Page 14

Chapter Fourteen

I never thought I’d be so ecstatic over ice in my life, but once you’re at a certain point in your twenties, the little things start to make a difference.

Like the built-in ice maker that came with Liam’s top-of-the-line fridge. I screwed off the lid of my reusable tumbler, doing a happy dance as I pressed the cup against the ice dispenser.

As I filled the cup to the top with cold, crunchy ice, I heard the rattle of keys and the sound of the door swinging open right in the middle of my awkward flailing dance.

“Liam!” I spun around with a guilty expression on my face.

“Am I interrupting something?” he asked casually, leaning against the doorframe as the hint of a smile formed on his lips.

Dressed in his joggers and hoodie, I was startled to realize he looked just as good in that as he did in his gear.

“No, I was just having a moment of appreciation for your ice maker.”

“My ice maker?” His brows nearly hit the top of his forehead as a grin overtook the bottom half of his face. “Are you serious?”

“What?” I blushed furiously. “I’ve never had one before. With the amount of water I drink, this is literally life-changing.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Well, I’m glad to be able to provide that weirdly specific joy for you.”

Liam dropped his bag by the door before coming closer, filling the kitchen with his larger-than-life presence. I fought the urge to retreat.

“What’s all this?” He looked around at the food I had set out on the kitchen island. His eyes scanned the plates of chicken parmesan I’d set out for us.

“Oh!” I said sheepishly. “I made you dinner.”

“Dinner?” he asked, uttering the word as if it were a foreign concept.

“Yeah, as a thank you for everything.” I shrugged. “And I know you’re probably tired from practice, so we don’t have to eat together or anything, but I just thought in case you were hungry…” I finished with an awkward shrug.

I stared up at him expectantly, watching closely for his reaction. It was a habit I’d picked up in childhood as a result of growing up with my mother. Even though I was a grown adult now, I still found myself always on edge, waiting to see what a person’s next move would be.

Anxiety churned in my stomach as he stared at the plates with an unreadable expression. His hand reached to cup the back of his neck, and I was certain I’d screwed up the precarious nature of our living situation by making him think I wanted him to dine with me.

“I’m sorry. You probably had your own dinner plans already.” I moved toward the plates, preparing to clear them. “Really, don’t worry about this. I’m sorry.”

“No, ,” he said, reaching out a hand to stop me in my tracks. “It’s not that. I was just surprised.”

I paused, looking up at him warily. “Surprised?”

His gaze flickered from where they’d been glued on the plates till they landed on me, and something in his expression shifted.

“I just wasn’t expecting this,” he started, “No one’s ever—” He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tightening before he tried again. “This is nice.”

I felt my face heat, resisting the urge to hide behind my hands. “You really don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to. I won’t be offended.”

“, it looks great,” he said, sitting down in front of one of the plates. “Really, I can’t think of anything better to come home to.”

“Are you sure?” I pressed, still unsure if I’d done something wrong. “You’re acting weird.”

He huffed out a laugh. “I’m not acting weird.”

“You are,” I confirmed with a solemn nod.

“Well, maybe it’s because I just trained for hours, and I’m so hungry that I don’t know how to function anymore.”

I bit my lip to hide the smile of relief that appeared as I settled down across from him.

“Sorry in advance if it’s gross,” I said nervously as he grabbed his fork. With wide eyes, I watched him take the first bite.

“Well,” I asked with a wince, twisting my hands in my lap. “Is it okay?”

“It’s great.” He stared up at me with warm steadiness in his green eyes as he held eye contact.

I looked down as if I could hide from his gaze. “Good, I was worried.”

“Well, don’t. It’s actually one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time.”

I smiled but didn’t respond, feeling too self-conscious to form a coherent thought. I knew he was probably only saying it to be nice, but it flattered me all the same.

We ate in silence for a few minutes until Liam’s words broke through the quiet of the dimly lit kitchen.

“You didn’t have to do this, you know,” he said, watching me cautiously from across the island.

“And you didn’t have to let me stay here.” I shrugged. “Believe me, you did a lot more for me than a simple meal can make up for.”

He shook his head, his eyes boring into mine. “You don’t have to make up anything to me. I mean it.”

I offered him a smile, knowing that his words didn’t erase the massive kindness he’d shown me.

“Hey,” he said, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I’m sorry about the other night. I was a jerk. I shouldn’t have come at you like that.”

I looked up, shocked by the look in his eyes that appeared to be sincerity and… guilt?

“It’s okay,” I said.

“No, it isn’t.”

“No, Liam.” I held up a hand to stop him. “Really, it is. If you hadn’t said all that, I probably would’ve run back home and tried to beg him to get back together, and I would’ve walked right into something I didn’t want to see. So really, you saved me a little bit of pride.”

He stared at me as if wanting to say something more, but I couldn’t handle being under the pressure of his gaze.

