I stared at the screen. Was everything okay? I honestly had no idea.
Me
Not sure. Can explain when you get here.
Twenty minutes later, Liam was sprawled on our couch, Rory sleeping peacefully on his chest while I paced the living room, recounting everything that had happened with Harper.
“So let me get this straight,” Liam said when I finally stopped talking. “You’re telling me that on top of your families hating each other for generations, you two have been at each other’s throats since sixth grade because of some dumb comments you both overheard?”
“Pretty much,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair.
“That’s next-level petty, even for you, Monty.” Liam smirked, carefully adjusting Rory as she stirred. “Though it explains why you’ve never shut up about her.”
“I did not?—”
“Save it,” Liam cut me off with an eye roll. “The team had a running bet on how long it would take for you to mention her name at pre-game. Record was three minutes, by the way.”
I stared at him, heat rising to my face. “You’re full of shit.”
“Am I?” His grin widened. “Face it, man. You’ve been obsessed with her forever. You just called it something else.”
“Fuck.” Was he right? I mean, could I even deny it when I was still craving a kiss I never got like her lips were a new drug I’d gotten hooked on?
“You know, this is kinda like those movies where people who can’t stand each other realize they’re perfect for each other.”
I stopped pacing and collapsed into the armchair across from him. “This isn’t a movie, Liam. This is my actual life, which is already complicated enough.” I gestured toward Rory. “I’m still figuring out how to be a father. I’m barely keeping up with classes. Thank fuck the hockey season is over or else I’d be struggling even worse. And now this thing with Harper…”
“What thing? Nothing’s actually happened yet, right?”
“No, but…” I gestured vaguely, struggling to find the right words. “Something’s there. You should have seen how she looked at me, Liam. And I just—I don’t know if I should pursue it.”
“Because of Rory?”
“Partly,” I admitted. “Everything I do affects her now.Every decision I make, every relationship I have—it all impacts her life too.”
“And you think Harper wouldn’t be good with Rory around?”
“No, that’s not it at all.” In fact, the image of Harper playing her violin for Rory someday made my chest tight in a way I couldn’t quite explain. “It’s more like what if we try this and it blows up? I can’t do anything that could ultimately hurt Rory. And Harper…” I hesitated, surprising myself with how important this next part felt. “Harper deserves someone who can give her his full attention, you know? Not someone who’s figuring out how to be a father while juggling his classes.”
Liam was quiet for a moment, his hand gently patting Rory’s back. “Those are a lot of assumptions about what Harper wants or needs, man.”
“I know.”
“So what are you going to do?”
I stared at the ceiling, thinking of the way Harper had looked at me just before Rory cried—eyes wide, lips parted, a mixture of confusion and desire that had made my heart race. “I don’t know. I need to think. I need to be careful here.”
“Because of Rory,” Liam said, but this time it wasn’t a question.
“Yeah.” I glanced at my daughter, so tiny against Liam’s chest, so completely dependent on me to make the right choices for both of us. “It’s not just about what I want anymore. I can’t just leap without looking.”
“That’s surprisingly mature of you, Monty.”
I snorted. “Don’t sound so shocked.”
“I’m not. I’m proud of you. You’ve changed a lot since she arrived,” Liam said, nodding at Rory. “In a good way.”
We fell into silence, the only sound Rory’s occasional little snores.
