Page 12 of Liam (Preston Brothers #4)

Liam

I’ve come to terms with the fact that Adelaide is here and there’s nothing I can do about it.

I’ve given up on avoiding her because that clearly didn’t (and wouldn’t) work, so now we coexist in the same space, acknowledging each other’s existence while never actually speaking a word.

It’s been like this for two weeks now, and it’s a lot easier than it sounds.

She shows up in the morning, dressed in her regular tank top and shorts, usually with a skateboard under her arm, and goes directly into the back room, where she works with the door open—I assume to take advantage of the air conditioning.

I only know this because I have to see her when I use the bathroom.

She comes out for the same reason or to grab her lunch from the fridge, where she has to bypass me in the living room, but again… we don’t speak.

Linc talks to her, though. Whenever he’s around, he always makes an effort to at least say hello, sometimes more.

Linc brought it up once—why she and I don’t seem to interact, and I told him I had nothing to say to her.

Linc didn’t push the issue, putting my response down to my being socially inept—which is true, I guess.

It’s a perk of being a practical hermit.

But… my answer wasn’t a lie. I really did have nothing to say to her.

After our little chat on the porch, I’d decided that I was done with Adelaide.

I said my piece, she somewhat said hers, and whatever comes of it was inconsequential to how I would live the rest of my life.

At the end of the day, she still set out to destroy me, and she won.

And not once in the time she’s been here has she shown even an ounce of remorse for any of it.

“Is there anything you want me to bring up at the meeting tomorrow?” Linc asks from the passenger’s seat as I pull into the driveway toward the studio.

Linc takes all the meetings with our team—agent, PR, marketing, etc.

Sometimes he does it in person, but most of the time, it’s through video calls.

I don’t exactly know when we went from two small-town kids making stupid videos to whatever it is we are now, but I’m sure Linc was behind most of it.

I never wanted this level of recognition, or whatever you want to call it, but once he got a taste, he couldn’t get enough.

I shake my head, murmur, “Nah.”

“Nothing?” he urges. “No brand deals you want to get or?—”

“Nope.”

Linc sighs, tapping away on his phone. He only looks up when I slow our minivan just outside the studio.

Adelaide is on the porch, likely on her lunch break.

My brother and I step out at the same time, then open the back doors of the van to get our equipment.

As soon as we reach the porch steps, Linc hands me the tripod, then sits down next to Adelaide. “What’s up, Addie?”

“Not much,” she says. “You guys filming today?”

I step into the studio and dump our shit on the couch just as Linc replies, “Yeah, we needed a change of scenery, so we filmed over at the skate park.”

“I totally forgot about that place.”

“It’s probably changed a lot since you were last there.”

“I’ll have to check it out.” She pauses a beat. “It wasn’t too busy?”

“Nah, the high school still has a few days left, so we were lucky it was quiet.”

“You record most of your stuff around here?” she asks.

“Yeah, mostly.” Linc chuckles before adding, “Liam doesn’t get out much.”

My eyes drift shut, and I let out a sigh. I hate that she has this much insight into my life. But then again, so does anyone with Internet access.

I glance out the window just as my sister’s car pulls in.

I wasn’t expecting her today—unless she told Lincoln and Lincoln forgot to tell me, which is…

likely. A smile tugs on my lips the moment I see Lucy step out and open the back door, and without thinking, I’m back on the porch again, watching my sister lift my niece, Katie, out of the car.

As soon as she’s on her feet, she’s running toward us. “Uncle Twinnies!”

“Princess!” Linc and I return in unison. The first time our nephew, Benny, met Katie was on Halloween, and she was dressed as a princess. He’s called her Princess ever since, and (maybe unfortunately) the name has stuck.

Lucy smiles from ear to ear, first at Adelaide, then at us, then back to Adelaide. “You must be Roman’s sister. Addie, right?”

I don’t look at Adelaide for a response.

Instead, I watch Katie park her butt on the dirt ground, ruining her frilly pink dress, and immediately work at ripping off her shoes.

Honestly, I don’t know why Lucy insists on dressing her like a princess when anyone who spends time with her can see she’s far from it.

Katie likes to get dirty, walk barefoot, dig for worms, and burn plastic soldiers with nothing but the sun and a magnifying glass.

