeping almost next to me in the same room.
“Maybe with time,” I say. “I don’t see the point of dredging up the past. I’ve thought about going back to school, but I was busy raising Crew. I know about the scholarships, but it wouldn’t be enough to cover rent and food, only tuition. Maybe someday,” I sigh.
“Okay, I won’t pester you anymore,” he concedes.
“You aren’t bothering me with those questions,” I assure him. In a way, it feels good he still cares.
“I want to see you tomorrow night, Skylar. I can’t stop thinking about you.” His husky voice and need once again causes my belly to flip in the best way. I want Liam. I’ve always wanted Liam, but I’m terrified of taking that leap.
“I’m working tomorrow. Patty picks Crew up on Thursdays so I can stay for the dinner crowd,” I explain.
“So come to me after work. I’ll wait for you. We have the night off,” he says, and I can’t believe he’s pleading with me to come over.
“Don’t you guys have tons of girls falling at your feet? I bet traveling from city to city, you’ve got a harem of women. We called them puck bunnies back in college,” I say..
“Yeah, there are puck bunnies following us in the NHL too. Probably on a much larger scale,” he admits.
My stomach dips.
“But I don’t want a random hookup in my bed, Sky. I want you.” His words feel like a thick coat of honey washing over me, all sweet warmth.
I don’t know how to respond.
“I, uh. . .a few years ago. . .” he continues but then pauses. It sounds like he is trying to tell me something important, so I sit up in bed.
“Liam, what is it?” I ask, concern filling my voice. I swallow hard.
“I was in a terrible accident. Right after I drafted by the Rangers. One of the guys on the team just got a new Ferrari, and we took it for a spin.”
I can already tell this story doesn’t end well by his tone. My insides are shaking.
“We weren’t drunk or anything like that. Devon just wanted to take me for a ride in his new wheels, but when we got on the freeway, there was traffic. The driver of a tractor trailer had too much to drink, and he came at us too fast. We had nowhere to move.”
I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand. “Liam,” I say as tears fill my eyes.
“I saw the truck coming at us, but there was nothing my buddy could do. There was nowhere to move out of the way. The Ferrari was totaled. I blacked out, but before I did, I saw you, and I felt all this regret. All these missed moments I wished I had. When I woke up in the hospital, I only had cuts and bruises on me. It was a miracle I walked away. My buddy had two broken legs that affected his hockey career, and I walked away without a scratch. After that, I kind of became obsessed with finding you,” he confesses. I’m thrown so off guard and filled with so much emotion I remain speechless. “I reached out to the Pattersons. I looked for you on social media. I even made the stupid mistake of asking Carter about your whereabouts.” At the mention of Carter’s name, my blood turns cold.
“You asked Carter about me?” I ask, my tone too high. I know it’s not the only thing to focus on right now, but. . .
I get out of bed and head to the family room since the conversation has taken a turn, and I don’t want to risk Crew overhearing any part of it.
“I asked him if he knew where you were, and we fought on the ice. I got fined that night. It was the night we came into the diner for a meal. The guys wanted something low key after the shit show we had on the ice,” he explains and then pauses.
My insides are shaking. Carter made it clear he didn’t want me anymore, but he was a jealous man, and if he knew somehow Liam was suddenly interested in me again, who knows how he would react. He always had some weird jealous rivalry when it came to Liam. Once when he was drunk, he told me the only reason he initially became my friend was to piss Liam off.
“Skylar?” Liam asks.
