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Claire dropped her chin, no longer able to keep up the façade. “I stalked you.”

He looked up at her as the kettle started to scream. “Al…right?”

She nodded, feeling no shame whatsoever. “Do you know what I found out?”

He watched her in silence.

“I found out that you are a big, giant liar.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Am I?”

“Yep.” She pulled up her phone, found his Instagram account, then showed him the screen. “A big. Giant. Liar.”

He stared at the page for a minute, unflinching, then he turned away and took the kettle off. “You have done some stalking.”

“Yep.”

“I still don’t understand how I’m supposed to have lied to you, though.” He poured the water into the mugs and stirred them slowly one at a time.

“You said you dabbled in photography,” she replied, looking at his feed and spotting a new image she hadn’t yet seen. She clicked to view the photo bigger, marveling at the buck deer backlit by the morning sunshine and a golden fog. “I mean, this is incredible. Is this what you took today?”

He glanced up at the image, then put the spoon into the sink. “Yeah.”

She stared at it again, shaking her head. “It’s seriously amazing. And look at these comments. They all want to know when prints will be available.” She glanced up as he retrieved a glass bottle of milk from the fridge. “Are you going to sell them?”

He shrugged again, swirling the milk into the mugs until the liquid edged closer to the rims. “When I have the time.”

She shifted through a few more photos. “I really am so impressed. The only thing I can’t understand is why you’d choose to stay at Peregrine Productions when you have this other option to make money—not to mention something that you’re crazy talented in.”

When Liam didn’t respond, she lowered her phone and looked up at him, wondering if she’d said too much.

He stared down at his hot chocolate, blowing into the drink as steam drifted past his lips. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

She lowered her phone, taking her own steaming cup into her hands. “Can I ask how?”

He took another sip. “I’ve spent so much time building up that career. Quitting now just seems like I’d be throwing away eight years of my life.” He raised a shoulder. “Ever since my father died, I just…I don’t know. I’m afraid of wasting any time at all, so to erase eight whole years seems careless.”

Claire grew silent, hanging onto Liam’s every word. She had no clue what it would be like to lose a father, let alone one who’d actually loved his family.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, not knowing what else to say. “I didn’t know all that was holding you back, but it makes sense.”

“But it doesn’t make sense,” he countered. “What would make sense is quitting so I don’t waste more of my time at a dead-end job that doesn’t care about me or my family.”

He ran his fingers through his thick hair, and Claire pushed aside the thought that accompanied his movement—Was his hair as soft as it looked?

“Do you know the real reason my mum didn’t have a tree up?” he asked next.

Claire shook her head, listening intently.

“Because she didn’t have the heart to do so,” he replied, staring at the pine still propped up at the back of the front room. His dark eyebrows hovered low over his eyes, and his lips thinned. “My dad died a few weeks before Christmas three years ago. I was there for his funeral, but I was sent on a work trip over Christmas that same year. Agreeing to go provided me with a distraction, so the next year, I did the same.” His lip curled in disgust from his own actions. “I later learnt that she didn’t put any decorations up either year because she couldn’t bear to do it alone.” He paused, finally looking to Claire. “So how is that for Son of the Year Award?”

Instead of feeling disgust, which she was sure Liam had been expecting, Claire’s heart broke for Liam and Tasha both. “I’m sure your mom doesn’t blame you,” she said softly. “And not that it really matters, but I don’t blame you either.”

His eyes locked onto hers as she continued.

“You were both grieving,” she said. “And sometimes, it’s easier to grieve on your own. It’s okay if that’s what you needed to do to come to terms with something so heartbreaking.”

Liam blinked, and she thought she saw a shimmer of emotion in the dark depths of his eyes, but he looked away too swiftly for her to be sure.