She’s everything her uncles are, and absolutely nothing at all like her mother.

Lucy must hate it.

“My husband mentioned you were working here. He works with Roman, too,” Lucy tells Adelaide. “Girl, your brother’s so happy you’re home.”

“So am I,” Adelaide replies. “I mean, I’m happy to be back with him.”

“He’s sure missed you while you’ve been gone.”

“Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.”

Lucy and her husband, Cameron, were in the same grade as Roman, so they go way back—even as far as my little league days when Roman and Cameron coached us. Ever since Roman got out of prison and started working for my dad, he’s become a solid part of their friend group.

“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you, or re-meet you, I guess,” Lucy says. “We’ll have to have you over for dinner sometime.”

“Sounds good.”

Lucy switches her focus between Linc and me, and I already know what’s coming. With pleading eyes and batting lashes, she hints, “I have so much work to do.”

Linc and I share a look—one that would come with an eye roll if our sister wasn’t right in front of us.

Lucy rarely works. She treats her shop like a personal library, and most days, you can find her in a corner, hiding from paying customers so she can read.

We both know that either a new book just came out, and she’s dying to read it, or Cam has some unexpected time off and they’re going to do…

things no brother should have to imagine their sister doing .

Linc’s quick to reveal his phone from his pocket and fake answer it without ever tapping the screen. “Hello?” he says to no one. “Oh, really?”…“Yeah, I’ll be right there.” Within seconds, he’s muttering, “Gotta go! Bye!” Then speeding away on the golf cart.

Lucy… sweet, innocent, clueless Lucy turns her attention to me. “Can you?” she asks, motioning to Katie, who’s now building a tiny fort with sticks and fallen leaves.

I’d planned to edit the content we just created, and we’re still behind because Linc’s been spending time with Julie, so I actually have “so much work to do,” but then I look down at a three-year-old Katie…

at her big blue eyes, and her chubby cheeks, and her ridiculous smile, and I can’t say no… not that I’d really want to. “Sure.”

“You’re the best,” Lucy says as I make my way down the porch steps. On her tiptoes, she hugs me around the neck, offering a “Thanks.” When she pulls away, she squeezes my biceps. “Wow, look at you all bulked up. Those boxing lessons are serving you well, huh?”

I roll my eyes, do my best not to bring attention to the girl sitting on the steps, and whisper, “Knock it off.”

“What?” Then, in true big sister form, she teases, “Am I embarrassing you in front of a girrrrl ?” She breaks out in a giggle.

So does Katie.

And so does Adelaide.

I focus on my niece, taking her tiny hand in mine. “Your mama’s crazy.”

She nods in agreement. “Mama’s crazy.” Then she raises her arms. “Up.”

I lift her up, hold her close, and start for the studio. “Say bye to mama.”

“Bye, Mama!”

“What do you want to do today?” I ask closing the door behind me.

“Film like Uncle Twinnies!”

Princess is a poser, and usually, she loves being in front of the camera, especially since we set up a TV to stream what shows through the lens.

Today, though, it only lasts a few minutes before she’s bouncing off the walls.

She wants to draw; we draw. She wants snacks; I get her snacks.

She wants to ride me like a horse; I get down on my hands and knees.

I do everything she wants, but it doesn’t stop the tears that inevitably come.

She’s screaming, crying, wailing , and I have no idea how we got here.

“Maybe try to use your words,” I plead, sitting up on my knees while Katie sits on the couch, her bottom lip quivering.

I don’t think she can hear me over the sound of her cries, and so I grab my phone from my desk, ready to call in some reinforcements.

Before I can pull up my contacts, Adelaide enters the room and beelines for Katie.

Katie’s cries soften, but don’t stop completely.

Adelaide squats down in front of her and raises her hand, revealing a carabiner with a bunch of colorful keychains.

Katie’s cries stop as she wipes the tears off her cheeks, her lips kicking up at the corners.

“This one’s my favorite,” Adelaide says, and I find myself moving closer just to see.

It’s a plastic toy made to look like one of those disgusting heart candies with words printed on it, and she shows Katie the sound it makes when it clicks.

Eyes narrowed, I mumble, “You just walk around with a bunch of fidget clickers?”

Adelaide faces me, no expression. “You don’t?”