To escape it, my eyes flicked over to the Friends episode I’d left on in the living room while I cooked.

I always had a show playing for background noise. It made me feel a little less alone and was something I’d carried over from childhood. As an only child, TV shows were usually my only companions, and they worked powerfully to ease the loneliness that was my constant companion.

“Do you want us to eat on the couch?” Liam asked, smirking as his gaze scanned between me and the television a few feet away.

“Oh.” I blushed. “No, it’s okay. I know most people don’t like doing that.”

Except me because it was the only thing that turned my brain off.

“I don’t mind,” he said, watching for my answer.

I bit my lip, not knowing what the right answer was. Before I figured out how to respond, Liam was picking up our plates and moving toward the couch.

Wordlessly, I found myself following him. He set our plates down on the coffee table and gestured for me to sit, which I did, pressing against the corner of the couch to give him ample space.

He leaned forward, eating his food over the table, settling into comfort quickly, which allowed me to do the same. He ate, and I watched him, almost in awe of how this could be my life, sitting here beside him.

Despite everything that happened in the past few days, I couldn’t find that sense of heartache that had been plaguing most of my moments. In fact, I felt strangely settled in a way that scared me because I knew that feeling couldn’t last for long.

We finished our plates, and Liam brought them to the sink for us despite my protest that I would clear up. He gave me a stern look that kept me in place.

I sighed contentedly, feeling the exhaustion of the week washing away as I curled into a relaxed position on the couch. I figured that since Liam had gotten up, that was all the interaction I’d get from him for the night, but after the sink turned off, he made his way back to the couch, leaning against the back of the couch with ease.

I sat in the silence, my eyes fixed on the television. I didn’t dare to speak and break the moment, as if he were an animal that might be frightened off by sudden movement.

Eventually, he pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over me.

“You looked cold,” he said when I looked over to him with a raised brow.

I had been a little, but I didn’t know how he could possibly notice that. Still, I felt myself dozing off, strangely at peace in the foreign environment I’d been suddenly transplanted into. And in that safety, sleep came quickly.

Liam

I had never resented the sound of a knock at the door more in my entire life.

Sure, I’d never been the type of guy to respond well to unannounced visitors, but at that moment, with sleeping on the couch, the sound of a fist banging against the door getting louder with each second, I found that there had never been a time I wanted a guest less.

I sprang up from the couch toward the door, determined to send whoever it was away when Maggie piled in as soon as the tiniest crack presented itself.

“Maggie, what the hell do you need?” I groaned, trying to stifle the volume she’d brought with her.

The sound of her purse and keys rang out against the countertop she’d dropped them on, and she was already talking a mile a minute about how she couldn’t possibly understand why it took so long to open a door.

“You know, you should really tell someone before you show up at their house at ten o’clock at night.”

“Well, I’m here for , not you,” she said with a hand on her hip. “Where is she?”

With a clenched jaw, I nodded toward the couch. “She’s sleeping. So, keep it down.”

“Well, that explains why she wasn’t answering my texts.” Maggie nodded, making her way toward the living room.

“Oh, ,” she said in a sing-song voice as she approached her sleeping form.

“What are you doing?” I hissed, walking faster to catch up with my little sister before she woke up.

“I’m here to take her out,” she said, exasperated. “What’s with you?”

“She’s sound asleep. What makes you think it’s a good idea to take her out at ten o’clock at night?”

“Oh, please. It’s the weekend. The bars are open, and the night is just getting started.”

How Maggie and I were related, I’d never know. We had totally opposite ideas of how to spend our time. What could possibly be appealing about sitting in a dark barroom while drunk strangers spilled drinks on you, trying to strike up conversation all night long?

“She’s tired. Just come back another night.”

“She can wake up.” Maggie tsked. “What’s it to you, anyway? I figured you’d jump at the idea of having your apartment back to yourself for the night.”

“I’m just saying that after the week she’s had, don’t you think she just needs to relax?”

“No, I think after the week she had, she needs to hang out with her best friend instead of the random brother I’ve left her alone with all week.”

“What’s going on.” sat up, blinking in confusion as sleep still clouded her eyes.

She looked exhausted, and my chest tightened at the sight. She was obviously in no state to go out to the bars with my rambunctious sister, who probably had all types of schemes up her sleeve.

“I’m here to take you out.” Maggie beamed. “I thought you might like to have a little fun. There’s a cool bar downtown, and—”

“Maggie, I don’t—” started before my sister cut her off.

“I know, I know. You don’t drink. But they have mocktails, appetizers, and music. Really, it’s just a chance to get out of this apartment because I’ve been a terrible best friend, leaving you here for days.”

“If she doesn’t drink, then why the hell are you taking her out to bars?” I asked more harshly than I intended.

“Leave us alone, Liam.” Maggie turned to glare at me. “Go do whatever it was you were doing. Besides, I know you. I’m sure you’re itching for a night to yourself.”

