Page 54 of Changing Tides

My neck heats up and I look over at Liam who is very still. He appears to be caught off guard and now I know the best thing I can do is stay over here with the kids and pretend I have heard nothing.

“I guess I’m everyone’s second choice then,” Melanie snaps, but she doesn’t move out of Miles’ embrace. That’s a relief.

“Sophie and I are just friends,” I hear Liam say to Miles and Melanie, and then I feel the color drain from my face.Just friends.I’m sure Liam didn’t know I was there. He was distracted by the grill, but the comment still stings a little. I try to be inconspicuous as I walk quickly back up the steps to the deck. I catch Claire’s eye and hers widen in concern, but she doesn’t follow me.

Liam comes barreling after me. He puts the plate of burgers and hot dogs on the table in front of our guests and tells them to help themselves. I rush into the powder room and lock the door. He’s right outside the door, knocking softly. “Sophie,” he says firmly. “Open the door, Sophie.”

I turn on the water so I can muffle his voice and stare at myself in the mirror. I can’t cry anymore. The only thing I can do is put on a happy face and try to enjoy myself. For all I know, Liam was playing it cool, just like I was by avoiding him all afternoon.We both know we’re not just friends. I take a deep breath, splash some cold water on my face, and reach in the pocket of my jean shorts for my guava lip gloss.I am okay. I tell myself. But I know deep down, I’m not okay. Far from it. Good thing I have an appointment with Dr. Stevens tomorrow.

I’m about to open the door when I hear Claire approach from the other side. “You know there’s an upstairs bathroom, too,” she tells Liam, and he must retreat because a minute later she says, “Sophie, it’s me. Open up.”

I open the door and she wraps me in a hug.

Thank goodness for Claire.

* * *

The party wraps upwithout Liam and I ever saying two words to each other. It’s better that way. I parked myself next to Claire and Derek through dinner and dessert. The last of the guests leave by 8:30, Liam goes home to put Lucy to bed, and Ellie and Dr. Stevens go for a walk. Claire, Derek, and I are sitting on the deck, finishing the last of the wine when Liam saunters back over holding a baby monitor.

Derek nudges Claire. “I’m really tired babe. We’ve got a long drive tomorrow morning. Let’s go to bed.”

Claire looks at him suspiciously. “Go to bed? It’s 9:30.” He nudges her and she looks up to see Liam walking up the steps. “You know what? I’m tired too.” She stands quickly and turns to give me a big hug. She whispers in my ear, “Wake me if you need me.”

I smile and say goodnight. When I turn around, Liam is sitting in a chair at the table, his shoulders slumped and his brows furrowed. He looks forlorn.

“Sophie.” The way he says my name is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. He says it as if it’s the last word he will ever speak. “I don’t know what you heard that upset you. Whatever it is, I’m sorry.”

I sigh and plop down across from him. “You don’t owe me any explanations, Liam. After all, we’re just friends.”

The recognition on his face turns to shame. “Sophie, I just played it cool. I didn’t know what to say. We haven’t even talked about what is going on here.” He waves his hand back and forth between us. Then he leans closer to me, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Nothing’s going on, Liam,” I say, protecting my heart.

“Sophie. Youknowthat’s not true,” he rasps. He reaches for my knee and rubs his thumb in tiny circles on the cap.

“Well, Idon’tknow Liam. You said it yourself; you’ve never done this before. My life is a mess. Maybe we should just forget it.” I get up out of my chair and walk down to the patio. I am feeling very exposed having such a candid conversation on the deck. Liam follows me, seemingly unwilling to let this go. I stop on the cottage stoop, remembering that I never checked for anything I may have left here.

“Sophie.” He catches my arm from behind me. “Stop running away from this.” He whirls me around to face him and there is pain in his expression, the cause of which I can’t detect. I search his face for a clue. “I haven’t done this before because I haven’t wanted to take a chance, and I didn’t think I deserved it. Until I met you.” He steps closer to me. “Sophie, I?—”

I hold up my hand. “Stop, Liam. Don’t say anything else.”

And then his lips are on mine, kissing me hungrily, first my mouth, then my jawline and my neck. Chills run up and down my spine when he finds his way back to my mouth. I sigh into his kiss, opening my lips for him. It’s like nothing I have ever felt before. His hands are moving from the back of my neck, up and down my sides. His hand finds the hem of my T-shirt, revealing my bare skin to stroke my hip bone. I wrap my arms around his back and I do the same, wanting desperately to feel the heat of his skin on my palms. He groans into my mouth and tries the handle to the cottage door—it’s locked. I take this as a sign and push away from the kiss.

He looks like I feel—hungry for more. “Liam,” I whimper.

He pulls me close again and buries his face in my neck. “Sophie, we’reso much morethan friends.”

30

LIAM

We’re interrupted by Ellie and Doc’s voices coming around back. Ellie clears her throat when she sees we’re standing outside the guest house.

“Oh, it’s just you two left?” she asks, raising her eyebrows in mock surprise.

“I forgot I left stuff in here, but it’s locked,” Sophie mutters awkwardly.

“Uh-huh.” Ellie smirks and digs a house key out of her purse. “Here’s the key.” She jangles it before tossing it to me. A slight upward curve of her lips telling me she knows exactly what’s going on here. She leans in and says, “We’re going to get started cleaning up.” She and Doc link arms and walk up the steps and into the house.

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