Page 123 of Awestruck at Dusk
“Cheers.”
We downed our shots, and I was impressed by how my throat was getting used to the burn. I welcomed it.
“Let’s end this thing then,” I said to him, rubbing the palms of my hands a few times. “What did you have in mind? And just to be clear, there won’t be any kissing.”
“Psh. We don’t need to go that far,believe me,” Liam said, covering his mouth as if telling a secret. “I know these guys. They’re territorial as fuck. Their insides must be poisoned by now from the bile that’s oozing off their livers. I’m sure they’re pissed that you’re not sitting in a chair on your own, sipping on tea with a sad look on your face. But such is life, I guess.” He ran his arm around my shoulders and walked lazily toward the rooftop railing beside me, far away from both William and Nathan.
“Just lay your back on the railing and look at me,” he instructed. “Don’t youdarelook at any of them, okay? This is of the utmost importance.”
I nodded.
Liam placed a hand beside each of my arms and held onto the railing. “Now smile.” I did. “Keep smiling while I talk, okay? I’m going to pinch your waist next, and you’re going to shove my shoulder, and then we’ll both laugh, and I’ll lean in to whisper a ‘dirty little secret’ in your ear. You’ll shoot me with the cheekiest smile you can come up with, and I’ll say it’s game over by then. Sounds good? I’ll improvise if for some reason that doesn’t get either of them fired up.”
I took a deep breath and said, “Okay. I’m ready.” I don’t know why I accepted, but I could always say the tequila made me do it.
“3, 2, 1, and …”
Liam did precisely what he said he would, and I did too. He was about to go into the “dirty little secret” portion of the choreography, mind you, when I heard, “Liam, I’m going to kindly ask you to get your bloody hands off her.”
“Oh! Hey, Nate,” Liam said to him, turning left to look at where he stood. Waiting. “Sure, mate. No problem. We were just talking.”
“Right. Bugger off,” Nathan said, jerking his chin toward the bar.
Liam lifted his hands beside his face and walked around Nathan to leave. He winked at me and said, “I’ll text you, Red.”
“No, you won’t,” Nathan growled at him. “And don’t call her that.” But Liam placed his hands inside his pants pockets and sauntered away with a stupid smile on his face.
That’s when it hit me—a disappointment of sorts. I was relieved that at least one of them cared enough to approach me, but I realized once Nathan did that I was bugged about it not being William because I looked at him, and he wasn’t even aware of what was going on over here. And I wasn’t used to the lack of attention on his part.
Anyway, it was a good thing that Nathan approached me because it was time for us to have that dreaded after-breakup talk once and for all.
A Bluefin Tuna
“HEY, MURPH,”Nathan said with a smile, looking as breathtakingly handsome as he always did. “So, what is Liam up to? Was he trying to—”
“No. We’re just friends,” I told him.
“Since when?” He grimaced. “You didn’t even know who he was at your birthday party.”
“Since today, actually. I like him. He’s fun.” Nathan was getting territorial on me, but he was talking to Lana just now, and he knew I wasn’t a fan of hers. So why care about who I talk to or not?
“He’s twenty, you know,” he said, looking at him. Liam had joined Tobias to get drinks at the bar. “Just a lad.”
“Twenty?” I was in shock. He looked older. Ha! “Well, he’s closer to my age actually. And I don’t know what that’s got to do with anything.”
“Just saying.”
Right.
“How’s Lana doing, by the way?” I asked him. He was getting worked up about Liam, and I hated seeing him with Lana, so I guessed he wouldn’t mind me pointing out that fact for him. “Unblocked and back to being friends?”
“Not exactly.” Nathan snorted and crossed his arms at his chest. “Does it make you jealous?”
I don’t know.
“I object.” It was best not to answer that.
“Overruled,” Nathan said, taking a step forward. “Yes or no.”
