“Is he still with Lilian?” At least, Matt thought that was her name.
“Man, when was the last time you talked to him? Aiden hasn’t been with Lilian for at least six months.”
He didn’t remember the last time he’d had a conversation that lasted longer than three minutes with his brother.
“I called him about two weeks ago, but he was heading out and couldn’t talk.”
“Unless something changed in the last week, Aiden’s single.”
When Matt’s phone buzzed, he didn’t bother to check to see who was at the door because it had to be his brother’s girlfriend.
“Brianna’s back.”
Theo chugged the rest of his drink as he stood. “I’ll be back.”
Kissing her neck, Matt ran a hand down Liv’s back. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“I’m not buying it. You’re so tense I could use your back as an ironing board.”
“Do you even own an ironing board?”
“I might have one somewhere, but that’s not the point. You’re upset about something we said.”
Liv moved off his lap and into the chair next to him. “Are your parents like your aunt and uncle?”
She needed to be a little more specific. “In what way?”
“You told me your aunt and uncle disapprove of your cousin’s fiancée. Are your parents overly critical of the women you and your brothers date?”
While his parents had some things in common with his Uncle Benjamin and Aunt Shannon, thankfully, that wasn’t one of them.
“God, no. They haven’t liked all my girlfriends, but they’ve always been welcoming to them. The same is true of my brothers’ girlfriends.”
Rather than appear relieved by his answer, Liv’s frown deepened.
“You don’t believe me?”
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, but when was the last time you or Theo dated a caterer who waitressed on the side?”
Well, she had him there.
“Your last girlfriend was Jasmine Locke. She’s a huge movie star. And Brianna’s probably a high-priced lawyer or business executive who graduated from Harvard. Theo met her at a charity event. I’m sure it wasn’t the type of event people like me go to.”
“Liv—”
“Am I wrong?”
Matt leaned closer. “Brianna’s a lawyer, but I don’t know what type of charity event it was. However, I know my parents won’t care about what you do, and except my Aunt Shannon and Uncle Benjamin, no one in my family will.” Cupping her face, he pressed his lips against her forehead. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Got it?”
Liv nodded, but the uncertainty remained in her eyes. Unfortunately, he knew nothing he said would completely reassure her. When she met his parents, she’d see he’d been right.
Fourteen
Thursday night, Liv kicked off her flip-flops and claimed her usual spot on Phoebe’s sofa. “I think the last time we hung out like this was on St. Patrick’s Day.”
Between their work schedules and personal lives, every time one of them suggested getting together lately, someone was always busy. And when Liv reached out earlier in the afternoon, she’d assumed one of them would already have plans for tonight. She’d been floored when Phoebe and Emma texted back that they were both free.
