8. Liam
8
LIAM
T he meeting finally wraps up, and the room buzzes with agreement on the plans for the new hotel resort. I can barely look at Bianca. Seeing her in James's bed this morning—it’s like a punch to the gut every time I think about it.
Alex claps his hands, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Alright, folks. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a solid plan. Let’s meet again next week for the progress update.”
People start gathering their things, and I watch as Bianca hesitates before approaching us. Her eyes dart between Alex and me, her expression hard to read.
“Hey,” she says, her voice steady but low. “Can we talk?”
I cross my arms. “Make it quick,” I say, my tone colder than I intended.
“Look, about this morning." She pauses for a moment, clearly struggling to find the words.
"I know what it looked like, but it wasn’t that.”
“Really? Because it looked pretty damn clear to me,” I reply.
She lets out a deep sigh. “I ran into James at the bar last night. It just happened. I was as surprised to see him as I was to see you and Alex yesterday.”
Alex raises an eyebrow. “You expect us to just believe that?”
“Yes,” she says, looking directly at me. “I had no idea he was in San Diego until last night.” Her hands absently twirl in her braids as she shifts on her feet before us.
I want to believe her, but anger and confusion twist inside me. “So, you’re telling us it’s just a coincidence? You just magically bumped into James after all these years?”
She sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly. “It sounds ridiculous, but yes. That’s exactly what happened.”
Alex steps closer. “Bianca, we need more than that. We’ve been through too much to just accept coincidences.”
She meets his gaze, unwavering. “I get that. But it’s the truth.”
I uncross my arms and lean against the table, trying to process everything she’s saying. The way she looks at us—it’s hard not to notice the sincerity in her eyes.
Alex clears his throat and glances at me before turning back to her. "Look, Bianca, we have to be straight with you. If you're going to be sleeping with our ex-friend and competition while working for us, it's going to complicate things."
I nod in agreement, trying to keep my emotions in check. "Yeah, it doesn't exactly scream professionalism."
Bianca's eyes widen slightly, and she pauses before asking, "Are you going to fire me?"
I speak up before Alex can. “We’re not sure yet, Bianca. We need to think about it.”
Alex’s eyes flick towards me before he nods, his agreement evident. “Yeah, we need some time.”
Bianca looks between us, her eyes filled with questions she doesn’t ask. “Alright,” she says softly. “I understand.”
I keep my face hard and neutral. I can’t trust this situation, not after seeing her with James.
“We’ll let you know soon,” Alex adds, his tone final.
She nods, gathering her things slowly as if hoping we’ll say more. When it’s clear we won’t, she heads for the door.
“Thanks for understanding,” she murmurs before leaving.
Alex and I watch her go in silence. My gaze lingers on her retreating form longer than it should. The sway of her hips, the way her braids bounce with each step—it all pulls at something deep inside me, something I’ve tried to bury for years.
Once she’s out of sight, Alex turns to me, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Firing her? Seriously, Liam? Since when was that even on the table?"
I shrug, leaning back against the table. "Maybe it's for the best. She complicates things."
"Come on," he says, shaking his head. "Firing Bianca wouldn't look good to the rest of our company and the investors. A lot of people have invested in this hotel, and switching designers now would be a fucking nightmare. We've already switched locations twice."
He’s got a point, but I’m not ready to concede yet. “So what? We keep her around and pretend everything’s fine?”
Alex steps closer, lowering his voice even though no one else is around. “Liam, think about it. We’ve got too much riding on this project to make rash decisions because of... feelings.”
“Feelings?” I scoff. “This isn’t about fucking feelings. It’s about trust.”
“Right,” Alex says, not buying it for a second. “And that’s why you’ve been glaring at her like she stole your favorite toy.”
“She did more than that,” I snap back,the sting of old wounds still as fresh as it was six years ago. “She left, just fucking disappeared without a word.”
Alex sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Look, if we fire her now, we’re the ones who’ll look unprofessional. The board will question our judgment, and investors will lose confidence in us.”
I know he’s right, but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. I uncross my arms and rub the back of my neck, trying to loosen the tension there.
“We can’t let personal shit get in the way of business,” Alex continues. “We’ve worked too damn hard for this.”
“Alright, if we can’t fire her outright, what if we find a way to make it look like she’s not fit for the job? We could hire someone else from her company—say we needed a different skill set or some bullshit like that.”
Alex raises an eyebrow, clearly not thrilled with the idea. “You want to sabotage her?”
“Not sabotage,” I correct. “Just… find a reason. Make it seem like a natural decision.”
He furrows his brow. “Liam, that’s risky. What if she catches on? Or worse, what if her company finds out and it blows back on us?”
I grit my teeth. “We’re resourceful. We can be subtle about it. Find some minor mistake in her work, blow it up just enough.”
Alex shakes his head slowly clearly weighing the options. “Even if we could pull that off without raising suspicions, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s good at what she does. We both saw her plans; they’re fucking solid.”
I hate how logical he is sometimes. “So, what do you suggest then? Just keep her around and pretend everything’s fine?” My words linger in the air between us as I watch him thinking it over.
Alex finally sighs, breaking the tense silence between us. “Look, man, we shouldn’t make any decisions right away. Let’s take the night to think about it.”
I grunt, not entirely sold on the idea but knowing he’s right. “Fine. We’ll think about it.”
We both agree to sleep on it, though my mind races with thoughts of Bianca and James. How could things get so messed up so quickly?
Alex claps me on the shoulder, a reassuring gesture that I find more annoying than comforting. “We’ll figure it out, Liam. We always do.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, pushing off the table and heading towards the door. “Just hope we don’t regret this.”
Alex chuckles softly. “Regret is for people who don’t take risks. And you know we’re all about risks.”
I can’t help but smirk at that. He’s right—calculated risks have always been our game.
We walk out of the office and into what will soon be the lobby, our footsteps echoing throughout the empty building. The smell of fresh coffee from the nearby café mingles with the scent of new carpet.
“So,” Alex says as we step outside into the crisp San Diego air, “what’s our plan for tonight? Drown our confusion in whiskey?”
I shake my head, shoving my hands into my pockets. “Not tonight. Got too much on my mind.”
He raises an eyebrow, his usual playful glint dimmed by concern. “You sure? Sometimes a little distraction helps clear things up.”
“I’m sure,” I say firmly. “I need a clear head to think this through.”
“Alright,” he says, not pushing further. “But you know where to find me if you change your mind.”
We part ways, both of us getting into our cars. Thirty minutes later, I reach my apartment building and punch in the code. The door clicks open, and I step inside.
As I ride the elevator up to my floor, I replay our conversation over and over in my mind, trying to find some angle that makes sense.
When I finally get inside my apartment, it closes in, feeling both empty and suffocating at the same time. Dropping onto the couch, I stare at the ceiling.
“Think about it,” Alex had said.
Yeah, easier said than done.
I lay and close my eyes, willing myself to find some clarity before morning comes.