“Oh, and can you get a few cases of Diet Coke? Since you’re not here to refill my fountain drink anymore, I guess I’ll make do with cans.”
How magnanimous of you, Mother.The sliver of hope that I could turn the party into an event I could look back fondly on shaved down to whatever was smaller than a sliver. Sawdust maybe? “I’ll be there shortly. Just please try to clean up a bitbeforeI get there.”
When I hung up, the prickling on the back of my neck signaled Liam had his intense gaze aimed my way, and with the distraction of the phone call, I wasn’t sure how long he’d been there. I forced an unaffected, casual air into my voice. “Hey, good morning!”
Either my acting skills needed work or he could read me like a book. Probably both.
“Where are you rushing off to?” he asked. “I was hoping we could sneak in some chill time today. Maybe spend an hour on the beach. We could play in the waves, then I’d set you up underneath an umbrella to read before taking off for the gym.”
Longing wrapped around my heart, the threads tight and cutting. That sounded so much better than what my day was going to be filled with. “Oh, well, my mom’s selling jewelry now.”
He crossed his arms, his way of saying he knew there was a lot more to it.
“I’m helping her throw one of those parties to get her business going. Didn’t I mention it?”
Liam’s eyes narrowed.Busted.“What scheme is she peddling now?”
“It’s not a scheme.”
His mouth flattened into a line, his doubt as clear as his disapproval.
“It’s not! People pay her, and she gives them a product. In this case, jewelry, like I said.” I could at least say that about my mom. She never met a get-rich-quick idea she didn’t like, but she’d never swindled people out of their money.
“Let me rephrase, then,” he said. “Business ventures where only the top tier get rich while most of the salespeople go broke. Let me guess, you fronted her the money to get her started.”
Offense pinched my gut. “It’s my money. I get to decide what to do with it.”
“You do. But I bet she gave you a guilt trip and talked you into giving her more.”
I loved and hated that he knew me so well. Right now, the hate won out, mostly because it also stung. Perhaps shehadswindled money from someone—me.
Liam leaned back against the couch, using the top of it as a seat. “My dad pushes, but at least he’s not manipulative about it.”
“Hey!Yes, she and I have a rough relationship, but she’s my mom.”
“It’s nice you remember that, but doesshe? I got so sick of watching her treat you like shit all the time, and I hoped that staying here would keep you safe from getting guilted into being her unpaid servant.”
I hugged my arms around my middle. “Is that what I’ll always be to you? The poor girl from next door who needs saving?”
He pushed off the couch and walked over to me, then he cupped my chin and gently tipped my face up to his. “I don’t think you need saving. I’m trying to protect you from getting hurt. There’s a difference.”
“Well, I don’t exactly feel not-hurt right now.”
He sighed and ran his fingers down my arm, and when he reached my hand, he squeezed. “Fine. Do whatever you want with your mom. I’ll be here to…”
“To what?” I asked, although I could probably fill in the rest.To pick up the pieces and try to put them back together.
“I’ll be here,” he said, his eyes locking on mine. “No matter what.”
Damn, that made it hard to stay mad, although my pride still stung.
He lifted his hands in the classic surrender pose. “I don’t want to be in a fight. Shortly before you moved to Colorado, you had that breakdown about your mom. You said you realized you needed to stop enabling her, but you didn’t know how, and you weren’t sure you could follow through, so you’d just end up being Cinderella for the rest of your life. Without the pumpkin or the talking mice, I believe you added.”
He didn’t just believe. He knew. One thing he’d always done was listen, better than anyone else. “All true.”
“You always think it’ll be different or that something will finally change, but it won’t. She’ll take and take, Chels. I know you’re leaving in a few weeks, but don’t let her take too much.”
Resolve set my chin, and I ticked it a notch higher. “I can be strong. I’ve had assertive training now.”