“We aren’t labeling anything. We are just enjoying each other’s company.”
“Understandably so. You just got out of a long relationship. But does he want more from you?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t think so. We haven’t had that kind of talk.” I looked down at my hands in my lap as the idea of letting Damien go made my chest physically ache.
“He is openly showing you affection in public… I’d lean toward yes.”
I shook my head. “I can’t figure out what he wants and as soon as I think I understand him, he does something that throws me off again. But there is an undeniable attraction between us. We are just giving in to it right now.”
“Cay… I know you…”
I held up my palm. “Stop. I can guess what you’re going to say. I’m handling it.”
“Handling it? How do you plan to keep yourself from falling for this guy? I can tell by that look on your face, you’re already smitten.”
“Shh. If we say nothing out loud, we can continue to live in denial.”
“And that’s how you are handling it? Denial?”
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
Liam shook his head and rubbed his neck. “This is a recipe for disaster.”
Our waitress chose that moment to come by and drop off my loaded nachos and Liam’s Cobb salad.
Saved by the food.
Liam studied me with curiosity. “You look happy, though. A lot happier than you did when I last saw you.”
“I could say the same for you.”
“Ah. Well.” Liam rubbed his hands together. “I wasn’t in the best mood that morning.”
“You don’t say,” I deadpanned.
He picked up his fork. “Yeah, sorry. A lot has been going on.”
“None of us thought you’d be the first one to get married. It was always supposed to be Jamie and Blake.” I took another bite.
“I know.”
“But that didn’t mean we weren’t thrilled when you found someone who made you happy.”
“Is there a point here? Or are you trying to make me feel worse about Belle leaving me?”
I reached over and grabbed his hand with my non-nacho-y hand. “I’m trying to say that every one of us—me, Blake, Jamie, Wes, Erik—we just want you to be happy. We don’t care how.”
Liam squeezed. “Thanks, Cay.”
“If there is anything I can do, I have more than enough extra time on my hands now,” I said with a chuckle.
“I appreciate that, but even I haven’t realized what I’m doing yet.”
“Blake only mentioned that Belle had left. She didn’t tell me any of the details. What happened?”
Liam sighed. He stabbed his fork into his salad as if he had a personal vendetta against the lettuce, allowing time to gather his thoughts. “I guess she wasn’t happy with me anymore. And instead of telling me, she ran off with another man. A designer I helped when the world had kicked him down.”
“Wow, that’s a shitty move.”