’s eyes glanced over to me, emotion flashing in them quickly before returning her gaze back toward Maggie.

“Okay.” She shrugged, nowhere near confident enough to convince me that she actually wanted to go out. “I’ll go get ready.”

“, you don’t have to,” I told her.

“Good girl,” Maggie chirped, waving her off as untangled herself from the blanket she’d been asleep under just moments ago.

I told myself that it didn’t matter. She was my sister’s friend, and I really didn’t have anything to do with her other than giving her a place to crash. So why the hell did it feel like Maggie was the one intruding?

“I guess I’ll go get ready,” said uneasily before turning toward the staircase and heading up to the guest room.

“What the hell, Maggie?” I spun toward her as soon as was out of earshot. “What made you think this was a good idea tonight?”

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting so weird about something that has nothing to do with you?” she pushed back like she always did.

“I just thought that even you would have more sympathy for your friend, who very obviously doesn’t want to go out to bars after getting dumped just a few days ago!”

“That’s exactly the point! She’s never going to want to go out. She needs to be pushed out of her comfort zone. That guy was a jerk. You know that. The best way to move on? Meeting guys who aren’t jerks.”

I scoffed.

“See, you wouldn’t understand because you’re like morally opposed to relationships or whatever, but wants love, and she’s not going to find it being holed up in here.”

“Jesus, Maggie. Give her time. She’s not going to want to jump into a relationship right away.” I found myself speaking for her.

I didn’t know if it was true or not, but God, I hoped it was.

Why do you care? My voice of reason questioned.

“Oh, come on, Liam! This isn’t about finding the love of her life tonight. It’s about having fun. Socializing. Getting hit on by cute guys she’ll never see again. It’s the first step in a long process, and frankly, you’re ruining the vibe.”

Getting hit on by cute guys.

The words struck a nerve, sending my instincts into overdrive. I knew what guys at bars were like because the guys on the team were those guys. And they made no secret of discussing at length the nights they shared with women they never spoke to again.

didn’t deserve that. I didn’t want that for her. It might be irrational, but I pegged it down to protectiveness over my little sister’s friend. If I could look out for her, why wouldn’t I?

“Fine, whatever.” I shrugged, knowing when to pick my battles when it came to Maggie’s determined will. “I’ll drive.”

“You’ll what ?” Maggie’s voice reached a decibel that had me grabbing my ear.

“You’re telling me this is the first night you don’t need a designated driver?”

“And you’re telling me that this is the first night you’re actually going out? No way, something doesn’t make sense.” She shook her head, grilling me with her stare.

After a minute, her scrutinizing glare turned into an all-encompassing smirk.

“You’re into her, aren’t you?” she said knowingly. “I know I was just kidding before on the phone with you, but you actually are!”

“What?” I protested. “No. Absolutely not.”

“You are! Why else would you be acting like this?”

“No, I had plans to go out already,” I straight up lied. “The guys from the team are already out at a bar.” Truth. “ So, you guys can just come along.”

Maggie’s lips jutted out as she considered my words. I was betting that she’d buy it, considering I had never lied to her before.

“I don’t want my big brother at the same bar as me when I’m trying to have a good night!” she pouted.

“Ew, Maggie. What constitutes a ‘good night’ that you don’t want me there to see?” I groaned.

“Listen.” She held up a hand to silence me. “It’s been a long week. My best friend got dumped by a jerk. Mom is living in my shoebox apartment and has been up my ass for days. And I just want to unwind with my friend. Okay?”

“And I don’t see any reason why you can’t do that with me there?”

About to protest, I stopped her with another half-truth. “Listen, my friend Brody has been dying to hang out with you, and he’s not going to get off my case until I set it up. He’ll be there tonight. It’s the perfect chance for us all to hang out with no pressure,” I told her, hoping she wouldn’t see through my flimsy excuse.

“Brody?” She raised a brow. “The guy from the locker room?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” I confirmed.

“Why does he want to meet me?”

“I don’t know, Mags,” I said, feeling like I was dealing with my kid sister again, even though we were now in our mid-twenties. “Can you just stop with all the protesting already?”

“Fine,” she relented. “You can drive us. But I don’t want you doing anything weird tonight because you’re seriously freaking me out. Like, I almost think you got a brain transplant or something.”

“Fine,” I bit out.

“I’m going upstairs to make sure doesn’t pick out something boring to wear,” she said, heading for the staircase.

I stood planted where she’d left me in the living room and watched her pause halfway up the stairs.

“And just so you know,” she said, eyes squinting at me. “ is mine. So don’t you go getting all territorial like you do just because she’s staying at your place for a few nights.”

She disappeared before I had a chance to respond, but I sank back against the couch with her words ringing in my ears.

Somehow, I didn’t think her warning was unwarranted.