Chapter 25
Wine
New Recipes
Sex Toys
Groveling
Eavesdropping
Feeling Wanted
“Do you think the pie is even done all the way?”
Liam gripped the steering wheel and glanced over at me with that same expression on his face he’d had the last time. It was like I had disrupted him from a dream, or a trance.
“What?”
I shifted in the seat, adjusting the hot pie in my lap.
“It only baked for forty-five minutes…I just don’t know if the bottom is cooked through.”
I knew Liam wouldn’t know if this pie was baked or not, I was just rambling because I was nervous.
My brother Colson had reached out and asked if we wanted to come over for dinner.
I initially thought that meant Liam and the girls would go and I would arrive separately, but no.
Liam said we’d be arriving together. Which meant he was going to tell the girls, or just kiss me in front of everyone and let the kids play catch up.
I wish he’d talk to me about it, but after the past few nights it’s been hard to bring up.
After the rocket ship, we had all passed out in Liam’s bed.
We were all a big pile of bodies, snuggling each other under blankets.
When I woke up, Maddy was between Liam and me, but his eyes were on me and the sweet smile he gave me was still melting my heart days later. His expression spoke a thousand words.
Words I wanted to hear but knew I wouldn’t, at least not anytime soon. That’s just how people were. I understood. Actions spoke louder than words.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” he said distractedly and focused on the road.
Liam parked along the curb outside of Colson’s house, and my nerves felt raw.
If the girls weren’t in the back, I’d just ask him what he was planning tonight.
I knew he’d had a conversation with Colson about us, one that seemed to settle this entire dispute over whether or not I should be dating Liam.
The thing was, I still hadn’t ever kissed or done anything with Liam in public.
Behind doors we were insatiable for one another, but the furthest we’d gone in front of anyone else was holding hands at the fun center with the girls.
Once we exited the car and piled up on Cole’s porch, Liam knocked and then the door swung open.
“Hi guys!” Nora said, welcoming us in. She wore an off-the-shoulder shirt that managed to match her eyes. Eyes which bounced from me to Liam, with a small smile curving her lips. I knew what she was thinking, and she was right, but I had no idea if I was allowed to tell her.
“Hey, thank you for having us over,” I said, stepping inside once Nora moved aside.
My brother was in a pair of dark denim and a heather gray shirt. His eyes went soft the second he took me in.
“Hey…”
I smiled. “Hey.”
I tried not to act awkward now that he knew about me and Liam, but it wasn’t easy.
Colson had just recently accepted being my older brother, and while I appreciated that he cared, it didn’t automatically give him the right to have an opinion on my dating life.
Not that he’d said anything to me about it, and I wasn’t sure he would.
But I didn’t love that he had given Liam a hard time about it.
“Can I take that pie for you?” he offered, stepping forward.
The others filed in, and the girls ran to their toy room. Nora headed for the kitchen, busying herself behind Cole.
“Sure.” I handed it over with the potholders still attached.
“That smells so good, Haley,” Nora groaned from over her shoulder.
Taking a seat on the stool, and ignoring wherever Liam slipped off to, I decided to focus on the conversation in front of me.
“Thanks. I’ve never made marionberry pie before, so I have no idea how it will taste.”
Cole waved me off, moving to dice up a few carrots. “You make great food, it’ll taste great.”
I smiled and then there was an awkward stretch of silence. Thankfully Liam rejoined us, and when I assumed he’d pull up the stool next to me, he chose one further down, putting an empty stool in between us.
Trying not to let my confusion show, I leaned forward and snagged a carrot from Colson’s cutting board. My brother and Liam began to talk about the gym, and work.
Bored by their exchange, I walked over and decided to help Nora.
“What can I do?”
She pointed at wine glasses, “Would you mind pouring?”
I found the opened bottle and lined up four glasses. As soon as I finished pouring the three, Liam piped up from behind me.
“You’re not old enough for that.”
I spun on my sock, totally shocked that he’d just said that. Out loud, no less.
Cole’s eyes burned, bouncing from Liam to me, that same confused expression dulling his face with crowded brows and a downturned smile.
“I’m twenty-one.” My voice became frosty as I added, “Did you forget?”
Liam’s eyes widened the smallest bit before a smidge of red colored his cheeks.
