“Hey.” I forced a smile, pretending to be happy to see him. I wasn’t. Okay, I’d come a long way with the others. But as irrational as it was, knowing Jules might have a thing for him—past or present—was simply too much to let go of. It felt like Bowen all over again.
“What up?” Liam asked, making eye contact with everyone but me. He walked toward us, slightly hunched, as if there were an invisible yoke across his shoulders. Huh. He was usually annoyingly happy to be home.
“What’re you doing here?” Cash hugged him. “You didn’t tell me you were coming.”
They pounded it out. Liam stepped back, folding his arms, looking extremely uncomfortable. “Uh. I came to see Griff.” He finally glanced at me, his eyes already full of apology. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” He tipped his head back toward the door.
My stomach hardened. I planted my feet. “Is it about Jules?”
“Let’s talk about it outside,” was all he said.
“No.” I released a shaky breath. “I have a feeling whatever you’re about to tell me is going to break me all over again, and I’d rather have these guys here to catch me if I pass out a second time.”
“Fine.” His chest seemed to collapse. “She’s been calling me all week.”
The words hit me somewhere behind the sternum, like a rib had just snapped loose. “Whoo,” I exhaled, shaking my head hard and fast.
“Figures.” James scoffed. “Freaking women will?—”
“James,” I warned, not in the mood for one of his rants. I looked back at Liam. “You talked to her?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t answer numbers I don’t know. And after the first message she left, I knew better than to pick up. I let the rest go to voicemail.”
“Did you listen to them?” I asked.
“Yes.” He tipped his head toward the door again, giving me another chance not to do this in front of everyone.
I took a deep breath. “Just play them.”
“All right,” he said, likedon’t say I didn’t warn you. As he swiped through his messages, we circled around him. He flipped the phone so the speaker was facing out and pressedplay.
“Hey, Liam,” Jules sang, and the last bit of hope I had evaporated. She sounded happy, perfectly fine without me, and thrilled to be communicating with my cousin. “I know I’m probably the last person you expected to hear from. I guess there’s no point pretending anymore after everything that came out. The list, I mean. I was a kid when I wrote it, but… I wasn’t lying. I really did have a crush on you. I just…” she paused. “I thought you might like to talk about it sometime. Give me a call.”
The message ended, and no one said a word.
“Play the next one,” I said.
“Griff,” Cash said. “Are you sure?—”
My gaze flashed to him. “I have to hear them.” Surely he understood that.
Liam scowled. But he started the next one.
“Okay.” She laughed again, though it sounded less light than before. “Obviously, you’re hesitant about this. But here’s the truth: I think it was divine providence meeting you?—”
“Divine providence?” Bowen scoffed. “Is she serious?”
We all shushed him, and Liam rewound the message a few seconds.
“Even as unorthodox as it is,” she went on. “I think after getting to know you, it’s become clear I married the wrong Dupree. Call me, please.”
Back in third grade, I got bronchitis. I remember how hard it had been to take a deep breath. This felt a lot like that.
“Are you okay?” Liam asked.
“No, he’s not okay,” James snapped. “His wife is hitting on his cousin and best friend. Would you be okay?”
Liam frowned. “You know what I meant.” He turned to me. “Do you want me to stop?”
