Page 41 of Liam

“And maybe I struggle with showing gratitude.” He cracks the faintest of smiles, but it’s enough to have me doing the same. “Thank you. This is…” he trails off. “No turkey sandwiches?”

“No,” I laugh. “Though Ididmake extra for Roman’s lunch. He was only slightly jealous.”

“Ofme?”

“Of whoever was about to eat it all.”

Liam chuckles, deep and raw, and the sound alone fascinates me. I watch his eyes scan over the spread in front of us, his brow dipping, as if unsure of where to begin. I grab the glass bottle from the cooler bag. “Drink?” I ask, holding it up between us.

His eyebrows rise, just a tad. “Alcohol?”

“Apple cider,” I answer. “I didn’t think to get?—”

“No, that’s good,” he cuts in. “I don’t drink.”

I smile wider. “Same.” Most people, especially our age, ask for a reason, or at the least, clarification. We do neither. We simply sit in comfortable silence as I pour the cider into plastic cups, take tiny sips, and then we dig in.

For a long moment, the only sounds shared between us are Liam’s little moans of appreciation, and I give myself a mental pat on the back as I stare out at the lake. I couldn’t have asked for better weather today. The sun’s out, but not enough to be uncomfortable, thanks to the slight breeze. I only packed two dresses for the entire summer. One I wore yesterday, and the other right now. It seemed fitting for the occasion. “I’ve been meaning to tell you…” I pause a beat. “Thank you for holding my hand at the store—with Miss Harden. I don’t know what happened to me. It was like a blast from the past, I guess.”

His smile is crooked, his eyes right on mine. “Any time,Addie.”

I imagine holding hands with him “any time”, and the thought alone sends shocks through my system. Such a ridiculous response to such an innocent touch.

“Speaking of Miss Harden…why didn’t you correct her when she called you Lincoln?”

“I pick and choose my battles,” he says, shrugging. “Saves a lot of time and embarrassment. Besides, it’s understandable… The odds are a lot higher seeing Linc around town, especially separately.”

“Yeah…” I sigh, trying to form the right words so I don’t come across as prying. “Lincoln mentioned that once… that you don’t get out much.”

He looks out over the lake. “I prefer the company of solitude.”

“Even now?” I ask.

Ocean eyes turn to mine, hold my gaze captive. “Rightnow?”

I nod, that wariness in my heart creeping its way back.

“No, Addie,” he says, shaking his head. “Right now, I prefer the company ofyou.”

I’d love to say that we spent hours on the dock, talking and laughing and just… enjoying each other’s company, but that’s not what happened. Instead, Lachlan showed up with a bunch of his friends ten minutes in, almost on the dot,almostas if Liam had planned it that way. They ran up the dock, already in their swim gear. One of them shouted, “What’s up, lovers?” before cannonballing into the lake and splashing water all over us… and the food. Lachlan’s greeting wasn’t much better. He clapped Liam’s shoulders, then grinned over at me, saying, “Hey, Mini Roman!”

As soon as all five boys were in the lake, Liam stood quickly. “I should probably get back to work.” His focus wasn’t on me when he said it. He was looking down at his feet, as if he couldn’tface me anymore. Couldn’tstandme anymore. Not when others were around. “I’ll help you pack up.”

A pang of shame and disappointment worked its way through my chest, and I busied myself with the task to hide my emotions. “You go,” I’d told him. “This was my treat. My surprise, remember?”

He left without another word, and now…

Now I’m back at work, the cooler bag filled with ruined food by my feet. There’s no way to salvage it, and even then, I don’t think I’dwantto. All I want to do is go home, crawl into bed, and forget that these minuscule moments Liam and I share ever existed.

My phone alerts me to a text from Roman, letting me know he’s on his way, and so I quickly finish up my work and exhale loudly, wave after wave of relief washing through me. I need to get out of here, and soon.

I’m grateful for the curtains blocking the view of the living room, so I can sneak out without saying a word. But just my luck… Liam isn’t in the studio. He’s outside, sitting on the porch steps, untangling a mess of cables. He turns, greeting me with a smile, as if nothing happened. As if he didn’t just tear down all my hard work, my expectations, myconfidence.“Liam…” His name falls from my lips in a single breath, a single second of composure. I take the few steps down and face him head-on. “Next time you don’t want to hang out with me, just tell me. You don’t have to get your brother involved.”

His smile slips, and suddenly, he looks as crestfallen as I feel. “I?—”

“Do you know how embarrassing that is? To know that the next time I run into Lachlan, he’ll see me as the girl you needed rescuing from?”

“Adelaide—”

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