Page 81 of Anteros' Return

“Cash. Would you be able to contact him now? I’m on a tight schedule.” I responded.

“Yes, of course. He’s pretty easy to get ahold of. Give me ten minutes maximum.”

I hung up the phone, seeing Liam looking up at me with hopeful eyes. “Well?”

“I think we’ll be just fine.”

And we were. The estate agent called to congratulate me on the owner agreeing to my offer. I continued to give him all my personal details and would await his call to confirm everything had been successful on his end. All I needed to do was sign on the dotted line.

“It looks like we just got your mum her very own bakery.” I assured, buzzing at helping Emily reach her dream.

Liam fisted the air with delight. “Mum is going to be so happy!”

“I bet she will be.” I ruffled his hair as he chuckled before continuing to ask me something else.

“Beckett… Why are you doing this for my mum?”Shit…He’d got me there.

“Because she deserves it. She’s an amazing woman, and if this makes her dreams come true and gives her another reason to smile, I’d do it a million more times.”

“I wish you didn’t have to go back to Spain.” His lips turned upside down in a heartbreaking frown.

“Me too, mate, me too.”

“I know I wasn’t the nicest kid to you in the beginning, and I’m sorry, but now I don’t want you to leave.” He wrapped his arms tightly around my neck, letting a little sob leave his body.

“Listen, I’ll come back to see you all the time, and maybe you and your mum can come watch me play over there too. What do you think?”

“I’d love that… But it’s still not the same.” He didn’t look at me. He kept his head buried in my shoulder.

“I know it’s not, and it sucks, but trust that everything will be just fine.”

He nodded against my shoulder as the few tears he shed soaked through the fabric of my T-shirt.

“Anyway, it’s your birthday tomorrow, and if I remember correctly, I may have gone a little overboard with your presents.”

“You have?!” His head snapped up, the tears practically gone. A smile replaced his frown.

“Maybe,” I teased as we heard Emily’s car pull up outside.

“Mum!” Liam jumped up, running around frantically.

“Liam, you go and stall her so I can put this back where you got it.” I paused at the door. “Where did you get it?”

“In her top drawer in her bedroom,” he said before darting down the stairs to greet Em at the door.

I slipped into Emily’s bedroom, seeing Liam had left her top drawer open, the space for the iPad easy enough to find. I was about to close the drawer when I saw something peeking out from underneath her jumper.

Was that my…

I lifted her jumper carefully, and that’s when I saw it—my football shirt from my final season at school. She had kept it all this time. My heart soared, knowing that her feelings never went away, knowing that she’d kept something of mine despite thinking I broke her heart. I returned it to its rightful place, making sure nothing looked disturbed.

I closed her door behind me, making my way downstairs to meet the pair of them in the kitchen. Liam secretly held up his thumb to me, letting me know she never guessed a thing. I nodded with a smile as Emily seemed none the wiser.

“So, my little champ, are you ready to turn eight?” she asked while she unpacked the food shopping.

“I’m so excited!” Liam spun on the stool before fixating his gaze on me. “Beckett, you should feel honoured that you’re invited tomorrow night. It’s usually just me and Mum.”

“I am incredibly honoured that the birthday boy wants to spend his special day with someone like me,” I joked, barely hiding my amusement. “Listen, I have some things I need to do, but I will pick you up tomorrow from school.” He knew exactly what I was going to do with my evening. I was going to spend it with my dad looking for contractors and designers to bring Emily’s vision to life.

---