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They all looked at me in the mirror, in various states of preparation. Maya had a curling iron twisted around a strand of hair. Liv had one set of lashes coated in mascara, the other eye bare. And Leah was painting sparkling lipstick on her lips.
Fletcher said, “You’ve been summoned, Liv.”
She gave me a knowing look that had me feeling way too exposed.
Keeping my voice low, I asked, “Can you help me or not?”
“Of course I can.” She continued applying her mascara. “She’s my best friend.”
I shifted to my other foot, bouncing Mira softly in my arms. “Will you?”
Maya smirked at me then whispered, “You forgot to say please.”
I gritted my teeth together, knowing Liv was just stubborn enough to make me do it. Probably on my knees and in a tutu if I didn’t play my cards right. “Will you please help me, Liv?”
“Of course! Why didn’t you ask?” she whispered brightly. She finished applying her mascara and said to Fletcher, “Can you supervise?”
“Sure thing,” he replied and patted my back on the way out.
Looking down and noticing Mira was now fast asleep, I whispered, “Should I lay her in her bed?”
Liv shook her head. “You’re stuck like this for the next two hours.” Walking ahead of me into the hallway, she curled her finger over her shoulder. “Step into my office.”
I rolled my eyes when she actually stepped into their home office. At least I knew Della was worth all the theatrics.
Liv sat in the high-backed leather chair behind the desk and gestured that I should sit across from her. I gave her a look before sitting down, careful not to wake Mira.
“So,” she said, pulling out a yellow legal pad and pen. “What brings you in today?” But she cracked up, giggling on the last couple whispered words. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” she said with humor in her eyes.
“You’ve sure made it painful to come and ask for help,” I said wryly.
She chuckled. “You’re cutting it a little close, don’t you think?”
“I thought I could do it...” My knee bounced with my nerves. “But the closer I get to picking her up the more I realize that I have no fucking clue how to act tonight.”
Liv smiled sadly, a worried tinge to her eyes. “As Della’s best friend and someone who knows you pretty well... I gotta ask. Is this real? I don’t want to be part of some ploy for you to get her in bed and then leave her.”
The reminder of my past stung. I couldn’t blame Liv one bit for feeling that way about me and trying to protect her friend. “I wouldn’t be coming to you if it was just to sleep with your friend. I’m better than that.”
She reached across the desk, patting my hand. “Hayes, you’re the best uncle to my girls. You always make them feel special just as they are. Fletcher has told me how many times you gave him great advice on getting Maya through her rough patch. We love you for you.”
I swallowed down the lump in my throat, feeling oddly touched at her words. “So why does it feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming?” I only half joked. My muscles felt tense, like they knew I should brace myself.
Liv frowned. “I believe in trusting people when they show you who they are. And you’ve shown me that when it comes to women... you’re around for a good time. Not for a long time.”
The words sounded so... gross. But she was right. “I’ve never been interested in something different until now.”
Liv nodded slowly, taking it in. I couldn’t tell if she believed me or not, so I pressed ahead, asking, “So what do I do?”
She flattened her hands on the desk and looked at them for a moment. “Here’s the deal.” She looked up at me, leveling her gaze. “You’re going to have to put in some work of your own for me to believe your intentions are pure. If I gave you advice and Della got hurt somehow, I couldn’t forgive myself.”
My stomach churned at her doubt. Suddenly, I didn’t just want to please Della. I wanted to show Liv that I could be a better man.
23
DELLA
I was starting to wonder if agreeing to this date with Hayes was a really bad idea. We weren’t exactly friends—although I did enjoy sneaking girly stuff into his house—so it wasn’t like there was a close friendship on the line. But I was best friends with his sister-in-law. I counted his family as my friends. Would things be awkward at weekend get-togethers, events at Maya’s school, summer little league games, and birthday parties if this went badly?