Chapter 10 – Liam
M y sister’s timing could’ve been better, but I won’t hurry her off the phone when I arrive at the appointment either.
When we met the other night, she admitted she hadn’t been out for drinks in ages.
I could tell. Ivy used to be able to hold her own back in her party girl days, but half a bottle of wine had her on her ass and blurting out news I never expected to hear.
“I know you’re all probably pissed at me.”
“We’re not pissed. Just a little hurt and confused as to why you wouldn’t let your brothers in on things.”
“‘Hey, guys, I got oopsie married before I took off to Europe’ doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.”
“It might,” I say, chuckling. “So, you’re back to get a divorce?”
“Yeah, that and other things. It’s past time I move forward with my life. No questions about the guy from you three, alright?”
“No pressure, no questions. We’ll just play a round of Culver Family Truth or Dare.”
“Liam…”
“I’m kidding. Tabitha will be there to keep us in line if we forget.”
“I barely know Tabitha.”
The words ‘and whose fault is that?’ almost escape my lips, but it would be a dick thing to say and I’ve pulled enough dick moves lately. “Hudson and Santi know you’re back by the way.”
“Oh. Well, that’s… well, shit. ”
“Not exactly the response I’d expect. What aren’t you telling me, Ive?”
“Nothing.”
“That wasn’t very convincing. They’d like to see you.”
“They would?” she asks, dubiously.
“Sure.” Neither had exactly jumped for joy when I told them. They’d been stunned and then Hudson had bolted, but the four of us were thick as thieves once upon a time. “Unless you don’t want to see them.”
“It’s not… I just can’t see them yet, Liam. Being around them would remind me too much of who I used to be.”
“Alright, I understand.” I don’t, but the last thing I want to do is push her away when she’s barely back. “You’ll come to dinner tomorrow at Dean’s, right? Ethan’s coming down from Oregon to see you.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t miss it,” she promises before she hangs up.
Juliana’s on her own call once I get out of the Jeep. Thank God, I talked Santi out of asking her to participate in tonight’s auction. If I had to watch men bidding on the chance to spend the night with her, I’d lose my goddamn mind.
Once she’s off the phone, she asks me again if I’m sure about this. How can I be sure of something that’s going to change our lives irrevocably? But, the woman I want more than anything wants a baby. If any man is going to help her with that, it’s going to be me.
We’ve barely made it three steps when she freezes. That fucker Chad is here. “Is she the one?” I ask casually of the woman at his side while attempting to rein in the urge to go choke the son of a bitch.
Her voice is unusually wispy sounding when she nods and says, “Addison.” She shakes her head, the vulnerability from seconds ago a memory. “I’d heard they had married. Small world and all. Let’s go.”
I love Juliana’s strength but, at the moment, I almost wish she’d let me hold her in my arms for a bit… right after she allows me to go rip her cheating ex to shreds and tell the woman who wi llingly had an affair with her married boss, her co-worker’s husband, what I think of her.
They’re nowhere in sight when we walk inside. There’s two offices in the building; one a fertility clinic and the other an obstetrician's office. Chad and his wife must have headed into the latter.
To distract Juliana while we wait to be called back, I tell her something she didn’t know. “I hung those lights over the reception area.”
Her head whips between the fixtures and me. “Culver Construction built this place?”
“Uh-huh. About six years ago. Back then, Ethan was still the heir apparent at headquarters while Dad was having me run jobs as the glorified nepo baby intern. The crew and foremen with their years of experience would always look at me like something they had to endure until they got to know me.”
She grins. “Then, they really hated you, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“I know better than that, Liam. Dean once told me you were never afraid to drive a nail or hang drywall or whatever needed to be done.”
“Yeah, I was there to learn about the construction business, all sides of it, and that’s what I did. Building things, using my hands, it became my favorite element of the job to be honest. Got my ass chewed out a few times when I’d get something wrong, too, but I didn’t mind.”
