Page 37 of Liam

Julie ordered a salad.

Lincoln ordered two burgers, two fries, and two drinks. “Oh, I didn’t?—”

“Yeah, you did,” Barb tells him. “Just like the other one.” The “other one,” meaning Liam.

“Oh.” Lincoln looks around for confirmation, which he gets, then back up to Barb. “Would you mind?”

“To go?”

“Yes, please.”

Barb leaves with another order to pack up.

“What are we doing after this?” Linc asks the table. “Jet skis?”

Liam shakes his head. “Lachy has people there.”

“So kick ’em out.”

Julie rolls her eyes. “You’re so mean.”

“I have work to do, anyway,” Liam tells him.

“Oh, my God!” Julie drops her fork and picks up her phone. “The comments on your latest video…”

Liam lifts his arms and presses his hands to his ears, shaking his head.

I stifle my giggle at his reaction. “You don’t read the comments?”

“No,” Lincoln answers for him. “He’ll lose it—mentally spiral out of control and never want to upload another video again.”

I watch Liam. “Why?”

He just shakes his head more vigorously.

Julie reads aloud. “Liam girlies, rise up!”

“Stop it,” Liam whisper-yells, his cheeks turning a shade darker. He takes Julie’s phone from her and hides it on the other side of him.

“Aww. You’re adorable,” she coos, then narrows her eyes at Lincoln. “Why can’t you be more like Liam?”

Lincoln scoffs. “We’re the same!”

“No, you’re not,” Julie and I say at the same time.

“Oh, great,” Lincoln whines. “Now you’re twinning.”

15

Liam

Even with Dad’s constant advice to do so (based on his own experience, I assume), I don’t work on a schedule. Sometimes, I don’t even know what day it is, let alone time. Not that it matters. I could pre-upload and schedule our weekly Friday videos, then disappear for a month, and it wouldn’t make a difference. My personal calendar, unlike Lincoln’s, lacks important dates, meetings, specific times, and people.

I only have one entry, once a month.

There aren’t many places outside of my home’s boundaries that I feel comfortable, but Mia’s farm is one of them. Actually, it’s theonlyplace. A few days a month, I take time out and head there just for a reset. Sometimes, Mia, Leo and Benny join me, but mostly, I’m alone. Just like I have been for the past four days.

But I’m back now. Here, in the studio. And I’m not alone. Adelaide’s here, too. And not just here, working in the back room like she usually does, buthere,standing right next to me, tapping my shoulder to get my attention.

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