“Is he?” She laughs, sounding unconvinced. “I workallday.”
“It’s your life too,” I tell her. “You come home every night and see him every morning.” A frail smile stretches across her lips like she wants to believe what I’m telling her, but I can imagine the guilt that comes along with her circumstances, even though they were mostly beyond her control. Dad felt the same kind of guilt when Mom left us. There was nothing we could tell him to make them feeldifferently.
“Well, you’re leaving Dylan in good hands, I promise. Tomorrow, I’m going to start learning how to swim so today will never happen again,” I tell her. It’s all I can offer. I will do whatever I can to help her this summer, and Dylan too for thatmatter.
“I’m sure Liam can help you with that,” she says. Just hearing his name forces me to remove the affectionate gesture of resting my hand on hers. I pull it up and drop my hands tomylap.
“He offered, actually.” Can she hear the frustration in my voice? I’m not sure I’m great at hiding something I feel sostrongly.
“Are things going okay with you shadowing him?” Her nervous smile from moments ago is turning into a more curious straight line across her face, and it’s making me wonder what’s going on inherhead.
“Yup,” I tell her. That was definitely not convincing. What I’d like to say is:Things have been fabulous.Oh by the way, were you aware you have Satan working as your manservant?Just thought I should letyouknow.
“Speak of the devil,” she announces as Liam walks into the kitchen. So, shedoesknow...
“Hey Sam, how were those private classes today? I know you were stressed about them.” What a suck-up. Liam moves over to the oven and pulls it open, checking on whatever is in there, and whatever smells like heaven. He cleans and cooks.What a pretty and talented asshole/manservant.
“Oh! They both signed up for memberships. It wentverywell.”
“Awesome,” Liam says with an excitement I’ve yet to realize he iscapableof.
“I forgot to ask you this morning. How was your date last night?” No. Come on, Liam told her where he thought I was or where he was convincing himself I was? Whatthehell?
I peer up at Samantha, feeling my gut twist into knots, assuming she’s going to think I’m a slut for staying at some guy’s house two nights after arriving in a new state. However, when I see where her focus is, I realize she’s talking to Liam. No way. Ha! She’s asking Liam how his date was lastnight.
Except, Liam was at the bar, sitting beside me allnight.
I turn my head and smirk at him, waiting for the same response Samantha is evidentlywaitingfor.
“It was the third date, right?” Samantha asks, jiggling her brows at thesametime.
Liam makes an odd noise, sounding like a groan and a sigh at the same time. Taking a minute to pause the conversation, he grabs a pair of hot mitts and pulls the oven door down to retrieve acasseroledish.
I watch as he bends over and ... is his shirt purposely that short, just so everyone gets to glance at his v-cut muscles that are basically an arrow to his ass? He strikes me as the type to do that.Cocky.
Liam places the dish on top of the stove and closes the oven door. “It was fine,” Liam responds toSamantha.
“So, will there be a fourth date?” she asks like she’s trying to get her juicy gossip from Liam’s evident soap operalifestyle.
“I’m thinking no,” he says flatly. Oh, my God, was he stood up last night? Maybe it’s because he’s a turd toeveryone.
“Noooo,” Samantha whines. “What happened? You said she was pretty perfect just theotherday.”
Samantha’s words do something to my stomach, and I’m going to pretend I’m just hungry and not feeling any sort of emotion in my gut for this ... mongrel ofaman.
“A little too self-absorbed for me,” Liam says. “I guess it took her a couple of dates to show her truecolors.”
“That and she ditched you last night,” I say out loud instead of in my head. Oh, shit. This conversation did not involve me, not even a little, and here I am smack in the middle of it while Liam and Samantha are both staring right at me waiting for something else to come out of my stupidmouth.
“She—” Samantha looks at me first and then over to Liam. “Shedid?”
“I guess.” He clears his throat and pins me with his darkening glare. “Should I make you a plate, Julia?”Liamasks.
I want to smile as I construct the choice words rearing to pour from my mouth. “Thanks, but I have a date tonight. What time do you guys go to sleep? I don’t want to cause anyone to worry, and I don’t want to wake you up, of course,” I askSamantha.
“Daniel and I usually go to bed around twelve,” she says with some added excitement to her answer. “Who’s the guy? Where did you meet him?” While leaning on her elbows, she presses her fists into her chin, and her eyes widen as she leans forward with eagerness tohearmore.
“Sam needs to get out more,” Liam follows her questions. “You can become her new reality show now.” He winks at Samantha so she knows he’s joking, but he’s totally not jokingatall.