“I really admire that about you. It would’ve been easy for you to never lift a finger and expect everyone to cater to you based on your last name. Those lights look like they’ll hang there for a hundred years or more.”
Warmth fills my chest at her praise as she lays her head on my shoulder.
I love my friend so much, but I know what I feel for her is more than friendship.
My eyes flit to another couple waiting, gold bands on their left hands and hope shining in their eyes.
I start thinking of the baby we’re supposed to make together.
A child. A little piece of me and Juliana.
Christ, this is going to be complicated.
“Juliana?” I say at the same time a nurse is calling her name. She leaps to her feet, not hearing me, and my trepidation withers away in the face of her excitement. Even if it’s not the preferred way I would want this to happen, I’ll never deny her anything.
∞∞∞
During the visit, I had my phone shut off so I could pay full attention to the doctor. There’s a message from Santi when I turn it back on as she’s scheduling her next appointment. Things are in motion now. And, things are in motion at the club, too.
Santi: Got a fill-in for tonight. A lovely lady who’s been here and knows the rules.
Nodding to myself, I give him an okay and put my phone away as Juliana rejoins me. She’s practically floating and it’s contagious.
We’re so caught up in discussing everything ahead that we don’t initially notice the irritated man pacing by the elevator talking on his phone.
“Yes, I know the project’s overdue. You’ll need to buy some time.
This appointment is taking forever. She’ll need to come to the rest of these visits alone if it’s going to be like this. ”
She stops dead in her tracks at the sound of the man’s voice. I glance over and realize it’s Chad. Fuck . I’d hoped we’d miss them coming out.
“What? Oh, yeah, it was just some spotting. She freaked out over nothing, of course. Probably means she won’t want me to touch her for the rest of the goddamn pregnancy.”
Something sour twists in my stomach. I already know what kind of man he is but, if I didn’t, what little I’ve overheard would tell me plenty.
A soft gasp escapes Juliana and Chad notices us. “I’ll call you back,” he says, his eyes sharpening on her .
Instinct combined with my protective feelings has me wrapping an arm around her waist. The divorce got fucking nasty and she doesn’t need anything from that time weighing on her mind today. “Perhaps we’ll take the stairs,” I suggest.
“Hello, ex -wife,” he sneers before she can reply to me, and he hasn’t missed the way I’m holding on to her. I hope it annoys the hell out of him.
“Hello. And, goodbye,” Juliana says coolly, pivoting toward the stairs. I follow her lead.
“No need to run,” he says, stepping over to block us. He’s tall, but I’m taller, fitter and I will shove this motherfucker down these stairs if he lays one finger on her. “I see you’ve still got your boy toy hanging around.”
Juliana stiffens beside me, but I roll my eyes at his pitiful dig.
“Busy with work, Beaumont?” I ask, giving him a cocky smile.
His jaw ticks. Early in the divorce proceedings, he realized Juliana and I were becoming friends.
I sometimes wonder if that’s why things got so ugly, that maybe he was more pissed about the business his adultery cost him than anything.
Of course, I’m also eighteen years younger than him and maybe that left him feeling raw, too.
I couldn’t say and I don’t fucking care.
Addison steps out of the OB’s office. “Chad, I was wondering where you’d gone- oh.” She pales, her eyes drifting over me before she starts studying her feet. “Hello, Juliana,” she says, softly.
“Hello, Addison. Don’t wish to cut this reunion short but if you’ll excuse us...”
We’re nearly away when the door behind us opens. “Ms. Davenport?” one of the fertility clinic employees calls. “I’m so sorry. I meant to give you this information about common injection side effects before those begin.”
Chad’s smile turns cruel, the dots connecting as she accepts the paper.
“Ah. I see you still want a baby.” He smugly places his hand on Addison’s belly as if he’s done something miraculous beyond emptying his balls at the right time.
“I suppose circumstances can lead women your age to explore whatever options they can find. Tick-tock, tick-tock.”
“Excuse me,” I say to his wife as I step into their space. She’s bright enough to step back before I put my fist through his teeth.