I stared at him, my heart thudding painfully against my ribs. “If you’ve thought about them for years, why have you never kissed me before?” I asked quietly, afraid that he might not answer if I was too pushy.
Something shuttered behind his eyes and my fears came to life.
He pulled away and dropped his hand. I missed his touch instantly.
“Because you’re too perfect for the likes of me.”
My chest tightened painfully. “That’s not true,” I said.
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe you just don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
“Liam—”
“Maybe we should call it a night. Pick another one for next time.”
We’d barely done anything sexy, but if he wanted to stop, I wasn’t going to force him. He was probably right. This hadn’t felt like I’d expected it to.
“Sure.”
He watched me for a moment longer, like he didn’tactually want to leave. But before I could ask him to stay, he put his shirt back on, then leaned forward, kissed me on the forehead, and walked out.
I watched the closed door for longer than I should’ve, but I couldn’t stop thinking about every moment with him tonight and everything we’d agreed to do moving forward.
And then there was the forehead kiss.
I’d always thought it was such a sweet gesture, but I’d never had a single boyfriend do it.
Of course it had to be Liam Farrell who would make me lose my sanity over a damn forehead kiss.
TWELVE
I’d forgotten what it meant to sleep through the night, and it appeared tonight would be no different when the crying started again at one thirty in the morning.
I stared at the ceiling of my room, listening to Rory’s wails filter through the thin walls of the hockey house. The sound cut through everything—both my attempts to sleep and the mental barriers I’d been trying to rebuild since leaving Ava’s apartment a few nights ago.
Drew’s footsteps creaked across the floor, likely pacing in his room, followed by his low, soothing voice trying to calm his daughter. I’d already been up twice tonight helping him with bottles and diaper changes, both of us stumbling through the motions like zombies. The kid had been crying for weeks, and it was wearing on everyone in the house.
A door opened and then I heard Gordy’s voice as he checked in. We might all be worn down, but we weren’t going to let Drew carry this burden alone. If I wasn’t helping, someone else was. But that’s what you did for family.
My phone lit up on the nightstand. I glanced at it, half hoping it would be a text from Ava.
Dad
Headed to Denver next week. Got a buddy with a condo he’s not using. Miami got old. You know how it is. You should catch a plane and come hang out.
There was no mention of the girl he’d sent me a picture of last time, but my guess was he got bored. He always did. No matter where he went or who he “fell in love with” that week, no one could keep Nick Farrell’s attention for long.
I turned the phone face down, not even bothering to respond.
He knew I had school and couldn’t just hop on a plane. And despite him having plenty of money, he’d never extended those finances to me or my mom. I always wondered if that was another reason he never married her—he’d proposed and made promises, but they’d all been empty. That money was his ticket to having no responsibilities. Sharing it meant sacrificing his own whims and desires, and dear ol’ dad didn’t sacrifice for anyone.
I rolled onto my side, pressing my face into the pillow, attempting for the umpteenth time to go to sleep. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ava—the way she’d looked at me during our Truth or Dare game, the soft give of her body when I’d kissed her forehead, the confusion in her eyes when I’d pulled away.
Fuck, I was turning into my father without even trying.
The thought sliced through me like a blade. How many times had my mom waited up for him, wondering where he was, who he was with? And here I was—sneaking around with Ava, lying to Drew, unable to commit but unable to stay away. The only difference was I kept pulling back before I could do real damage.
At least that’s what I told myself.
