It was so perfect.”
“What is the status of your relationship with Luke Lane?”
I shake my head. I won’t lie, but I won’t give him what he is asking for.
“Ava …” he says in a soft tenor.
“I don’t have a relationship with … him.”
“When did it end?”
“There never was a—”
He turns away.
“Wait!”
He looks back.
“We grew up together,” I say slowly.
He nods then turns and walks away again.
“T!”
He holds up his hand and shakes his head as he walks back into the house.
I squat down, fist my hair, and scream inside. I can’t seem to catch a damn break. Can’t he just let it be?
When I look up, Liam is walking down the driveway, so I stand up quickly and turn my back to him as I pull by sweatshirt up and wipe my eyes dry.
He walks up and holds his hand out. “Let’s walk.”
“You alone?”
“Yep. You wanna talk?”
I shake my head, and he gives me a half-smile, squeezes my hand, and we walk in silence until we get to the pond and the bench that overlooks it.
He uses his gloves to wipe off the bench. “Sit?”
I do, and he sits next to me.
Liam is and always has been calm. The older he gets, the calmer he seems. Right now, I need to borrow it.
He looks over as I look at him and takes in a deep breath. “Luke Lane’s home.”
“So I’ve heard,” I say.
He chuckles silently and throws his arm around the back of the bench. He uses his hand to pull my head against his shoulder.
“Better?”
“Yeah,” I say.
“What’s the deal with T?”
I look up at him. “What?”
Again, he smirks and chuckles. Then he leans back and puts my head on his chest.
I close my eyes and wait and wait and wait for Liam’s calm to overtake me.
When I feel almost human again, I look up at him. “Love you.”
“You, too.” He kisses my head. “Now, let’s go not face whatever it is we’re not facing.”
“Do we have to?”
He stands up and holds out his hand just like Logan does. “Yeah, we do.”
We hold hands as we walk toward the house exactly like we used to.
Liam was the smart, preppy kind of hot nerd in school. I made him cool, and he made me behave. He is my male Harper.
“Tell me about Martha.”
“You mean Marta.” He smirks.
“Yes.” I smirk back. “Marta.”
“We have a lot in common: likes, dislikes, goals, desire to travel—”
I can’t help giggling.
“What?”
“Does she make you crazy?” I ask.
“I avoid crazy, Ava.”
“Does she get you all worked up?”
“Ava …” he warns.
“Are you happy?” I ask, conceding to Liam’s profound dislike for talking about sex.
“I am. Are you?”
I smile. “Aren’t I always?”
“I hope so,” he says sincerely.
When we walk in, T scowls at me, and my dad notices immediately. His jaw sets, and he shakes his head.
Tessa nudges him with her elbow and pats the spot next to her at the huge table.
After lunch, Piper is heading to take a nap.
“I want Ava.”
“Ava is going to stay down here, sweet girl,” Maddox says, kissing the side of her head.
“But I want her. She’s tired.”
I lean over toward Harper. “I really wouldn’t mind.”
Harper smiles. “She and Maddox are fine.”
“No, Mommy, I’m not fine,” Piper says, and the whole room gasps. “Ava is not fine. We need a nap.”
It doesn’t take me but a second to stand. I’m in a room filled with three men I have slept with, and it’s fucking exhausting.
“I would have to say I agree that Ava needs a nap if you don’t mind, Maddox.”
He looks at Piper. “You have something to say to your mommy?”
“Sorry.” She looks down sadly.
“Do you have something to ask Ava?” he asks her.
“Wanna take a nap with me?”
“I’d love to.”
***
I wake to Piper whimpering and thrashing, and I don’t know what to do, so I hold her.
“Shhh, it’s okay.”
“Ava?” she says with her eyes still closed.
“Yes, it’s okay,” I tell her as she shakes in my arms.
“You’ll be okay,”
“What is the status of your relationship with Luke Lane?”
I shake my head. I won’t lie, but I won’t give him what he is asking for.
“Ava …” he says in a soft tenor.
“I don’t have a relationship with … him.”
“When did it end?”
“There never was a—”
He turns away.
“Wait!”
He looks back.
“We grew up together,” I say slowly.
He nods then turns and walks away again.
“T!”
He holds up his hand and shakes his head as he walks back into the house.
I squat down, fist my hair, and scream inside. I can’t seem to catch a damn break. Can’t he just let it be?
When I look up, Liam is walking down the driveway, so I stand up quickly and turn my back to him as I pull by sweatshirt up and wipe my eyes dry.
He walks up and holds his hand out. “Let’s walk.”
“You alone?”
“Yep. You wanna talk?”
I shake my head, and he gives me a half-smile, squeezes my hand, and we walk in silence until we get to the pond and the bench that overlooks it.
He uses his gloves to wipe off the bench. “Sit?”
I do, and he sits next to me.
Liam is and always has been calm. The older he gets, the calmer he seems. Right now, I need to borrow it.
He looks over as I look at him and takes in a deep breath. “Luke Lane’s home.”
“So I’ve heard,” I say.
He chuckles silently and throws his arm around the back of the bench. He uses his hand to pull my head against his shoulder.
“Better?”
“Yeah,” I say.
“What’s the deal with T?”
I look up at him. “What?”
Again, he smirks and chuckles. Then he leans back and puts my head on his chest.
I close my eyes and wait and wait and wait for Liam’s calm to overtake me.
When I feel almost human again, I look up at him. “Love you.”
“You, too.” He kisses my head. “Now, let’s go not face whatever it is we’re not facing.”
“Do we have to?”
He stands up and holds out his hand just like Logan does. “Yeah, we do.”
We hold hands as we walk toward the house exactly like we used to.
Liam was the smart, preppy kind of hot nerd in school. I made him cool, and he made me behave. He is my male Harper.
“Tell me about Martha.”
“You mean Marta.” He smirks.
“Yes.” I smirk back. “Marta.”
“We have a lot in common: likes, dislikes, goals, desire to travel—”
I can’t help giggling.
“What?”
“Does she make you crazy?” I ask.
“I avoid crazy, Ava.”
“Does she get you all worked up?”
“Ava …” he warns.
“Are you happy?” I ask, conceding to Liam’s profound dislike for talking about sex.
“I am. Are you?”
I smile. “Aren’t I always?”
“I hope so,” he says sincerely.
When we walk in, T scowls at me, and my dad notices immediately. His jaw sets, and he shakes his head.
Tessa nudges him with her elbow and pats the spot next to her at the huge table.
After lunch, Piper is heading to take a nap.
“I want Ava.”
“Ava is going to stay down here, sweet girl,” Maddox says, kissing the side of her head.
“But I want her. She’s tired.”
I lean over toward Harper. “I really wouldn’t mind.”
Harper smiles. “She and Maddox are fine.”
“No, Mommy, I’m not fine,” Piper says, and the whole room gasps. “Ava is not fine. We need a nap.”
It doesn’t take me but a second to stand. I’m in a room filled with three men I have slept with, and it’s fucking exhausting.
“I would have to say I agree that Ava needs a nap if you don’t mind, Maddox.”
He looks at Piper. “You have something to say to your mommy?”
“Sorry.” She looks down sadly.
“Do you have something to ask Ava?” he asks her.
“Wanna take a nap with me?”
“I’d love to.”
***
I wake to Piper whimpering and thrashing, and I don’t know what to do, so I hold her.
“Shhh, it’s okay.”
“Ava?” she says with her eyes still closed.
“Yes, it’s okay,” I tell her as she shakes in my arms.
“You’ll be okay,”
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