“Shit. I’m so sorry…” he muttered, hanging his head.
“It was just a few weeks ago, Haley…give the man a break,” My brother joked, keeping any emotion out of his voice.
I turned back to the glasses to hide my reddening face. Why was it okay for him to fuck me in every position he could imagine, degrade me when it fit his sexual needs, then suddenly have an opinion on my drinking age?
Fuck that.
Not to mention he forgot I even had a birthday! Jerk.
I realized I was still staring at the glasses with a blazing glare and gripping the wine bottle when Nora gently pulled it from my fingers.
She poured my glass and I smiled, giving her thanks.
Nora and Colson moved to the table, setting up all the plates and dishes there as Liam helped the girls wash their hands. I stood by the mantle looking at Colson’s photos, sipping my wine feeling totally unsure of what the fuck was going on with the man I’d fallen in love with.
Finally, once we were all seated, conversation began to flow easily about projects, plans, and the future.
Mila stole the show a few times, choosing to sing her debut music that Seraphina had written for her.
She couldn’t read all the words, so I leaned over to help her.
It was hilarious and worked long enough to shake my mood.
But it returned after dinner as the four of us sat around the living room to have our pie and coffee.
The girls had theirs and were cleaned up, playing in the room and Nora perched on Colson’s lap in an oversized chair which left the entire couch open for Liam and myself.
Liam picked a spot on the floor after I sat on the middle cushion.
I scowled at him, long enough that I caught my brother watching us.
His jaw clenched tight as he watched Liam, but he changed the subject quick enough that no one even noticed the awkwardness in the room.
But as Nora and Colson came up with new conversation topics and Liam joined in, my chest filled with ugly thoughts and even uglier emotions.
It felt like Liam was embarrassed by me.
Like he was upset with me about something, but I hadn’t done anything.
Every time my thoughts began to churn, and I’d ask what I did wrong, I had to correct myself.
I would not be that girl. I wouldn’t sit here and wonder what I did wrong.
I didn’t do anything wrong, and he was just being a dick.
Plain and simple. Finally, by the time we had to leave, I was fuming.
I had my empty pie plate in my hands, gripping it for dear life, when I looked over at Nora’s house.
Maybe I should stay somewhere else tonight.
My head was turned when I felt a tug on my arm, and Liam’s silver eyes were on mine.
Worry.
Fear.
There was so much in his gaze as he looked at the house behind me and then clenched his jaw.
We didn’t say anything as he opened my door for me and stood there waiting until I got in.
I knew he could feel the animosity between us.
I knew he could feel the frustration brewing in me, but he didn’t want me to leave.
That little thought made my rage simmer down the slightest bit.
We drove home in mostly silence, save for the questions Mila kept asking about whether birds had warm houses to stay in at night.
Once we got home, I went to soak the pie dish in the sink then headed upstairs to help Liam get the girls ready for bed.
This was our routine now. I would help Mila take a bath, by washing her hair and singing my favorite songs with her while we did it.
We’d even convinced Liam to put in a little Alexa device in the bathroom so we could tell her to play our favorite music. Mila loved Taylor Swift, just like me.
Then Seraph and Maddy would brush their teeth if they didn’t have to shower, and before bed, I’d brush everyone’s hair out. Liam would come in and say goodnight. I was trying to give back his space, and not stay too stuck in the routines we’d created while he was gone.
The girls weren’t seeing us both in there at the same time, making it seem like we were a couple. If Liam picked up on it, he never told me. I usually cleaned the bathroom while he said his prayers with the girls, and then I would go in.
Once they were asleep, Liam and I usually went to his office, where we knew the girls couldn’t peek over the railing and see us.
His office had a couch, so we’d usually cuddle while decompressing about our days, or we’d watch something on his laptop until we knew the girls were asleep. Then we’d go to his bedroom.
Tonight, once the girls were asleep, and I realized Liam was already down in the office, I went in the opposite direction to the guest room and went to bed.
I had no idea what time it was when I felt someone touching me. I passed out the second my head hit the pillow. I even skipped my face routine and everything. But now, in the darkness of my room, there was someone perched on the edge of the bed and a hand stroking my calf.
“I know you’re awake.” Liam’s deep voice rumbled softly in the empty room.
I shifted, pulling my leg away from him.