each other and starting a riot. Somehow she got his name out of the mess and managed to remember it. She showed up at the parlor a week later looking to get inked. That was three years ago now."
" And he's been chasing after her that whole time?" Liam shook his head. "That's a long time to be determined."
" I think it really was only flirting in the beginning. Frankie was with someone back then. Some asshole... Andy maybe? Something like that. I met him once and wasn't impressed, but she was crazy about him." Ace shrugged. "Once they broke up, Frankie wasn't really the same for a while. She didn't come around, hired someone else to man the bar. Goose was like a puppy waiting for his owner to come home. Guess it struck him then, how much he really liked her."
" So why didn't he go after her when she got back?"
" He did. But I think he's been flirting so long, she just takes it as a part of him, you know?" Ace laughed. "Until you had him write a pretty little love letter. Must've shook her up good if she's running away from him again."
" Oh. Shit." Liam groaned. "Is the estrangement my fault? I was trying to help, not make it worse."
" Nah. They'll sort themselves out. Or not. The path to true love never did run straight or whatever."
" Smooth," Liam corrected absently.
" Well that just goes without saying."
" Do you believe in true love?"
" Like Disney style?" Ace laughed. "No. I think love is like anything else. Messy and complicated. Worth it though."
" Is it?" Liam pressed his hand to his stomach. "Even when it goes rancid?"
" I can't speak for you with whatever demons you let talk in your ears all day." Ace kicked at Liam's sneaker lightly, the heavy press of steel flirting briefly with the upturned runner's sole. "But yeah. When it's all over, it's usually worth it. I'd be someone different now if I hadn't gone through it."
" So would I," he admitted. "But different isn't always better."
They stayed out awhile longer, the moon cracking over the hazy horizon as they watched. Liam slapped down a few mosquitoes , and Ace told him about an ill-fated camping trip from the year before. When his phone rang, Ace took it out and stared at the screen for a long tense moment.
" I have to take this," he said regretfully.
" I'll be downstairs if you need me," Liam told him as he stood.
" Thanks." Ace clapped him on the shoulder as he walked away, and the imprint of his hand stayed warm longer than it should have.
Chapter Seven
Waiting on the sun -warmed steps of the house, Liam had a visceral memory of being nine and playing with matchbox cars while Gene tended the small garden. Frequently the cars would get in explosive crashes, careening into the roses. There were probably one or two still tangled in the roots of the overgrown bushes.
Ace 's car pulled into the driveway. Liam stood, brushing crumbled cement from the back of his shorts. There were a few garbage bags piled into the backseat of the car and a cat carrier. George's face was smushed up against the bars, a series of irritated meows audible through the car doors.
" Sorry I'm late," Ace said as he got out. "Landlord saw me going and wanted to know if I was moving out. Took him ten minutes to get that I was coming back."
" It's okay. I just got back from St. Francis. Do you need help?"
Together they carried in four bags, dropping them into the master bedroom. Gene hadn 't actually slept there in years, preferring his armchair in the living room. Liam had stripped the bed and put on fresh sheets the night before. An open window had killed most of the scent of disuse.
" I cleared out most of the closet space and the drawers." It had taken him fifteen minutes on the band-aid principal: Rip it off and don't think about it. "I'm not done with the office yet though."
" I can help you with that." Ace opened one of the bags and pulled out a dark blue comforter, throwing it over the bed. A newly freed George sniffed out the far corner of the room then
" And he's been chasing after her that whole time?" Liam shook his head. "That's a long time to be determined."
" I think it really was only flirting in the beginning. Frankie was with someone back then. Some asshole... Andy maybe? Something like that. I met him once and wasn't impressed, but she was crazy about him." Ace shrugged. "Once they broke up, Frankie wasn't really the same for a while. She didn't come around, hired someone else to man the bar. Goose was like a puppy waiting for his owner to come home. Guess it struck him then, how much he really liked her."
" So why didn't he go after her when she got back?"
" He did. But I think he's been flirting so long, she just takes it as a part of him, you know?" Ace laughed. "Until you had him write a pretty little love letter. Must've shook her up good if she's running away from him again."
" Oh. Shit." Liam groaned. "Is the estrangement my fault? I was trying to help, not make it worse."
" Nah. They'll sort themselves out. Or not. The path to true love never did run straight or whatever."
" Smooth," Liam corrected absently.
" Well that just goes without saying."
" Do you believe in true love?"
" Like Disney style?" Ace laughed. "No. I think love is like anything else. Messy and complicated. Worth it though."
" Is it?" Liam pressed his hand to his stomach. "Even when it goes rancid?"
" I can't speak for you with whatever demons you let talk in your ears all day." Ace kicked at Liam's sneaker lightly, the heavy press of steel flirting briefly with the upturned runner's sole. "But yeah. When it's all over, it's usually worth it. I'd be someone different now if I hadn't gone through it."
" So would I," he admitted. "But different isn't always better."
They stayed out awhile longer, the moon cracking over the hazy horizon as they watched. Liam slapped down a few mosquitoes , and Ace told him about an ill-fated camping trip from the year before. When his phone rang, Ace took it out and stared at the screen for a long tense moment.
" I have to take this," he said regretfully.
" I'll be downstairs if you need me," Liam told him as he stood.
" Thanks." Ace clapped him on the shoulder as he walked away, and the imprint of his hand stayed warm longer than it should have.
Chapter Seven
Waiting on the sun -warmed steps of the house, Liam had a visceral memory of being nine and playing with matchbox cars while Gene tended the small garden. Frequently the cars would get in explosive crashes, careening into the roses. There were probably one or two still tangled in the roots of the overgrown bushes.
Ace 's car pulled into the driveway. Liam stood, brushing crumbled cement from the back of his shorts. There were a few garbage bags piled into the backseat of the car and a cat carrier. George's face was smushed up against the bars, a series of irritated meows audible through the car doors.
" Sorry I'm late," Ace said as he got out. "Landlord saw me going and wanted to know if I was moving out. Took him ten minutes to get that I was coming back."
" It's okay. I just got back from St. Francis. Do you need help?"
Together they carried in four bags, dropping them into the master bedroom. Gene hadn 't actually slept there in years, preferring his armchair in the living room. Liam had stripped the bed and put on fresh sheets the night before. An open window had killed most of the scent of disuse.
" I cleared out most of the closet space and the drawers." It had taken him fifteen minutes on the band-aid principal: Rip it off and don't think about it. "I'm not done with the office yet though."
" I can help you with that." Ace opened one of the bags and pulled out a dark blue comforter, throwing it over the bed. A newly freed George sniffed out the far corner of the room then
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