Page 63 of Adrift

Rani

I push Arman on the swing, enjoying the warm breeze on my face. “Having fun, little man? Can you say swing?”

Arman holds on to the bucket swing with both hands as his dark curly hair lifts with the breeze. “Up!”

I giggle, pushing him again when the crunch of mulch behind me has me turning over my shoulder. Liam gives me a small smile, his hands tucked inside his pocket and his dog nowhere in sight. “Hi. You didn’t bring Pepper with you?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, I can’t talk to you when she’s pulling me everywhere.”

I laugh. “You mean, when she thinks she’s walking you instead of the other way around?”

He chuckles. “I can’t wait for my parents to come back so I can be rid of her.”

I laugh. “Really? I bet you’ll miss her when she’s gone.”

“I definitely won’t miss the incessant barking and the constant fear of face-planting whenever I’m walking her.”

I giggle again. “That’s true.”

We stand in silence for a few long seconds before I turn to him. I look down at my feet, trying to figure out how to say what I’ve been thinking about all morning. “Hey, so first of all, I want to apologize for not getting back to you last week. It wasn’t cool.” I glance up and Liam seems to be listening intently. “I think I just needed a chance to think about everything.”

He nods. “That’s understandable.”

My brows furrow, trying to get the words out but there’s a sadness inside my ribs that I can’t deny. I’m not someone who delivers hard messages easily. I feel a lot and sometimes that comes at a detriment to myself when I feel too much. I hate having to let someone down and hurt them, but I know this is the right thing for me to do.

I take a breath. “I truly care about you, Liam. You’re easy to talk to and so fun to hang out with.” I clear my throat. “I haven’t met many guys who have made me feel special. But with you, I feel nothing but warmth and comfortability.” I pause, hoping to lighten the air. “And you’re getting so much better about using your firm voice when giving commands to Pepper.” I smile at him, hoping to see him smile back.

He doesn’t.

I let out a breath and forge ahead. “You’ll make someone feel like a queen one day . . . but I’d like to just be friends, if you’ll have me.”

He looks to the mountains on our right. “Does he make you feel like a queen, Rani?”

I blink, taken aback by his question. “What?”

“Your brother-in-law. Does he make you feel like a queen?”

I push Arman’s swing but it doesn’t take me long to answer. “Yes. Very much so.”

Liam nods. “Then I guess I’m happy for you. It sucks for me, but I think if you decide to be someone’s friend, then you sort of have to be happy for their happiness.”

I turn, stepping closer and sliding my arms around Liam’s waist and placing my head on his chest. “Thank you.”

He hugs me back warmly before I break away and look at him. “How did you know?”

He chuckles. “That man was about to break me in half when he saw me holding you. At first I thought he was just being a jerk and acting like a protective dad, but then I saw the softness in his eyes when he looked at you. I saw how he looked at you, like there was nothing better to see in the world. And I knew.”

I look down at my shoes. “Oh.”

“I saw the way you looked at him, too. You might have been embarrassed but there was this heat in your eyes . . . not from anger but from something else.” Liam runs a hand through his red curls. “Something I knew I’d never see from you, no matter how much I wanted it.”

I bite my bottom lip. “I’m sorry.”

He playfully swats my arm. “Nah, don’t worry about it. But you know what they say?”

My brows crease. “What?”

“The only way to get over someone is to have that someone introduce you to her friend.” He winks at me.

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