Page 138 of Off The Ice

Cared about.I mentally chastised myself before realizing there wasn’t anything particularly wrong withlovingyour friends. That could still be a platonic emotion.

But my feelings for Liam wereanythingbut. I realized that now, which is why I couldn’t go throwing the “L” word around so casually, even in my head. Otherwise, I’d have another slip-up like earlier in the day and ruin everything.

I didn’t get to dwell on my feelings for long because Liam’s family had a way of drawing me into the conversations and engaging me completely, so the only thing I focused on was what they were discussing.

This was what normal families were like. This was how it should feel. I wanted it someday. For myself.

Would I ever have that? Sometimes, it seemed like the most unlikely thing in the world, and the thought of never getting it broke my heart more than anything else.

Absentmindedly, I reached for a pot in the middle of the table while listening to one of Liam and Maggie’s cousins tell a story from when they were all kids together. I didn’t notice how hot it was until my fingers burned at the contact. I winced, pulling my hand off of it and shaking my fingers.

“Careful, baby.” Liam reached out, guiding my hand back before taking the pot himself to bring it closer to me.

I blinked up at him, frozen by the word he’d let slip so casually from his mouth. But he avoided eye contact, instead making a sound of clearing his throat before jumping into a conversation with someone across the table.

“So, Maggie. I hear you’ve been in contact with your old man again,” one of the many uncles in attendance said. “How’s that going?”

Instantly, I was aware of Liam stiffening beside me while Maggie squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

Weird.I thought.

“It’s fine,” Maggie said, trying to shut it down.

Even weirder.

Last I saw her, she’d been over the moon over her recent coffee dates with her dad. I’d never prodded Liam about it, but he was decidedly less than pleased by Maggie’s recent contact with their father.

“How’s he doing? I’m sure you two had a lot to catch up on.” One of the aunts smiled encouragingly.

“Yeah, like twenty years’ worth.”

Liam’s mom had downcast eyes, very focused on the food she was moving around on her plate.

Liam was rigid beside me.

Under the table, I reached out a hand and settled it on his knee. Giving it a squeeze of encouragement.

He relaxed slightly until a moment later when his hand came atop mine and held it in place.

”He’s good. It’s going good,” Maggie said in a flat tone.

Apparently, Liam and Maggie’s family were able to pick up on the shift that was taking place in all the Brynn’s in the room, and suddenly, the conversation shifted to safer topics.

Liam relaxed fully, but his hand stayed on top of mine. Maggie’s eyes were glazed over with some emotion I hadn’t seen from her in a long time.

And I wondered if maybe Liam had been right not to reconnect with their father after all.

“Someone needs to take your license away,” I shrieked. “Because you are an absolute menace!”

Maggie cackled while her Bowser sent a shell flying directly into the path of my Princess Peach.

We were on the third lap of Mario Kart, and we were neck and neck, but Maggie apparently had the same supersonic athletic ability that Liam was blessed with because she leaned forward and took the lead in the last possible minute.

“I won!” she said, flipping her hair behind her.

“You’re a maniac.” I shook my head with a laugh. “And I’m done playing.”

“Sore loser.” She pouted.

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