“How—”
“It was hard to miss the pictures of him on the Star Report while I waited for my espresso. It said it was taken on a harbor cruise in Virginia.”
She hadn’t seen the magazine cover, but she assumed it featured the same pictures as the website. In those photos, he’d been with a pretty brunette whom he claimed was his cousin’s wife. Liv had accepted his explanation. Now, though, she wondered if he’d lied.
“He appeared to be spending time with a friend.”
Based on the way Seb said “friend,” he suspected Matt and the brunette were more than that.
“So why can’t you?”
Liv slipped her hand out from under his. “I appreciate the offer, but Emma and I have plans.”
He knows I’m lying.
“If your plans with her fall through, you have my number. And when things with Sherbrooke don’t work out, you know where to find me.”
She hated how confident he sounded, but she couldn’t deny that he might very well be right.
Rather than wait for a response, Seb stood and left.
Ten minutes later, Liv remained seated, staring off into space as Seb’s comments and the pictures of Matt with other women bounced around her mind.
She didn’t believe he’d lied about his mom so he could put off coming back and spend time with someone else. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t seeking out companionship while away—not that he’d have to do much seeking. For him, it would be more like choosing from the line of females his smile alone would summon.
Before Liv could stop it, an image of Matt looking over a long line of gorgeous women formed. Somehow, each one was more beautiful than the one before her. When he reached the last woman, one who looked like the individual he’d helped into a car, he kissed her.
The vibrating cell phone jolted Liv from her ugly daydream. Unlike earlier, she found a message from Matt when she picked it up.
Matt: Do you have time to talk?
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she considered her answer. Thanks to the photos from last night and Seb’s visit, she was in a crappy mood. It might be better if she waited until her mood improved. At the same time, though, she wasn’t sure that would happen anytime soon, especially now that Seb had brought all her concerns to the surface again.
And if they spoke now, maybe he’d explain the newest photos and put her concerns to rest.
Liv: Sure.
No sooner had she sent the message than the opening of “Loving You” came from her phone.
“Sorry I didn’t call last night. By the time we got home, it was almost three o’clock where you are,” Matt said after greeting her.
“I was definitely asleep then. Are you staying with your brother?”
“More like the other way around. Aiden lives almost four hours from the hospital, so he’s staying with me.”
Liv hadn’t known Matt had a home in California, but it made sense. It seemed like every other celebrity owned a home there, and he certainly had the means. Hell, he could afford to own as many houses as he wanted.
“How’s your mom doing?”
“Okay. The surgery on her leg went well, according to her doctors, but she’ll be in a cast for a while, and she’ll need physical therapy eventually. She has a broken wrist too.”
“Any idea of when she might go home?”
And you’ll be back?
“The doctor didn’t give an exact day, but it should be before the end of the week.”
“That’s good. Are you heading back to the hospital soon?”
